Winter Storm Briefing for Western and Central Wyoming - May 17, 2026 - 6 am

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]Well, it's like uh an impact for winter storm coming for portions of the area at least.

[00:00:04]Have to find out where just a minute when I show you the briefing here.

[00:00:08]There's some highlights in effect. You can see uh the area that really draws your attention right here. The areas in pink uh winter storm warning. Eastern Rock Springs, Eastern Sweetwater County up here in Southeastern Fremont County.

[00:00:18]Goose Valley City, Muddy Gap. Also up here toward Casper. Also the east slopes of the Wind River Range includes South Pass as well. And the area around it, the purple area is winter weather advisory. Some snow that's not quite as impactful. This is Evanston, Green River, Rock Springs up here toward Big Piney. Riverton, Lander from the mouth of the Wind River Canyon to Cody. And also across Johnson County.

[00:00:38]When starting and ending time on these, that's a bit of a change. Starts at 6:00 p.m. this evening through 6:00 p.m. on Monday. With the maximum impact the 12 hours in the middle, basically midnight to noon.

[00:00:48]Also some wind with this.

[00:00:50]Now there is some strong winds early this morning across northern Wyoming.

[00:00:53]These should die off during the day, but this is wind mainly from about 6:00 p.m.

[00:00:56]tonight to about 6:00 p.m. tomorrow.

[00:00:59]Area that really draws your attention.

[00:01:01]See the reds here.

[00:01:02]Down here across Sweetwater County. I'll circle that in for you.

[00:01:06]54 mph in Rock Springs. They could see higher gusts there, especially when you head a little further east. For any type pressure gradient developing across this area, could see gusts of 60, maybe 70 mph at times with heavy snow falling.

[00:01:17]Interstate 80 is not going to be any fun to travel on. I wouldn't advise traveling on it late tonight into the first part of Monday. Many areas including the Bighorn Basin, Johnson County, around Casper, even around Jackson, could see gusts of 30, 40, maybe 45 mph tonight or into the first part of tomorrow.

[00:01:35]Now, the good part of this, the silver lining, is we need moisture.

[00:01:39]Some places could pick up a decent amount of it. This might be a little bit overdone though.

[00:01:43]I don't think they're going to get 1.5 inches of rain and snow around that Jeffrey City or around Lander, but I could see half an inch in those areas, maybe locally up to an inch.

[00:01:52]Definitely a good thing there. And you're going to want to me just at this map. Heaviest amounts are be in southern and eastern portions of our area with lesser amounts as you head to the north and west with very little probably over around the northern Big Horn Basin also far western Wyoming.

[00:02:06]Now as we summarize the impacts across the area, you have to get out and about and do things today. Shouldn't be any problem today. It will be much cooler.

[00:02:13]There will be a few showers around but any snow is going to be limited basically to the highest elevations up in the mountains. Little bit of wind as well but if you have to go out, shouldn't have no problems. Things start going downhill as we head to where after 6:00 p.m. especially I think after dark once the sun sets and we start cooling off. Rain and snow increasing coverage will change to snow late this evening.

[00:02:32]Then a few hours of midnight depending on where you are. That's the one of the uncertainties with this storm exactly when the changeover is going to be.

[00:02:38]Still some variables on this. And the wind increasing especially as we head toward midnight. Then the maximum impact between about midnight tonight and noon on Monday. Periods of snow is going to be heavy at times especially across the southern half of the state.

[00:02:52]Anywhere safe from about Riverton and Casper on to the south will be the most impacted with that but gusty and strong wind that's going to be the big thing especially across Sweetwater County includes I-80. Also southeastern Fremont County Highway 220, US 287. Those aren't going to be any fun to drive on either during this time.

[00:03:10]Then as we head out for noon, we'll still be getting some snow around but it will decrease. Wind will start to decrease as well. With the snow lightening up and that strong May sun, it should start to melt the roads off.

[00:03:19]Things should start to get better.

[00:03:21]Now how much snow are you going to get?

[00:03:22]I'm going to tell you right now still a lot of uncertainty with this and also with the strong May sun, 1 or 2 degrees and a few hundred feet of elevation can make a big difference here. So focus on the impacts not exactly how much snow you're going to get. But I know you want to know.

[00:03:36]So let's get into it.

[00:03:39]This is the least amount of snow we'll probably see out of this. Gets a little bit warmer, storm tracks a little bit further to the south.

[00:03:44]Maybe just a coating in a lot of areas here. You can see the area that's most impacted basically if I just draw [snorts] a circle in it right there where we have the warnings, Wind River Range, uh Green Mountains, Casper Mountain.

[00:03:56]As well as down here across the eastern portions of Sweetwater County.

[00:04:00]I think at least a foot of snow across uh higher elevations of the uh Wind River Range. That's going to be good news for the watershed up in that area. I think at least 4 or 5 in around Jeffrey City, about 3 around Moneta.

[00:04:11]Casper's is kind of deceiving. That might be downtown. At least a couple inches out Big Sky. Especially those who live south of Wyoming Boulevard for Casper Mountain with the elevation change there.

[00:04:21]And an inch or two probably here across southwestern Wyoming.

[00:04:24]Now, the likely highest amount we'll see again I'll flip back and forth a couple of times between this.

[00:04:29]Not as much as yesterday, though.

[00:04:31]See, there's the highest amount. There's the smallest amount. You see the huge change there.

[00:04:35]As far as that highest amount, this really draws the attention, obviously.

[00:04:38]You see the core right in this area, maybe up to 2 ft across portions of the uh Wind River Range in the highest elevations, maybe up to 17 around Jeffrey City, 14 around South Pass, maybe 10 around Lander, eastern Sweetwater County as well, 5 in Rock Springs, maybe 10, maybe locally up to a foot in some of the highest elevations out here through Continental Divide where you get above 7,000 ft in elevation along Interstate 80.

[00:05:01]These amounts in southwestern Wyoming today you can see maybe up to 6 7 in around Kemmerer, 3 around Cokeville, about 6 around the Evanston area, up to 2 to 5 in in Green River Basin, maybe just 1 to 2 across northwestern Wyoming.

[00:05:13]Now, Wind River Basin is going to be interesting if you're watching this around Lander and also Riverton.

[00:05:18]They'll have a very strong north uh northeast wind here. So, it could be a kind of a shadow effect around Shoshoni. You might not see much at all, but a lot more here. Riverton in the middle about 4 in.

[00:05:28]It's probably one of the most uncertain forecasts we have right here depending on 1 or 2 degrees in the elevation.

[00:05:34]Maybe 5 around Dubois, 2 3 maybe 4 here across Johnson County, 6 around Casper, more as you head toward the mountain, obviously. Another impacted area, though, is Shoshoni Casper with higher elevations up in here, 5,000 ft higher than around Casper and here around Shoshoni. They'll get 6 to 8 in here with the gusting wind as well.

[00:05:53]And the least impacted area right here across the eastern Bighorn Basin just a coating to an inch.

[00:05:58]Now, the most likely amount we'll see out of this probably just about smack-dab in the middle right now. Again, circle the area, most impacted area.

[00:06:08]I-80 Rock Springs 2 to 3, closer to 4 to 6 if you head out toward Laramie or out toward Rawlins, maybe locally higher amounts there. All depends on the elevation there.

[00:06:17]Also, Jeffrey City 8 to 12 here. You're going to be really hard hit too with wind and the heavy snow. About 4 to 6 around Lander, very different in elevation there depending on where you are. I'll explain that in a minute.

[00:06:28]About 3 to 4 around Casper, more as you head down toward the mountain, maybe up to a foot on Casper Mountain.

[00:06:34]Less than 1 in, might be a little less here around Buffalo. I think you'd see 1 to 2 in there.

[00:06:38]Now, the advisory I've got for the western Bighorn Basin, it's not really for Cody. Only about an inch or two there. It's mainly for this area right in here around Meeteetse where the road gets higher, Highway 120 gets a little bit higher in this area. You could see maybe 2 or 3 in there. An inch or two around Thermopolis.

[00:06:54]Now, one thing I want to draw your attention to, it's kind of interesting. With the southwest flow here, I I should say northeast flow.

[00:07:02]It's really in the morning. Give me a break.

[00:07:04]Basically, you have a mountain range here, a mountain range here, down slopes here, up slopes here.

[00:07:08]So, places like Shoshoni up here around Boysen Reservoir mainly get an inch out of this. You get maybe 1 to maybe 3 around Riverton, Hudson gets 3 to 4.

[00:07:16]Lander gets in the Fort Washakie, they could get 4 to 6. Then you get toward Six Canyon, they could have a foot.

[00:07:21]Where exactly that line's going to set up, that's a really hard forecast.

[00:07:24]That's why I was pulling my hair out doing it this morning.

[00:07:30]And we have our resources here.

[00:07:32]Our weather go to our website, weather.gov/riw.

[00:07:35]For road conditions, again, don't call us for the road conditions, go here on the web, wyoroad.info. Want to call them on the phone, 511 in state, 188 weather road out of state. Be safe everybody.

[00:07:46]Enjoy your day.