Snow Returning to Star Valley

The two week respite from snow in Star Valley is coming to an end.  Light amounts, generally less than an inch fell today(Monday).  However a moist Pacific airmass will be replacing the dry continental  airmass that has dominated for much of the month of January. In response to the expected change, the Riverton Forecast Office  has issued the following advisory.

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY
134 PM MST MON JAN 27 2014

...SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM POSSIBLE THIS WEEK...

.A COMPLEX AND LONG LIVED WINTER STORM IS APPROACHING THE REGION
THIS WEEK. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS
LATE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BE
HEAVY AT TIMES THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. IN ADDITION...THERE
COULD BE SOME STRONG WINDS WITH PERIODS OF NEAR WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS IN FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW. A WIDESPREAD FOOT OR MORE
IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS WITH 6 INCHES COMMON IN
THE VALLEYS.

WYZ001-002-012>015-023>025-027-281015-
/O.NEW.KRIW.WS.A.0002.140129T0700Z-140131T1200Z/
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK-ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS-
TETON AND GROS VENTRE MOUNTAINS-JACKSON HOLE-
WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS WEST-WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS EAST-STAR VALLEY-
SALT RIVER AND WYOMING RANGES-UPPER GREEN RIVER BASIN FOOTHILLS-
SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LAKE...MAMMOTH...OLD FAITHFUL...
JACKSON...AFTON...ALPINE...THAYNE...PINEDALE...KEMMERER...
COKEVILLE
134 PM MST MON JAN 27 2014

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RIVERTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.

* SUMMARY AND TIMING...SNOW WILL BEGIN ALONG THE WESTERN BORDER AT
  AROUND MIDNIGHT ON TUESDAY NIGHT AND WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES
  THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AS IT QUICKLY SPREADS EAST...TAPERING
  OFF INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED TO
  FALL BETWEEN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNRISE ON THURSDAY
  FOLLOWED BY A FLUFFY LOW DENSITY SNOW FOR MUCH OF THE DAY ON
  THURSDAY.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...OVER ONE FOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS AND AROUND 6
  INCHES IN THE VALLEYS. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED ALONG
  FAVORABLE WEST FACING SLOPES.

* WIND AND VISIBILITY...WEST WINDS INCREASING THROUGH WEDNESDAY
  NIGHT WITH GUSTS OVER 60 MPH EXPECTED ON EXPOSED RIDGES BY
  WEDNESDAY NIGHT EXPECTED TO CAUSE WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND
  DRIFTING SNOW WITH VISIBILITY FREQUENTLY BELOW ONE HALF MILE.

* IMPACTS...SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IS EXPECTED TO
  ADVERSELY IMPACT IF NOT IMPEDE TRAVEL THROUGH MOUNTAIN
  PASSES...INCLUDING TOGWOTEE...TETON AND SALT RIVER PASS...HOBACK
  CANYON...AMONG OTHERS. TRAVEL WILL ALSO BE IMPACTED AT TIMES IN
  THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AS HEAVIER SNOW BANDS MOVE THROUGH. IN
  ADDITION...THE HEAVY SNOW AND PERSISTENT WIND LOADING MAY
  INCREASE BACK COUNTRY AVALANCHE HAZARDS. THOSE WHO PLAN ON
  TRAVELING OR SPENDING TIME OUTDOORS IN THE AREA LATER THIS WEEK
  ARE URGED TO CHECK ROAD CONDITIONS AND AVALANCHE FORECASTS
  BEFORE HEADING OUT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REMEMBER...A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE
FOR HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.

THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS PROVIDED BY THE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION ARE AVAILABLE BY CALLING 5-1-1 OR ON THE INTERNET
AT WYOROAD.INFO.