Cold and Snow Summary for Wyoming

The following is a summary of the strong cold front that affected all of Wyoming.  While Star Valley escaped the snow, temperatures dipped to the coldest since last Spring.  Both Thayne ES and Double LL Ranch tied for the coldest valley locations with 18F Friday morning.

UPDATED: September 11th Winter Storm Summary...Now with the latest snow and low temperature reports.

The National Weather Service Building a Weather-Ready Nation

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Summary | Snowfall Totals |Early Freezing Temperatures| Reporting Snowfall | Safety

A rare September snowstorm impacted areas east of the Divide Wednesday night and Thursday (9/11).  The Bighorn Mountains, Buffalo and the Cody Foothills were hardest hit from this storm.  Major tree damage and power outages occurred in Buffalo where 7 to as much as 10 inches of heavy wet snow occurred.  Here is a YouTube Video showing the aftermath of the storm in Buffalo.  This was earliest recorded snowfall for Cody with records going back to 1915 (15 years were missing).  Before this snowstorm the earliest snowfall for Cody was September 12th, 1970, when 8 inches of snow fell.  Although Buffalo has considerable missing historical data, the earliest snowfall on record occurred on September 6, 1929, when 1 inch of snow fell.  However this should be the heaviest recorded snowfall so early in the season for Buffalo.  Below are several pictures across northern and central Wyoming.

Winter Wonderland in Cody (photo courtsey of Gretchen Papka)	Deep Snow at French Creek near Buffalo (photo courtsey of Julie Smith)

Tree Damage in Buffalo (photo courtsey of Chris Hattings)	Slick and hazardous travel over Powder River Pass in the Bighorn Mountains (photo courtsey of Peggy Peterson)

Snow on Casper Mountain (photo courtsey of Hogadon Trails Center)	First snowman of winter 2014-2015 (summer 2014) in Sheridan (photo courtsey of Jami Mclean)

 

 See all the latest snowfall reports here.

Snowfall Totals County Location Snowfall Big Horn Shell Creek Snotel 16 Big Horn Bone Springs Divide Snotel 10 Big Horn Bald Mountain Snotel 7 County Location Snowfall Fremont Castle Creek Snotel 2 Fremont St. Lawrence Alt Snotel 2 Fremont Little Warm Snotel 1 Fremont South Pass Snotel 1 Fremont 15 SW Lander 1 Fremont Riverton Airport 0.3 Fremont Riverton 0.3 County Location Snowfall Hot Springs Owl Creek Snotel 2 County Location Snowfall Johnson Little Goose Snotel 20 Johnson Cloud Peak Reservoir Snotel 13 Johnson Soldier Park Snotel 12 Johnson Hansen Sawmill Snotel 11 Johnson Buffalo 7 to 10 Johnson Bear Trap Meadow Snotel 3 Johnson 17 NNW Kaycee 5 Johnson Kaycee 0.1 County Location Snowfall Natrona Casper Mountain 4.3 Natrona Casper Mountain Snotel 4 Natrona Reno Hill Snotel 4 Natrona 11 ESE Casper 2.8 Natrona 2 S Casper 2.3 Natrona 4 WSW Casper 1.6 Natrona Casper 0.4-1.5 Natrona 10 WSW Casper 1 Natrona Grave Spring Snotel 1 County Location Snowfall Park Blackwater Snotel 8 Park 5 E Cody 7 Park Marquette Snotel 7 Park Kirwin Snotel 6 Park Timber Creek Snotel 6 Park Wolverine Snotel 6 Park Evening Star Snotel 6 Park Beartooth Lake Snotel 5 Park Cody 3 to 5 Park Meeteetse 3 to 5 Park 4 SE Cody 4 Park 26 SW Cody 3 Park 3 NE Sunshine 3 Park Wapiti 1-3 Park Crandall Creek 3 Park 1 NE Wapiti 1 Park Pahaska 1 County Location Snowfall Sublette Elkhart Park G.S. Snotel 3 Sublette New Fork Lake Snotel 2 Sublette Kendall Ranger Station Snotel 1 Sublette Big Sandy Opening Snotel 1 County Location Snowfall Teton Gros Ventre Summit Snotel 1 Teton Togwotee Pass Snotel 1 County Location Snowfall Washakie Powder River Pass Snotel 4 Washakie 5 NNW Ten Sleep 2 Washakie Middle Powder Snotel 1 County Location Snowfall Yellowstone Parker Peak Snotel 4 Yellowstone Thumb Divide Snotel 1 Yellowstone Lewis Lake Divide Snotel 1

Climatological First Freeze Data

A widespread freeze occurred across western and central Wyoming in wake of this rare mid-September snowstorm.  If the volunteer observer in Buffalo comes in with a low in the teens similar to the low at Buffalo Airport (19 degrees) it will be the earliest Buffalo has dipped into the teens since records began in 1899.  WOW! See all the latest morning low temperature reportshere.

Map of Observed Minimum Temperatures for the morning of Friday September 12th.

Low Temperatures through 12 PM 9/12

Location	Low Temperature °F on Sept 12, 2014	Record Low °F for Sept 12th		Period of Record
Airports (unless otherwise noted)
Big Piney	17	17 in 2001		1976 - 2014
Buffalo	19	34 in 1999		1998 - 2014
Buffalo Town	??	24 in 1902		1899 - 2014
Casper	25	29 in 1949		1939 - 2014
Greybull	30	32 in 1999		1998 - 2014
Lander	31	26 in 1902		1891 - 2014
Lake Yellowstone	18	25 in 2012		1998 - 2014
Jackson	18	N/A
Riverton	28	38 in 2003		1997 - 2014
Riverton Town	28	28 in 1951		1907 - 2014
Rock Springs	21	26 in 1951		1948 - 2014
Worland	29	31 in 1974		1960 - 2014