Next Round of Wind and Winter Weather set for Tuesday

We had plenty of wind over the weekend, however there hasn’t been much snow activity around Wyoming since last year. Casper saw a snow shower Saturday afternoon, and there were some snow showers in the Medicine Bow Sunday afternoon to compliment the Wyoming Winds. But the first widespread snow event of 2021 looks to arrive late Monday night into the western part of the state, impacting the rest of the state on Tuesday.

A weak low pressure system is forming over northern California and Nevada today, and that will move eastward over the next couple of days. This will bring snow to Wyoming from the west, and there are already a few Winter Storm Warnings for parts of Northwest Wyoming along with several Winter Weather Advisories. There are also a pair of Winter Weather Advisories in effect through tomorrow for the snowy range in the Medicine Bow. Accompanying the snow will be widespread strong winds, and Riverton looks to be included this time. When it comes to the wind, Casper seems to be a bit of an oddball, as winds are forecast to change direction multiple times Tuesday afternoon. However, speeds will likely be in excess of 20 mph regardless of direction. Cheyenne along with Laramie will be seeing winds from the WNW with speeds of at least 30 mph (Laramie likely over 40 mph) and gusts up to if not greater than 60 mph.

Another round of strong winds are expected Tuesday around the state. Many of the numbers... — Another round of strong winds are expected Tuesday around the state. Many of the numbers depicted here (per the GFS model) are likely underestimates of how fast the winds and gusts will be.(KGWN)

As for the snow, impacts for most locations around Wyoming look to be relatively minimal. Casper will be one of the snowier spots, and accumulations are only expected to reach up to 2 inches. Laramie may see up to 1 inch, and Cheyenne likely won’t tally more than half an inch. Jackson is expected to be the snowy spot around the state with this system with accumulations up to 8 inches. That is followed by Yellowstone with about 5. This should all move out by the end of Tuesday, with sunshine expected Wednesday as a weak high pressure briefly passes through the Rocky Mountains. More snow is likely Thursday through Saturday with two more relatively weak systems.