Winter Storm Wednesday, Warm Monday and Tuesday

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - Warm days followed by a large winter storm are forecasted for our area.

Starting with tonight’s lows things aren’t too bad around the area tonight with the Cheyenne area getting above freezing and Casper being just below. These lows will persist for just one more night before the large winter storm moves and drops our temperatures pretty hard.

Tonight's lows aren't too bad with the Cheyenne area just above freezing and the Casper area... — Tonight's lows aren't too bad with the Cheyenne area just above freezing and the Casper area just below freezing(KGWN Weather Desk)

Tomorrow’s highs are going to be very warm for the season with many places into or near the 40s and Cheyenne being near 50. Tomorrow night however is when the front starts to move into the area.

Tomorrow's highs are warm for the season with near 50s in Cheyenne and 40s in Casper but... — Tomorrow's highs are warm for the season with near 50s in Cheyenne and 40s in Casper but unfortunately they won't stick around after tomorrow(KGWN Weather Desk)

As a recap, this is how the storm will set up on Wednesday afternoon with the low and cold front just to the south with strong flow into the cold front bringing gusts into the area and the cold front itself bringing frigid air back to the area along with snow.

This is how the winter storm will set up. A low will form in Colorado close to the border due... — This is how the winter storm will set up. A low will form in Colorado close to the border due to cold mountain air coming down (a process called lee-side cyclogenesis), and that low will have strong, moist winds coming into it with colder temperatures up north which gives it a perfect setup for snowfall(KGWN Weather Desk)

That snow threat is why almost all of the cowboy state is under a Winter Storm Warning until Thursday when the storm moves out. We can expect quite a lot of snow and our SnowCast agrees with most areas getting close or over 9 inches and places such as Cheyenne and Rawlins reaching the double digit snow totals. That will cause significant travel impacts around the area so take care on the roads even after Wednesday as the snow may take time to melt. In addition to the snow, we still have those Wyoming winds that will blow snow around which is why the Rawlins area and points west have a Blizzard Warning for the blowing snow. If that wasn’t enough, wind chills on Wednesday and Thursday will be near 20 below so we need to be prepared for frigid winds.

We have a Blizzard Warning in effect around Rawlins and to the west as well as a Winter Storm... — We have a Blizzard Warning in effect around Rawlins and to the west as well as a Winter Storm Warning for most of the area ahead of this winter storm moving in(KGWN Weather Desk)

According to our SnowCast, most places will see over nine (yes, 9!) inches of snow with this... — According to our SnowCast, most places will see over nine (yes, 9!) inches of snow with this storm with some places, including Cheyenne seeing over 10 inches(KGWN Weather Desk)

Finally, I do have good news. After this winter storm moves through temperatures warm up and the sun comes out for a nice warm weekend ahead. That weekend will ensure any leftover snow we have on the roads melts off and improves travel around the area. The next week ahead continues that warming trend as well. Hopefully that marks the beginning of spring time weather for us but it’s too soon to say for now. In Casper, the same trend in store for Cheyenne will also be in store for Casper as well with the storm on Wednesday, cold on Thursday, then a warming and sunny trend into the weekend and new week. Overall, let’s enjoy the warmth while we have it and be sure to stay safe on Wednesday.