Coming snowstorm could be a record-breaker

Mar. 11—CHEYENNE — National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Mokry says the snowstorm headed toward Laramie County, beginning with what he called a "tease" on Friday afternoon and continuing on through Sunday, is "looking at the potential for a record."

Mokry checked NWS records and found what he deemed several comparable two-day snowfall totals for storms beginning on March 13.

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He noted a 2019 14-inch storm.

"However," he said, "I really think we're looking at beating this record."

Forecasters were talking Wednesday about the potential for 18-24 inches of wet snow from 11 a.m. Friday through 11 p.m. Sunday.

Mokry said he thought the coming storm would top two comparable spring storms — an April 1984 blow that dumped 17.6 inches of snow in two days and a May 2003 storm that put down 17.2 inches during the same time frame. "I think we'll match or beat this," he said. "Yes, it's going to be a whopper."

He also mentioned a November 1979 two-day 20-inch storm.

"We could set a new record," he said.

The storm

The storm headed toward Cheyenne is currently a low-pressure system brewing off the California coast.

It will percolate and then head east the next couple of days, Mokry said. By Friday, western Wyoming will start seeing snowfall, and by Friday evening, Cheyenne will be getting some snow, a "tease," Mokry said.

As the heart of the storm climbs up over the Rocky Mountains and slides down onto the Great Plains, it will acquire moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, the winds will ramp up, and the snow will fall hard, heavy and wet, Mokry said.

The heaviest snowfalls will be from sunrise Saturday through Sunday evening. And while Mokry shared this information, he said NWS meteorologists were looking at bumping up their predicted snowfall totals.

Gulf Coast moisture and warm air is driving this, he noted. This warmer Gulf air holds more moisture than, say, February's arctic blast did.

"There's 2 inches of moisture in the atmosphere," Mokry said, which results in 1 inch of what would be rainfall turning into between 8 and 9 inches of snow in this storm.

The temperatures will be warmer than February's frigid blast, Mokry said, with highs in the upper 20s to mid-30s, and lows in the teens or low- to mid-20s.

One factor that could up snowfall totals is how the whopper low flows over and down off the Rockies. As it tracks slightly northeast, which is what is currently expected, Mokry anticipated "heavy snow from here to Denver" and higher winds.

Wyoming typically gets whacked by big storms in late winter and early spring because the jet steam and global weather oscillations play a role, Mokry noted. During the winter months, the jet stream is typically well north of Wyoming, keeping the frigid air at bay. As spring arrives, the jet stream dips south, bringing warm Gulf air, more moisture and these big storms.

Impacts

Mokry noted that ranchers are still in the midst of calving season and said they should take heed of the storm's intent and prepare accordingly. For some reason, a drop in barometric pressure seems to trigger births, whether it's calves or babies, something about the changes between high and low pressures inside and outside the womb.

Mokry also cautioned that this could be a "cardiac snow." Shoveling wet, heavy snow can trigger heart attacks, so he urged people to be cautious.

High winds could also be an issue, with heavy, wet snow sagging power lines and potentially causing outages, or felling trees and branches. Winds could also create reduced visibility and whiteout conditions.

With as much as 2 inches of snow falling per hour on Saturday and Sunday, road and power company crews will be kept very busy opening transportation arteries and keeping the lights on.

People can help by brushing snow away from their outlets, clearing snow 3 feet around fire hydrants, and keeping the necessities on hand, such as batteries and a flashlight, he said.

A blessing?

The upshot of the storm, Mokry said, is what it brings with it: Moisture, and that will help mitigate the intense drought that is gripping much of Wyoming, including Cheyenne.

"Spring is here," he said, "and we need the moisture. It's going to be a problem for a couple of days, but it's important for this."

Another angle on this storm is that for chionophiles — organisms, including humans, who thrive in cold and the snow — it's another chance to savor winter sports, try out their snowshoes, cross-country skis, snow skates or fat tire snow bicycles.

Cody Newlin has been working at Rock On Wheels on Lincolnway in downtown Cheyenne since 2016. This year, he said, he has seen a big jump in people using the store's daily rentals of snow sports equipment.

Why embrace the cold and snow?

"People want to get out of the house, get out and do something," he said.

Kelly Steiner of Laramie and Todd Thibodeau of Cheyenne are two of those people. President of the all-volunteer Medicine Bow Nordic Association for the last 25 years, 60-year-old Steiner, who grew up in Cheyenne, has cross-country skied almost daily on the groomed trails of the Happy Jack Recreation Area.

What makes this enjoyable?

"You're out in the forest, out of the wind, it's wonderful exercise, and it's low impact — you don't get hurt like you do running," Steiner said. "There are a lot of people in Laramie who do this. They also fat (tire) bike in the snow, and there are a lot of snowshoers who use the multiple use trails. It's all wonderful exercise."

Thibodeau, 59, planning and grants manager for Wyoming State Parks, mirrored Steiner's comments. While he'd rather be cross-country skiing, fat bikes are good to get out on, too, he said.

Steiner said cross-country skiing and fat tire bikes make boon companions. Fat biking works best when the snow is firm, hard-packed, like it has been for most of this year because the snowpack on Pole Mountain has been just 30% of normal, with no upslope storms coming from the east to dump snow on the mountain's eastern flank, he said.

Cross-country skiers, in turn, gliding over the trails start to pack the snow down, and that creates better trails for fat tire bikers.

Looking forward to the snow the storm will bring, Steiner said he'll be out cross-country skiing in the Happy Jack area as soon as the road to the mountain opens.

Thibodeau agreed.

"It's awesome to get the snow, but it will be a couple of days till the trails are groomed and the road is open. It's an amazing resource we have on Pole Mountain," he said. "I've been all over, and I'd put it up against anything else out there. It's as good or better than that."

John D. Taylor is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's assistant managing editor. Email: jtaylor@wyomingnews.com