textproduct: Cheyenne

KEY MESSAGES

- Rain and snow showers will come to an end early Tuesday morning. Slick spots and localized visibility reductions are expected for the morning commute where snow fell overnight.

- Near average temperatures and mostly dry conditions are expected through the rest of the work week.

- Warmer temperatures are expected to return this weekend with largely dry weather continuing.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/

Issued at 230 AM MST Tue Nov 3 2026

We are wrapping up the storm system this morning, but impacts will linger at least a few hours after sunrise today. GOES water vapor imagery shows that the split, elongated trough has moved entirely to our east, but weak isentropic ascent and orographic lift on the backside of the system are continuing to produce rain and snow showers over portions of the area. Precipitation is expected to overall trend downward over the next several hours as drier air very slowly works in from the west, with most of the region expected to be dry by around 8-9AM. Shower activity this morning is largely tied to where the prevailing NNW winds are upslope. Heavier precipitation rates have put downward pressure on the temperatures this morning, whereas areas that saw lighter precip (or none at all) overnight are a few degrees and largely above freezing. Expect to see slick spots and localized lingering fog/low visibility this morning, primarily over the I-80 summit, the Arlington/Elk Mountain area, US-20 in Niobrara county, and US-85 in northern Laramie county. Allow for some extra time if traveling in those areas early this morning.

For the rest of the day today, expect cloud cover to progressively clear. Today's highs will be a few degrees below seasonal averages. Gusty northwest winds will continue through much of the day today, but speeds should be much lighter than yesterday. Look for wind gusts generally in the 30 to 40 mph today. Winds will die off by sunset, with clear skies and light winds setting up a chilly night for tonight (though really, just close to seasonal averages which we haven't seen much of this fall so far). Most of the areas should drop close to or below freezing tonight, with some low to mid 20s possible in areas where snow cover survives the daytime heating. Since the entire area saw freezing temperatures already in mid- October, freeze products will not be issued today.

Heading into Wednesday, ridging will try to build in across the area, but another closed low will undercut the ridge, halting the warming trend. Instead, expect increasing cloud cover Wednesday to hold temperatures down to near or slightly below seasonal averages. This system will not be completely dry, but unfortunately, ensembles are in pretty good agreement showing all or almost all of the precipitation staying to our south. While some light rain/snow slipping north of the border out of Colorado cannot be ruled out, the probability for precipitation has decreased enough to drop PoPs below 15% for the entire area Wednesday and Wednesday night. On the bright side, expect light winds.

LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/

Issued at 230 AM MST Tue Nov 3 2026

Seasonally typical temperatures are expected to last through the end of the work week. While we will still see the atmosphere attempt to build the ridge back in, model guidance is in good agreement showing another vort-max / shortwave trough moving through the region Thursday into Friday. Only a small handful of ensemble members have any precipitation whatsoever with this system, it will prevent a more significant warming trend from taking hold, and perhaps bring a bit more cloud cover to the area Thursday night or Friday.

Ensembles are in excellent agreement showing cleaner ridging taking over by Sunday over the region. NAEFS mean 700-mb temperatures spike above +6C, which exceeds the climatological 90th percentile. After this, most guidance shows the ridge flattening out a bit, but with temperatures remaining above to well above average for this time of year. Highs are expected to climb back to the mid to upper 50s around Rawlins and Laramie, and into the 60s east of the Laramie range. Values should be about 10F above average Sunday onwards. Even a wind event will be hard to come by, with fewer than 20% of ensembles supporting elevated winds during the next week. Precipitation chances remain largely minimal for the remainder of the operational forecast period. Since the snow did not manage to stick in Cheyenne again this morning, this outlook all but guarantees a top-10 latest first measurable snowfall for the city this year. In the very long-term beyond the end of the operational forecast period, there are some indications in large ensemble means for the long- wave Pacific trough to move inland and open the door to increased storminess across the West around November 13-16.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 425 AM MST Tue Nov 3 2026

Impacts from the departing storms system are expected to decrease this morning. Periods of MVFR remain possible for the next several hours, but trends should be towards VFR by midday. Otherwise, gusty winds continue today at all High Plains terminals. Expect gusts of 25 to 35 knots this morning, decreasing to 20 to 25 knots during the afternoon, and finally falling off after sunset. Look for light winds and mostly clear skies overnight.

CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

WY...None. NE...None.