textproduct: Cheyenne

KEY MESSAGES

- A gorgeous weekend is in store as temperatures rebound into the 50s and 60s with clearing skies and minimal precipitation chances.

- Warmer, drier weather returns for the week ahead, with fire concerns increasing Sunday onwards.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/

Issued at 132 PM MDT Fri Apr 3 2026

The mountains will continue to see favorable upslope flow, leading to ongoing mountain snow chances and a continuation of the Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories. Additional snowfall accumulation for the Sierra Madre and Snowy Ranges is expected to be around a few inches through tonight, with the highest peaks likely seeing another 4-6 inches or so. Tonight, the low pressure system be pushing further East-Northeast into the Northern Plains. This will gradually decrease our precipitation chances throughout the evening and into the overnight period with the showers fully dissipating around 11pm. A weak upper level ridge will be the dominant weather this weekend. The ridge will help to advect in those warmer temperatures from the southwest United States and slowly warm us back up in the 50's and 60's. The subsident flow under the ridge should help keep the skies mostly clear and winds rather weak for our area. Although Saturday will be a bit breezy due to the pressure gradient being slightly compressed between the incoming ridge and outgoing low pressure system. All headlines including the high wind warnings are expected to be extended and expire on time at 9pm.

LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/

Issued at 218 AM MDT Fri Apr 3 2026

The long range period will begin under a northwesterly flow regime downstream of a longwave ridge located over the Great Basin, resulting in dry and generally tranquil conditions. As we head into early next week, high temperatures will remain at or slightly above normal through Monday into Tuesday before the ridge begins to dampen. Tuesday there will be some fire concerns given our drought conditions, dry fuels, progged wind gusts of 30-35 mph, and mean RH values around 20%, especially along the I-25 corridor. Wednesday the pattern will turn more active as a series of vorticity lobes embedded in the zonal flow pattern will propagate across Southern Wyoming and Western Nebraska, despite the main forcing for ascent remaining well to our north over Montana and the Dakotas. This will favor showers and perhaps a few thunderstorms over our area, given ensemble mean MUCAPE of around 50 J/Kg. However, QPF appears to be negligible at this time and won't put much of a dent in our drought conditions. As ensemble mean surface RH values are around 30% during this period, any convection will likely produce far more wind than rain. This is also confirmed via forecast soundings showing a stout inverted-V profile suggesting more of a dry microburst threat. Temperatures on Wednesday will also be quite mild, with highs 5-10 degrees above climatology in the mid to upper 60s east of the Laramie Range and mid to upper 50s to the west. This is thanks to 45- 50 knot zonal 700 mb flow, which is also not exactly favorable for widespread precipitation given downslope flow.

Heading into Thursday, we will be situated downstream of a more amplified trough and an associated closed upper-level low, keeping low (30% chance or so) PoPs in the forecast. As global models are suggesting that we will be located in the right-entrance region of an upper-level jet to our north as well as in the left-exit region of an upper-level jet to our south (i.e. a coupled jet structure), which are both favorable regions for large-scale ascent, precipitation may be more widespread relative to the day prior, although confidence in this is relatively low at this time. Temperatures through the end of the work week look to be near seasonal values.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 1142 AM MDT Fri Apr 3 2026

A trough aloft will move from northeast Wyoming this morning to central South Dakota by this evening, with strong northwest flow in the low and mid levels producing a windy day with scattered snow showers.

Wyoming TAFS...For Rawlins and Laramie, ceilings will range from 4000 to 10000 feet until 04Z, with a chance of snow this afternoon, reducing visibilities to 3 miles and ceilings to 2500 feet, then clear skies will prevail. Winds will gust to 45 knots this afternoon, then diminish to 35 knots until 04Z, then gust to 25 knots after 15Z Saturday.

For Cheyenne, scattered clouds from 8000 to 10000 feet will prevail, with a chance of snow from 21Z to 02Z, reducing visibilities to 4 miles and ceilings to 3000 feet. Winds will gust to 50 knots until 02Z, then 35 knots thereafter.

Nebraska TAFS...For Chadron and Alliance, ceilings will be near 3500 feet until 00Z, with a chance of rain reducing visibilities to 5 miles and ceilings to 2000 feet, then visibilities will be near 4 miles in light snow from 00Z to 05Z, with ceilings near 900 feet, then ceilings will be near 3500 feet from 05Z to 15Z, then skies will be clear. Winds will gust to 35 knots until 00Z, to 25 knots from 00Z to 05Z, and to 30 knots after 15Z Saturday.

For Scottsbluff and Sidney, ceilings will range from 6000 to 10000 feet, with a chance of rain or snow at Scottsbluff until 01Z, reducing visibilities to 5 miles and ceilings to 3500 feet, then scattered to broken clouds will range from 8000 to 10000 feet from 01Z to 06Z, then skies will be clear. Winds will gust to 45 knots until 01Z, to 35 knots until 06Z, and after 15Z Saturday.

CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

WY...High Wind Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for WYZ116-117- 119. Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM MDT this evening for WYZ103- 110. High Wind Warning until 6 PM MDT this evening for WYZ106-110- 118. Winter Storm Warning until 6 PM MDT this evening for WYZ112- 114. NE...High Wind Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for NEZ019>021- 054-055.