textproduct: Western and Central Wyoming

KEY MESSAGES

- Snow has ended across the area this evening, with winds continuing to decrease through the next few hours. There is a 10 to 15% chance for fog/low clouds to develop overnight tonight, as skies clear.

- Overnight low temperatures will drop into the 15 to 25 degree range Saturday morning. Abnormal early season vegetation will be especially susceptible to this cold.

- A warming and drying trend begins Saturday across Wyoming and continues through the middle of next week, with more active weather expected by the middle of the week.

UPDATE

Issued at 113 PM MDT Fri Apr 3 2026

Wraparound snowfall around the departing low will continue to bring precipitation along the Bighorns and lower elevations to the west and east through this afternoon. Winds along the I-90 corridor have been gusting above 40 mph since 5AM this morning, bringing very treacherous driving conditions, and this will continue through at least sunset. Snow banding has also continued across the eastern Bighorn Basin, and across far eastern Fremont County east into Natrona County. Winds have been gusting above 30 mph in these areas, so rapidly changing travel conditions will remain in these areas through this evening as well. Advisories and Warnings remain in place, and the Advisory for the eastern Bighorn Basin has been extended thru 4PM due to the continuing snow and strong winds. The snow- producing portions have exited the western mountain ranges, so Advisories and Warnings have been cancelled for those regions. The system will move east this evening, quickly bringing winds and snowfall to an end, with gradually clearing skies through the night. Cold pooling and clearing skies will bring temperatures into the low to mid 20s east of the Divide and into the teens west of the Divide where skies will clear earlier. If skies do clear east of the Divide sooner this evening, expect some even colder temperatures, especially in low-lying valleys and river basins.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 340 AM MDT Fri Apr 3 2026

A low pressure system continues to impact Wyoming this morning. With the cold front now through the area and the center of the midlevel low near the middle of the state, the rest of the event will be most focused east of the Divide. Specifically, northern Wyoming will be favored as moisture wraps in cyclonically, leading to an increasing upsloping component there through the morning hours. The Bighorns will see the heaviest snow accumulation, especially the northern and southern portions of the range. The greatest area of concern among lower elevations continues to be northern Johnson County. This area will see the upsloping effect maximized over the next couple of hours and continue through around noon, leading to snow accumulations in the 4 to 8 inch range. Combined with strong northerly surface wind gusts of 25 to 45 mph, snow is expected to lead to travel impacts through the morning hours along the Interstate 90 Corridor, especially north of Buffalo.

Farther south, Casper Mountain should also see a decent period of snow this morning, with amounts in the 5 to 10 inch range. Other locations within Natrona and Johnson County can generally expect to see 1 to 3 inches. This will also be the case for much of the Bighorn Basin, with eastern portions against the rising slopes of the Bighorns most favored for higher amounts up to a few inches this morning. Lighter snow continues across western Wyoming as well today, though rates will continue to trend down.

Snow will decrease from west to east this afternoon as the low pulls away into the High Plains, mostly ending after sunset. With clearing skies overnight, a colder Saturday morning is expected as lows drop into the lower 20s and upper teens. However, this cold won't last long as ridging quickly builds back in over the region. This will lead to a warm and dry Easter weekend with temperatures peaking into the 50s and 60s both Saturday and Sunday. The warm and dry trend continues through early next week with temperatures peaking 10 to 20 degrees above normal by Tuesday. Deterministic models are hinting at the next system to arrive in the Wednesday to Thursday timeframe, though this has not been consistent and confidence is low on how widespread any precipitation would be. However, ensemble guidance does favor a more active pattern by late next week, leading to increasing opportunities for beneficial moisture across the area.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1003 PM MDT Fri Apr 3 2026

Low VFR ceilings remain in place across much of the forecast area, as the storm system continues to exit the region. Clouds will continue to scatter out through 12Z, with SKC skies occurring for most locations. There remains a 10% to 20% chance in fog/low cloud development overnight and into Saturday morning at all terminals except KRKS. This low cloud/fog potential is reflected in a low FEW or SCT group. Mountain obscurations will continue over northwestern portions and the west slopes of the Bighorns through about 16Z.

Otherwise, expect dry conditions and mostly SKC skies through the rest of the TAF period. Wind gusts up to 20kt will occur this afternoon at KBPI/KPNA, KCPR, KLND and KRKS and end by 01Z.

Please see the Aviation Weather Center and/or CWSU ZDV and ZLC for the latest information on icing and turbulence forecasts.

RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.