With just days remaining in the 2025 Stop Sign Snow Challenge, the famous Togwotee Pass stop sign is closer than ever to being completely buried under snow, Cowboy State Daily reports.
The contest, which tasks participants with predicting when the sign will disappear, ends at midnight on April 1—and an incoming storm could make the final push.
As of Wednesday, the sign near Wind River Lake still needed 12 to 16 inches of snowfall to vanish completely. Ron Hansen, owner of The Wind River Outdoor Co. in Lander and creator of the challenge, is optimistic that the necessary snowfall could arrive just in time.
“They’re calling for snow Thursday through the weekend,” Hansen said. “If it’s going to happen, it’ll happen within the next week.”
Since the contest began in 2017, the stop sign has only been fully buried once. Each year, hopeful participants watch the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) webcam, tracking snow levels and waiting for that final storm to do the job.
Around 500 people entered this year’s contest, and 80 participants still have a chance to win. To claim victory, an entry must correctly predict the exact date the stop sign disappears under the snow. Winners receive T-shirts and engraved Yeti mugs, but with time running out, snowfall totals will determine whether anyone claims a prize this year.
National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts suggest 6 to 10 inches could fall this weekend, with additional fast-moving systems possible before March 31. However, meteorologist Don Day warns that the warming temperatures next week could compact the snow before the deadline.
“The snow doesn’t melt, but it settles,” Day explained. “There’s a chance it’ll be above the sign by March 31, but I’m worried it’ll take more snow than what they’re saying.”
Despite fewer participants this year, Hansen remains committed to the Stop Sign Snow Challenge, calling it a fun distraction from everyday life.
“In the polarizing political world we live in, this is a brainless, binary activity,” he said. “It’s buried, or it’s not. No interpretation needed.”
Entries for the 2026 challenge open in October.
