La Niña popped up in October and forecasters say it’s sticking around through winter, which usually means a more active jet stream across the northern US Translation: more opportunities for winter storms to swing through Wyoming, KHOL, Jackson Hole Community Radio reports.
The Climate Prediction Center’s three-month outlook points to a wetter pattern for the northern and western parts of the state, so places like Gillette, Sheridan, and Riverton have a good shot at above-normal precipitation through November, December, and January — mostly in the form of snow. Farther south, including Cheyenne, Casper, and across the border in Scottsbluff, expectations are closer to normal, a classic “in-between” setup when La Niña nudges the storm track just a bit north.
On the ground, that means the usual holiday-season rhythm for lower-elevation cities — roughly five to eleven inches of snow a month — should hold or tick up, while the mountains do what the mountains do: pile on triple-digit totals over the season. And don’t forget Wyoming’s spring twist; some spots tend to bank their biggest snowfalls late, even after an active winter.
The bottom line is straightforward. With La Niña in play, near-normal to above-average snowfall is a reasonable bet statewide. Day-to-day details will matter most, so keep an eye on your local forecast as systems line up. Republished with permission from Wyoming News Now.
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