Wyoming could see record-breaking 80-degree highs this week

After one of the worst windstorms in recent memory and an Arctic blast over the weekend, Wyoming is heading for potentially record-breaking warm temperatures, with many parts of the state possibly hitting 80 degrees by the end of the week.

The warmup begins Tuesday, with the peak expected Wednesday through Saturday. “All-time temperature records for a lot of those places are only in the mid-70s,” said meteorologist Adam Dziewaltowski with the National Weather Service in Riverton. “Multiple records in jeopardy of being broken across Wyoming.”

The warmth comes from another “logjam” of high pressure blocking Wyoming and the Rockies from cold air and moisture—a recurring pattern all winter. Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day said this season has seen five blocking situations when the average is zero to two, each lasting 8-12 days.

“Just doing the math, that’s 40 to 50-plus days of the winter season that we didn’t get,” Day said. “If you remove a month and a half of winter, you’re giving yourself a significant handicap.”

While mountain snowpack may survive with overnight freezing temperatures, Day worries about March moisture. “We’re just going to have to put all of our eggs in the basket for April and May,” he said. Dziewaltowski hopes this isn’t “a sign of what’s to come this summer, because a continuous pattern like this would be very unfortunate.”