Snowstorm Shuts Down Southern Wyoming, Motorists Stranded On I-80 For Hours

A late-spring snowstorm slammed southern Wyoming on Monday, shutting down Interstate 80, knocking out power grids, and stranding drivers for hours. In Centennial, residents reported more than 24 inches of snow. “Bloody apocalyptic,” said long-haul trucker Terry Wrzesinski, who was stuck somewhere between Rawlins and Wamsutter. “There are two trucks tangled and the tow truck driver can’t reach them. This is getting to the point of ridiculous.”

By 2:30 p.m., I-80 westbound and eastbound between Rock Springs and Laramie was completely closed. The section between Laramie and Cheyenne was open to local traffic only. Wyoming Highway 130 over the Snowy Range was closed with an unknown opening time. Several other highways, including U.S. 191 and 287, Wyoming 789 from Baggs to Wamsutter, and Wyoming 28 through South Pass, were closed to all traffic.

Meteorologist Don Day said the storm is delivering much-needed moisture to drought-stricken areas, including Laramie, Albany, Carbon, Sweetwater, Natrona, and Fremont counties. “I’ve had reports of 30 inches of snow in Snowy Range,” Day said. Even better, he said there are reports of more than two inches of water over the past 48 hours. Donna Depew at the Friendly Store in Centennial was thrilled. “This is the snow and the weather we’ve been praying for all winter,” she said. “It’s good wet, spring weather snow. Just what we’ve needed.”

But the storm also created dangerous conditions. Rawlins resident Marianne Nelson usually has a 10-minute commute to the Wyoming State Penitentiary. She hopped onto I-80 at 5:15 a.m. and had been stuck for about six hours by late Monday morning. Her Jeep was high-centered on thick snow that was “up to her doors.” She had less than a quarter tank of gas and was trying to get permission for her son to come on his snowmobile. “I’m only 1.5 miles from exit 215, and I can’t even see Rawlins,” she said. “The snow’s still falling.”

Trucker Zade Cyr, heading home to Rawlins, was stuck near the Continental Divide. “Generosity is a Wyoming way of life,” he said. “I have some snacks and water with me, and I’m going be here till this wreck gets cleared and a clear lane opens.” He assumed he wouldn’t be moving until Tuesday morning.

Rocky Mountain Power reported 24 outages affecting 5,674 customers in Wyoming, with the majority in Rawlins, Sinclair, and Wamsutter. Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken set up an incident command post and coordinated with Rocky Mountain Power to clear routes to affected substations. Memorial Hospital of Carbon County was open to anyone needing oxygen or power for medical devices. Carbon County Search and Rescue was mobilized to provide emergency transport for oxygen services.

Jordan Young of WYDOT said a snowplow was struck near the Wagonhound Rest Area on I-80. “Plowing drifts from stuck and stopped vehicles can delay reopening the highway,” she said. She advised drivers to check the Wyoming 511 website and app for updates. “We try to get folks moving whenever we can, especially if we can get them moving away from the worst of the storm.” The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for central Carbon County until 6 p.m. Monday, with up to 10 inches of snow expected and wind gusts up to 45 mph. A Freeze Watch was issued for south-central Wyoming overnight, with temperatures possibly dropping to 16 degrees.