Power Outage in Newcastle, WY

A warning siren pole fell on a power line.

Trees, power lines, fences, and signs were blown down throughout Newcastle. Roof and window damage was reported to buildings and homes.

A powerful winter storm moved slowly across the central and northern Plains into the Upper Midwest; bringing heavy snow, gusty winds, and near blizzard conditions at times in some areas over a multi-day period. Snowfall was heaviest over the Bear Lodge Mountains and far northeastern Wyoming, where one to two feet of snow was reported in most areas. Amounts tapered off toward southern and eastern portions of the Weston County plains, where only a few inches fell. Gusty winds developed, especially on the 15th, causing considerable blowing and drifting snow. Travel became difficult at times in some areas, especially from Interstate 90 northward. Interstate 90 was closed several times for extended periods due to heavy snow in the northern Black Hills and blowing snow.

A historic blizzard pounded northeastern Wyoming with heavy snow and strong winds. Snowfall ranged from six inches to more than two feet with blowing and drifting snow reducing visibility to near zero. Many trees and power poles were downed by the heavy, wet snow and roads were impassible.

A powerful winter storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds to the region. The first part of the storm produced heavy snow, especially over northern Campbell County, on Dec 30. The main system moved across the Central Plains with additional snow and gusty winds, especially over the Wyoming Black Hills, on Dec 31. Blowing snow reduced visibilities to near a quarter of a mile while snowfall ranged from five to ten inches. Temperatures around zero and brisk winds produced wind chills around 25 below zero.

A powerful spring storm brought blizzard conditions to northeastern Wyoming. Heavy snow and wind gusts over 60 mph produced significant blowing and drifting snow, reducing visibilities to near zero for many hours. Snowfall of one to two feet were common across the area, with the highest amounts over the Bear Lodge Mountains and Wyoming Black Hills. Interstate 90 and many roads were closed for more than 24 hours. Some power outages were also reported. Many livestock perished.

A powerful storm system moved across the region, bringing significant amounts of snowfall to northeastern Wyoming. Eight to 16 inches of snow fell across much of the area, with localized amounts near 24 inches across Campbell County. Strong northwest winds caused considerable blowing and drifting snow and closed many roads, including Interstate 90, for more than 24 hours.

A major spring storm moved across the Northern and Central Plains, bringing heavy snow to much of northeast Wyoming. Snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches were common across much of the area. Across the Wyoming Black Hills, snowfall amounts were generally 12 to 30 inches. Gusty northwest winds on the plains resulted in considerable blowing and drifting snow, reducing visibilities to below a quarter mile at times. Interstate 90 was closed from Gillette to the South Dakota border for over 24 hours. Some trees were downed and power outages resulted from the heavy wet snow and gusty winds.

A strong spring storm developed across the Central Rockies and moved across the Central Plains. This storm brought heavy snow to Campbell County, far western parts of Crook and Weston Counties, and the higher elevations of the Wyoming Black Hills. Rain changed to snow during the overnight hours and continued through the day. Snow amounts of 6 to 12 inches fell across Campbell County, with local amounts of 15 inches in western parts of the county. Western parts of Crook and Weston Counties and the Wyoming Black Hills had accumulations of 4 to 8 inches. The heavy wet snow caused numerous power outages and brought down tree limbs across the area. A roof of a convenience store collapsed under the weight of the snow. Many highways across Campbell County, including Interstate 90 west of Moorcroft, were closed for much of the day.

A powerful upper level storm system moved slowly across the Central Rockies and then through the Northern and Central Plains, bringing abundant precipitation and heavy snow to much of Northeast Wyoming. The system began to affect Northeast Wyoming on the afternoon of the 28th as rain and snow overspread the area. Precipitation changed over to all snow during the evening hours and continued through the overnight. There was a brief break in the precipitation during the morning hours of the 29th. Snow then redeveloped across the area in the afternoon and persisted into the morning hours of March 1st. Strong northwest winds developed late on the 29th as low pressure began to move away from the area. The winds caused significant blowing and drifting of snow into the next day. Snowfall amounts across Northeast Wyoming were generally in the 5 to 12 inch range, with locally higher amounts across the Bear Lodge Mountains and the Wyoming Black Hills.

At least one roof was blown off and damage to buildings were reported. Several tree limbs and power lines were down as well.

A low pressure system over Wyoming pulled middle 60s dew points into the region all day. A surface trough moved across northeastern Wyoming initiating thunderstorms. A moderate upper level short wave provided support for sustained organized thunderstorms to become severe. Strong instability was noted with CAPE values around 4000 J/kg with moderate shear in the lower 6km of the atmosphere. A thunderstorm developed over Weston County, with 67 mph winds measured at the RAWS southwest of Rochelle (time was estimated) and spawning a tornado over the southeast side of Newcastle. Several reports of tornado sightings and tree damage were received during the 10 minutes the tornado was on the ground. Tree limbs were thrown over 150 feet, breaking windows and downing power lines. Several large trees were uprooted. A facade of a Forest Service shop building collapsed and a carport was destroyed. Two people received minor injuries from flying debris.

An intense winter storm brought high winds and heavy, wet snowfall to portions of northeastern Wyoming. In Crook and Weston Counties, snowfall rates were one to two inches an hour. Snowfall totals in the plains were from 4 to 8 inches, while in the Bear Lodge Mountains, totals were from 8 to 24 inches. The Four Corners area in northeastern Weston County reported the most snowfall at 24 inches. High winds sustained up to 40 mph with gusts to 60 mph caused blizzard conditions and toppled 300 power poles.5,800 people were without power and almost 15 miles of lines had to be replaced. The city of Moorcroft had over 150 stranded semi-trucks after the interstate was shut down. In Campbell County, the temperatures were too warm for snow and rain fell throughout the day, but high winds were reported with gusts over 50 mph at times. The highest gust in Campbell County was 64 mph at Echeta.