Road closures continue due to blizzard conditions

Road closures continue along interstates 80 and 25 Wednesday as a strong spring storm moves through the state, causing blizzard conditions along the eastern side of Wyoming.

I-80 is closed between Rock Springs and the Nebraska state line as of 1 p.m. Wednesday. I-25 is closed between the Colorado state line and Buffalo. Other roads also remain closed in several parts of the state. For a complete listing and to get updates on the closures and road conditions, visit WYDOT’s 511 website.

State officials closed all Cheyenne state offices Wednesday morning because of the storm. That closure included the Cheyenne offices of the Wyoming Department of Transportation. WYDOT’s Laramie and Rawlins offices then closed around noon on Wednesday.

However, WYDOT maintenance personnel and Wyoming Highway Patrol and Dispatch are still out there working.

The storm started Tuesday evening with rain, sleet and snow. By Wednesday morning, the storm changed to snow with high winds. Blizzard conditions are expected to continue throughout the day in parts of the eastern side of the state.

The storm is expected to continue to produce additional moderate to heavy banding of snow across all but the far west and northwest parts of the state, information from DayWeather indicated. Widespread winds are expected to be sustain from the north and northwest at 25 to 40 mph. Gusts of  50 to 65 mph  will become more common across central, eastern and southeastern parts of the state today and into Thursday.

Snow accumulations are expected to be between 8 to 12 inches across eastern, central, south-central and southeastern parts of Wyoming with some areas getting as much as 12 to 16 inches, DayWeather indicated. The Summit, Arlington and Elk Mountain areas of I-80 could see between 15 to 18 inches with 18 to 24 inches possible. 
WYDOT has prepared for the storm by moving additional snow-removal equipment to interstates 80, 25 and 90 and other primary roads to help combat the major spring snowstorm.

WYDOT officials plan to shift the department’s equipment to the interstates and other high priority roads, generally from the northwest to the southeast. If necessary, WYDOT will hire private resources to help with snow-removal efforts. 

Travelers should take extra precaution during the storm. They should:

• Visit WYDOT’s 511 website for the latest road and travel conditions so they can plan their trip accordingly.
• Make sure their cellphones are fully charged before traveling and their vehicles have a full tank of gas.
• Make sure they have an emergency kit in their vehicles that includes blankets, water and non-perishable food.
• Allow for extra time to get to their destinations when traveling.
• Not travel if they can delay their plans.

Besides getting the latest information on WYDOT’s 511 website, travelers can also download the 511 app to get real-time information from their smartphones and sign up for 511 Notify to get the latest road information by text or email.