...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...Northwest winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph
possible.
* WHERE...Central Laramie County and East Laramie County.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM MDT this evening.
* IMPACTS...Mainly to transportation. Strong cross winds will be
hazardous to light weight or high profile vehicles, including
campers and tractor trailers.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A High WInd Warning means a hazardous high wind event is expected or
occurring. Sustained wind speeds of at least 40 mph or gusts of 58
MPH or stronger can lead to property damage and blowoff/blowover
risks for east to west oriented drivers.
&&
WYDOT heavy equipment operator Colter Bame drives a rotary plow into a wall of snow to clear the Lake Marie parking area along the Snowy Range Scenic Byway in 2019. Laramie Boomerang/file
WYDOT heavy equipment operator Colter Bame drives a rotary plow into a wall of snow to clear the Lake Marie parking area along the Snowy Range Scenic Byway in 2019. Laramie Boomerang/file
LARAMIE – The seasonally-closed section of Wyoming Highway 130 through the Snowy Range has officially reopened for the summer.
Wyoming Department of Transportation crews from Laramie and Saratoga, with some assistance from Casper and Cheyenne crews, started work on the 12-mile stretch of the scenic byway in early May, with a target reopening date of Memorial Day weekend. Multiple rotary plows, snowcats and other heavy equipment were used to clear drifts of snow as tall as 15 feet.
Although the highway is now open to traffic, motorists — including bicyclists and motorcyclists — should stay alert as they travel through the mountain pass. Severe weather is still possible at higher elevations in late spring, including heavy, wet, intense snowstorms. Check road conditions before you travel at www.wyoroad.info or on the Wyoming 511 mobile app.
Tim Morton, WYDOT District 1 maintenance engineer, warns drivers to “be aware of melting snow along the roadway. The snow melt can refreeze at night, creating isolated hazardous slick spots, which may catch drivers off guard.”
Morton added tall snow banks may limit visibility around curves and can obscure signs, delineators or guardrail.
WYDOT maintenance crews will be in the area in the coming weeks to make repairs to items like guardrail or sign posts damaged by snow. Stay alert for workers in the area, and be prepared to slow down.
The highway is one of several high-elevation mountain roads in Wyoming that closes annually in late autumn, when relatively low traffic and deep snow accumulations render plowing operations impractical. The scenic byway, which tops out at 10,800 feet in the Snowy Range, closed for the winter season Nov. 11.
Last year, the highway opened May 21. WYO 130 opened May 18 in 2020, May 25 in 2019, May 21 in 2018 and on May 25 in both 2017 and 2016.
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