Though the calendar tells us that spring arrived four weeks ago, the recent spate of snowstorms has made it clear that the Wyoming winter opted to stick around this year.
The most recent storm, which swept over the state Sunday and Monday, dropped 15 inches of snow on Buffalo, 10 inches on Ten Sleep and 7 inches on Lander, according to the National Weather Service. Freezing fog was reported in southern areas of the state, and a cold front brought abnormally chilly temperatures. A record low of 8 degrees below zero was recorded at the Laramie Airport on Tuesday, breaking the old record of minus 2 set in 1996.
It was only the latest of a parade of storms — some record-breaking — that has dropped snow on the state this spring, bringing much-needed precipitation following a very dry winter in many places.
Some people, like these backcountry skiers near Togwotee Pass in mid-April, have taken advantage of the extended cold.
The snow that day was “all time,” said photographer Tucker Finerty, a New Hampshire-based shooter who was visiting a friend. “In terms of conditions, it worked out really well.”
