Much Of State Faces Winter Storm Watch, Strong Winds, Heavy Snow Possible

The Cheyenne and Riverton Offices of the National Weather Service have issued a winter storm watch early this week for most of northern Wyoming and some areas in the southern and southeastern parts of the state.

The agency said up to 18 inches of snow is possible in mountain areas between Monday night and Wednesday. Between 4-8 inches of snow could be expected at lower elevations, and wind speeds in some areas could hit 55 miles per hour by Wednesday morning.

As of Sunday morning, Cheyenne and Laramie were not included in the watch area. But Casper and Gillette were.

The Cheyenne Office of the Weather Service posted the following statement and map on Sunday morning:

''Even though the cooler fall weather finally arrived this past week and the leaves have begun to change, winter weather is just around the corner! A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for portions of Wyoming including the Snowy Mountains and the North Laramie Range beginning Monday night. Over a foot of snowfall will be possible in the mountains through Wednesday morning while lower elevations across Carbon and Albany Counties in Wyoming could see 4 to 8 inches of snowfall. This includes portions of Interstate 80 between Laramie and Rawlins so be prepared for winter driving conditions if you must travel early this week! Farther east, areas along the I-25 corridor from Cheyenne to Douglas can expect rainfall initially before transitioning to snow Tuesday night as the colder air arrives. Strong winds are also possible Wednesday morning along the South Laramie Range which could reduce visibility in spots due to blowing snow. Stay tuned for the latest updates at weather.gov/cys.''