MUCH Drier, More Sunshine, and Not as Cold. I think much of Central and Southeastern WY dodged a bullet on this Storm; though a few spots in Lower Elevations saw some good snow like Wheatland with 10" & Torrington with 8". Casper did see the Highest (city) amount in Central WY where 4-8" fell.
* I know many are probably pointing the finger at the National Weather Service or us about not getting the Foot of Snow many expected or wanted. When we Forecast an Amount for a certain city or region we say ..." you can expect anywhere from so-so to so-so inches" Some cities are different in Elevation with different Topographical characteristics that could affect a storms progress or outcomes. Especially in Casper we have like a 300 feet difference of Elevation from the Airport on the Plain while the City is in a Bowl and a 8000ft Mountain just a few Miles South of Downtown. Riverton is in a Basin and so is Lander, but Lander is near the Wind River Range.
As you probably can tell, some spots were on the Lower End of the Forecast Amounts. I can honestly tell you this was going to be a very Difficult Forecast to predict. Moisture was there as Weather Models were very consistent each Night for tremendous Snow along the Laramies.
WHY Heavy Snow didn't develop a Long Duration??
1) Dry Air: The Dry Air was really increasing as we neared the onset of Saturday Morning through the Afternoon. I said an Arctic Air invasion will blast through the High Plains and it actually shifted a little West for much of Central WY too. Highs were only in the Lower Single-Digits. Moisture takes a very hard time to fall at an intense rate with Cold Air (which is denser) in the Winter to punch through. What it does, it eats it away.
2) Upper Air Dynamics & Lifting: I explained in a Blog Post this week about Isentropics and Upslope Flow. This was a setup for Isentropics ~ Over-Running Moisture of rising air moving over from one air mass to another. We had SO MUCH Moisture from CA feeding Northeast into WY with this storm. It was still very warm in UT and as our Cold Front stalled along I-25/Central WY, our Temperatures were cold enough for Snow once it fell. A band of moisture set up from Sweetwater/Carbon Co and streamed into Natrona County late Friday Night. RAIN was fallen in Rawlins and mixed Precip near Rock Springs but that transition to all Snow about 50-100 Miles North.
Image Below of what Isentropic Lift is Like.
What Favors our Pattern here in Central and especially Southeast WY is Upslope Flow. A deep area of Moisture a new Low can form on the Lee-side (right side) of a Mountain Range can wrap around Moisture and interacts with a High Pressure.. Its a counter-clockwise flow of Wind that can cause a Heavy-Moderate snowfall rate for Mountains and cities that are tucked in along the Foothills. THIS was a setup that was prime for Late March- April with our Snow Events here in WY.
We do our very Best to Inform you the Potential of what can occur for you and your families if a certain event poses threat. I am a Meteorologist and we use Model "Guidance" as a Tool to use while Forecasting while we check Upper Air Data and other Forecasters for insights during these events. Once it starts we Now-Cast and check Radar, Ground Truth Reports, and Water Vapor/Infrared Imagery of where the worse is occurring or could happen. If anyone wants to blame anyone, its Mother Nature. It takes experience for at least a few years to get a grasp of how certain events can evolve since each System is different than others in the Past.
I hope this Blog Reading is Informative and How atmospheric science is very unpredictable here in the Cowboy St. As we near March/April (more snowier months), its good to know how Weather can change in a drastic change..from Nothing to BIG or oppositely like this past weekend.
** KEEP IN MIND, much of WY is still in a Surplus this Fall/Winter for Moisture and Snowpack which is great for upcoming Summer **
-MS
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