CHEYENNE, Wyo. – A powerful mix of high winds and an early-season freeze will sweep across southeast and central Wyoming and the Nebraska Panhandle Sunday into Monday morning, bringing hazardous travel and a sharp turn toward winter conditions. The National Weather Service in Cheyenne has issued multiple High Wind Warnings and Freeze Watches across Laramie and Platte Counties, with additional freeze alerts posted by the Riverton office for the Bighorn Basin and Johnson County.
According to the NWS Cheyenne office, west winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 65 mph are expected through Sunday evening along the Laramie Range and I-25 corridor, including Bordeaux, Wheatland, and Horse Creek. The strongest gusts may affect high-profile vehicles on I-80 and I-25, prompting Wyoming DOT to warn of possible closures to light trailers. Winds will ease late tonight as colder air settles in.
Temperatures are forecast to drop into the upper 20s by dawn Monday, ending the growing season for portions of southeast Wyoming and the Nebraska Panhandle — including Cheyenne, Scottsbluff, Kimball, and Chadron. The NWS Riverton office expects similar lows across the Bighorn Basin, with readings near 28 °F in Lovell, Worland, and Buffalo.
Residents should cover or bring indoors sensitive plants, disconnect garden hoses, and wrap exposed pipes. Motorists should secure loose cargo and use extra caution on open stretches of highway where crosswinds remain strong.
Conditions will moderate Monday afternoon under sunny skies, but another cold night is possible Monday into Tuesday across the high plains.
