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Much Of Wyoming Can Expect Thanksgiving From Hell Weather-Wise

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Much Of Wyoming Can Expect Thanksgiving From Hell Weather-Wise


A winter storm is inviting itself to Thanksgiving dinner across the region, and Wyoming’s expected to get the worst of it.

The Cowboy State’s forecast for the four-day Thanksgiving weekend includes several inches of snow, strong winds and significantly colder temperatures. The National Weather Service Office in Riverton has issued a Winter Storm Watch from Thursday evening to Friday morning for most of north and central Wyoming.

“Thursday through Sunday is going to be a whole lot colder than it’s been,” said Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day. “And the snow will be falling Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning.”

North-South Snowstorm

Day said every Wyoming community can expect snow on Thanksgiving, but the start of the snowfall will vary by location. The winter weather pattern is coming in from the north and will make its way south throughout the day.

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Residents in northern Wyoming can expect to wake up to snow Thanksgiving morning. Central Wyoming will see its first flakes around noon, and southern Wyoming can expect snow by sundown.

“The whole state will be under very cold temperatures and areas of light snow on Friday,” Day said. “By Saturday morning, most of the snow will be over. But the cold is going to stay into the weekend.”

How Much And How Deep?

With any winter storm, the first questions are about the depths of the expected snow and the subzero temperatures. Day wishes he could give a universal response, but Wyoming doesn’t work that way.

“The frustrating thing about Wyoming snowstorms is they never affect everyone the same. There’s always winners and losers,” he said.

High and low temperatures are easier to predict. Day expects that most of Wyoming will have daytime highs in the teens and 20s on Friday and Saturday. Daytime lows will be in the teens or possibly single digits.

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Predicting snowfall is much trickier and varies by location. Day is confident that every community will get snow, and likely several inches of it.

“Places like Sheridan, Buffalo, Kaycee to Casper, and Casper to Lusk and Lander are likely to see 6 or more inches of snow,” he said. “I can see up to 10, 11, 12 inches in some of those locations. Those will be the most impacted.”

Day said this particular weather pattern tends to hit Lander hard, along with the east slopes of the Wind River Mountains and any mountain range running east-west.

Southern Wyoming communities, like Cheyenne and Laramie, will experience light to moderate snow, no more than 4 inches. As always, different areas will get different amounts of snow, but Day said there’s no escaping it this time.

“It’s going to snow on everyone,” he said.

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As for accumulation, Day said the ground has stayed cool enough for the snow to stick to the ground. This will likely be the foundation for the season’s snowpack.

Even so, it won’t stick until it sticks. That’s where holiday travelers need to pay attention.

Trials For Traveling Turkeys

While the ground is cool enough for sticky snow, Wyoming’s highways aren’t there yet. Day said the first round of snow probably won’t stick on the highways, making Thanksgiving weekend travel more hazardous.

“The snow is going to melt at first,” he said. “But the arctic air that comes in will ice things up. There’s going to be melting, then freezing, then snow accumulating on top of that.”

Since weekend temperatures will likely stay below 30 degrees, ice on Wyoming’s roadways will melt very little. Conditions will remain icy for the entire weekend and probably the beginning of next week.

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While many Wyomingites drive to their Thanksgiving dinners, many others catch flights. Nothing’s worse than a delayed or canceled flight on Thanksgiving weekend, historically the busiest travel weekend of the year.

Day said this weather pattern will impact the entire Intermountain West. Airports in Eastern Idaho, northern Utah and the westernmost parts of Nebraska and South Dakota will have to contend with snow and ice.

Beyond that, Day said there shouldn’t be significant travel impacts for the rest of the United States. The Midwest, Great Lakes and part of New England will get snow from this storm, but not much.

Furthermore, a weather system causing rain delays to airports in the southeastern U.S. will be gone by Thanksgiving. The most likely delays will be at regional airports in Wyoming and Colorado.

Wyoming Gets The Worst

There’s no denying it. Wyoming will have the worst weather this Thanksgiving.

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“The biggest problems for travel will be right here,” Day said. “That’s not to say Chicago, Detroit and parts of the Northeast won’t have winter weather. But we’re ground zero for the worst weather in the nation.”

The “one good thing” about this winter storm is a guest for the Thanksgiving holiday. Day said that any travel impacts should be minor and manageable by the time the weekend arrives and travelers start trekking home.

“The worst weather is going to be Thursday and Friday, the least-traveled days,” he said. “The weather does get better on Saturday and Sunday. If you’re flying out then, things will be better. Hopefully.”



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Wyoming

How to get tickets for #1 Penn State wrestling vs. #26 Wyoming at Bryce Jordan Center

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How to get tickets for #1 Penn State wrestling vs. #26 Wyoming at Bryce Jordan Center


Cael Sanderson and Penn State’s top-ranked wrestling program get a surprise first of three duals now planned to take place at Bryce Jordan Center. That announcement came down on Sunday with the women’s volleyball team set to host a regional of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championships at Rec Hall.

Penn State’s wrestling team now shifts to the BJC, opening up more opportunities for fans to watch the ranked-on-ranked action live with a capacity of 15,261, compared to 6,502 at Rec Hall.

  • How to get Penn State vs. Wyoming tickets: Seats are available now for Penn State’s match against Wyoming on secondary sites Vivid Seats, StubHub, SeatGeek and Viagogo.

Starting prices for PSU-Wyoming tickets are as follows (as of Dec. 11):

Vivid Seats starting at $40

StubHub starting at $28

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SeatGeek starting at $31

Viagogo starting at $31

#26 Wyoming Cowboys (2-2) at #1 Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0)

NCAA wrestling matchup at a glance

  • When: Sunday, Dec. 15 at 1 p.m. ET
  • Where: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, Pa.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: N/A
  • Live streaming: BTN+

Penn State will wrestle its third dual of the season and its second at home following an impressive 36-3 win at Lehigh on Sunday afternoon. The high point in that matchup was a win by No. 23 redshirt freshman 197-pounder Josh Barr by an 11-3 major decision over No. 6 Michael Beard. Freshman Luke Lilledahl also scored a ranked win by a 4-1 decision over No. 15 Sheldon Seymour at 125 pounds.

Wyoming could offer up a prime showdown at 125 with No. 7 Jore Volk in that spot, along with potential quality matchups with PA native Gabe Willochell ranked No. 22 at 149 pounds, Jared Hill ranked No. 19 at 157 and Joey Novak sitting at No. 14 at 197. With Barr making a leap from No. 23 to No. 7 in this week’s Intermat rankings, nine of the Nittany Lions’ 10 projected starters carry top-10 national rankings. The only exception is Lilledahl, who has a 5-0 record and is ranked No. 12 at 125.

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Here’s a look at the remainder of Penn State’s 2024-’25 wrestling season schedule with TV and time info, ticket info and how to watch:

Sunday, Dec. 15: #26 Wyoming at #1 Penn State

  • When: 1 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Rec Hall, University Park, Pa.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: N/A
  • Live streaming: BTN+

Sunday, Dec. 22: #1 Penn State at Journeymen Duals vs. Binghamton (3 p.m. ET), #16 Arkansas-Little Rock (5 p.m.), #14 Missouri (7 p.m.)

  • Venue: Ensworth Frist Campus,
  • Tickets: Journeymen Wrestling
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: N/A
  • Live streaming: Rokfin

Friday, Jan. 10: Michigan State at #1 Penn State

Friday, Jan. 17: #1 Penn State at #3 Nebraska

  • Time: 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT)
  • Venue: Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: BTN
  • Live streaming: FuboTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low intro rate) | DirecTV Stream (free trial)

Friday, Jan. 24: #1 Penn State at #18 Rutgers

  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Jersey Mike’s Arena, Piscataway, N.J.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: BTN
  • Live streaming: FuboTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low intro rate) | DirecTV Stream (free trial)

Friday, Jan. 31: #2 Iowa at #1 Penn State

  • Time: 7 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, Pa.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: BTN
  • Live streaming: FuboTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low intro rate) | DirecTV Stream (free trial)

Friday, Feb. 7: #12 Michigan at #1 Penn State

  • Venue: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, Pa.
  • Time: 6 p.m. ET
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: BTN
  • Live streaming: FuboTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low intro rate) | DirecTV Stream (free trial)

Sunday, Feb. 9: #27 Maryland at #1 Penn State

  • Time: 1 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Rec Hall, University Park, Pa.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: N/A
  • Live streaming: BTN+

Friday, Feb. 14: #1 Penn State at #6 Ohio State

Sunday, Feb. 16: #1 Penn State at #13 Illinois

  • Time: 2 p.m. ET
  • Venue: State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: N/A
  • Live streaming: BTN+

Friday, Feb. 21: American at #1 Penn State

  • Time: 7 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Rec Hall, University Park, Pa.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: N/A
  • Live streaming: BTN+

Saturday-Sunday, March 8-9: Penn State at Big Ten Championships

Thursday-Saturday, March 20-22: Penn State at NCAA Championships

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Wyoming research challenges benefits, highlights pitfalls of mowing and spraying sagebrush – WyoFile

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Wyoming research challenges benefits, highlights pitfalls of mowing and spraying sagebrush – WyoFile


Generations of Wyoming wildlife managers have mowed over swaths of the sagebrush sea, a practice long believed to improve conditions for wildlife in places like the Green River Basin, near Baggs and the Platte Valley.

The technique, which often leaves behind a mosaic pattern, has historically targeted species like mule deer and sage grouse, though it’s thought to have holistic benefits that trickle down the food web. By opening up the mature sagebrush canopy, the thinking goes, mowing boosts the volume of wildflowers, grasses and young shrubs that sprout, essentially making the landscape more nutritious. 

Several recently published studies, however, challenge the supposed benefits of sagebrush mowing, even suggesting that the mechanical manipulation of the embattled biome is potentially causing unintended harm for other species.

An award-winning University of Wyoming study, co-led by ecologist Jeff Beck, found that mowing and spraying the herbicide tebuthiuron on Wyoming big sagebrush had no benefits whatsoever for grass production and wildflower growth, nor did it stimulate the assemblage of insects. Sage grouse, in turn, were mostly unaffected — ecologists detected no gains in nest success or the survival of sage grouse broods and adult females. The imperiled bird species even slightly avoided manipulated swaths of the sagebrush-steppe landscape, the data showed. 

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“In our study design, we purposely tested the Wyoming Game and Fish Department protocols for treating sagebrush in core [sage grouse] areas,” Beck told WyoFile. “The treatments didn’t do what they’re supposed to do.” 

Sagebrush in this photo was mowed in an irregular shaped pattern, or “mosaic”, to create an edge effect. (Wyoming Game and Fish Department)

Meanwhile, unaffiliated research out of the University of Wyoming and Game and Fish’s Non-Game Division has also found that sagebrush-dependent songbirds suffered from mowing’s unintended consequences in central and western Wyoming. 

“We found no Brewer’s sparrows or sage thrashers nesting in the mowed footprint posttreatment, which suggests complete loss of nesting habitat for these species,” a University of Wyoming-led research team wrote in a 2018 Ornithological Applications study. “Mowing was associated with higher nestling condition and nest survival for Vesper sparrows but not for the sagebrush-obligate species.” 

Brewer’s sparrows, a designated species of greatest conservation need, decrease in density significantly in areas where sagebrush has been mowed, according to multiple, unaffiliated studies conducted in Wyoming. (Paul Graham/Wyoming Game and Fish Department)

Game and Fish non-game biologists took a similar look at how mowing and aeration affected sagebrush-dependent songbirds in the Green River Basin in 2022, recently publishing the preliminary results in their annual “job completion report.” 

“Strictly from a bird perspective, that area is the bread basket of sagebrush,” Game and Fish Statewide Non-Game Bird Biologist Zach Wallace told WyoFile. “In my opinion, if we’re going to manage it — or remove it for management — we should consider the broader impacts of that. That was part of that motivation for our study on the songbirds. What are the potential effects?” 

Sage thrashers, Brewer’s sparrows and sagebrush sparrows — all designated as “species of greatest conservation need” — were found in lower abundance in mowed areas, the non-game biologists found. Meanwhile, Vesper sparrows and horned larks, which are habitat generalists, capitalized on the mown areas, increasing in abundance. 

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(Wyoming Game and Fish Department)

Beck’s study, which kicked off in 2011, made use of a massive dataset amassed from tracking 620 female sage grouse in central Wyoming with very-high frequency radio and GPS transmitters. The dataset, and others, were also used to assess the impacts free-roaming horses are having on sage grouse. Those results: Overpopulated horses are driving down sage grouse survival rates. 

Decade-long effort 

There were four goals of the 9-year study, which was led by ecologist Kurt Smith. The research team sought to ascertain how mowing and spraying tebuthiuron influenced sage grouse reproductive success and survival, and they also wanted to determine how it changed nesting and brood-rearing habitat selection. The scientific inquiry also examined how vegetation responded, in addition to pinning down forbs and insect responses. 

Six years of post-mowing monitoring found that fluctuations in vegetation growth were tied to precipitation and other weather variables, not habitat manipulations. 

“There were the same [annual changes] in the treated and untreated areas,” Beck said. 

Sage grouse, meanwhile, were essentially unaffected by the treatments, though they tended to slightly avoid treated areas with barer ground. 

Greater sage grouse feed on Wyoming big sagebrush leaves and flowers at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. (Tom Koerner/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Those results were perhaps unexpected. 

“Some biologists — older biologists, maybe — have a deep-seated belief that these treatments work,” Beck said. 

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Anna Chalfoun, a professor and USGS Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit member and co-author of the study, said that it’s been a longstanding assumption that sagebrush manipulations were effective for conserving sage grouse — a bird that’s been petitioned for Endangered Species Act protections and receives a lot of attention. 

“It’s a very appealing concept, right? With limited conservation resources, if we just focus on this high-profile species of concern, then we’ll de facto be supporting all of these other species,” Chalfoun said. “But a management premise only works if it works.” 

The long-running study suggests that it does not work, though there are limits to the conclusions wildlife managers can draw. 

Limitations

Although Beck and his colleagues detected no silver linings or benefits in the six-year stretch after mowing or spraying, sagebrush is a notoriously slow-growing shrub. 

“There’s a possibility that if you wait 15, 20 years, something will be different,” Beck said. 

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Although the period assessed in the researchers’ manuscript came to a close in 2019, monitoring of the area is continuing. Ecologists will track how the landscape grows back for years to come, doing so by keeping tabs on fenced exclosures that are half-treated and half-untreated.  

(Wildlife Monographs)

The study area off to the east of the Wind River Range was also limited to the most widespread of all sagebrush subspecies: Wyoming big sagebrush. 

“It’s not as resilient as mountain big sagebrush, which grows at higher elevation,” Beck said. “Wyoming big sagebrush is lower in elevation typically, it’s drier, and it’s known to not be as resilient.” 

Flowering plants tend to increase in areas where mountain big sagebrush has been mowed or chemically treated, according to a 2006 study cited in Beck’s recent paper. Sage grouse also increased use of those areas. 

Modern mowing and learning

Nowadays, the “vast majority” of mowing and other sagebrush treatments spearheaded by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department are completed in areas dominated by mountain big sagebrush. The state agency began focusing on that subspecies instead of slower-growing Wyoming big sagebrush even before the University of Wyoming study results began arriving, said Ian Tator, Game and Fish’s statewide terrestrial habitat manager. 

“We’ve taken that information [from the study] and used it to fine-tune what we were already doing,” Tator told WyoFile. 

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In recent years, sagebrush mowing has been a targeted endeavor in Wyoming. During 2023, a total of 1,866 acres of sagebrush — about three square miles — was mowed, “chopped,” or aerated, according to Game and Fish’s statewide habitat plan annual report. The five-year-average number of treated acres comes in at just over 2,400 acres. 

A typical mosaic mowing treatment photographed in 2023, one year after it was cut. The new growth of sagebrush and the herbaceous response, including forbs, achieved what wildlife managers sought. (Wyoming Game and Fish Department)

Mowed and treated acreages of sagebrush aren’t necessarily selected with a specific species in mind, Tator said. 

“In our mind, we are doing this work in order to improve conditions for all species,” he said. “[We’re] looking at the system holistically and trying to do what’s right by the system — and also, doing no harm.” 

Research, including from within Game and Fish itself, suggesting that mowing is harming sagebrush-dependent songbirds came about “a lot more recently,” he said. 

“We certainly are adaptively managing,” Tator said. “If it turns out that we are doing harm for a species and we need to reconsider our approach, then we definitely will.” 

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Chase Forte scores 25 to help South Dakota fend off Wyoming 82-81

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Chase Forte scores 25 to help South Dakota fend off Wyoming 82-81


Associated Press

VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — Chase Forte scored 25 points and South Dakota held off Wyoming 82-81 on Tuesday night.

Forte had five rebounds and five assists for the Coyotes (8-4). His jumper with 17:08 left in the second half gave South Dakota a lead it never relinquished. Kaleb Stewart scored 17 points while shooting 7 for 12, including 1 for 4 from beyond the arc. Quandre Bullock shot 3 of 9 from the field, including 2 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 8 from the line to finish with 14 points.

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The Cowboys (5-4) were led by Obi Agbim, who posted 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. Wyoming also got 16 points from A.J. Wills. Dontaie Allen had 10 points.

Stewart scored 13 in the first half as South Dakota and the Cowboys played to a 37-all tie.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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