Wyoming
Tropical-storm force winds to hit two major roads in Wyoming
Strong winds will hit part of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, forecast region Friday night and potentially impact traffic with tropical storm-force gusts.
The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Cheyenne issued a high wind watch on Thursday afternoon for the north Snowy Range foothills, including the cities of Arlington and Elk Mountain, and the central Laramie Range, southwest Platte County, and south Laramie Range, including the cities of Bordeaux, Vedauwoo, Pumpkin Vine and Buford.
Interstate 25 between Chugwater and Wheatland and Interstate 80 between Cheyenne and Laramie could be affected.
Impacts from the wind will be “mainly to transportation,” the alert said.
“Strong cross winds will be hazardous to light weight or high profile vehicles, including campers and tractor trailers,” the alert said.
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West winds between 25 and 35 mph are expected, with gusts up to 60 mph, equivalent to a tropical storm.
Tropical storm winds occur between 39 mph and 73 mph. Winds stronger than that are classified as a hurricane using the Saffir-Simpson wind scale. Although the winds in Wyoming are not related to a tropical storm in any manner, their speed could resemble a tropical storm.
It’s uncertain if the watch will be upgraded to a warning, as it’s still possible the wind gusts won’t reach the 60 mph threshold for the upgrade. NWS meteorologist Michael Charnick told Newsweek that the incoming winds are weaker than Wyoming can sometimes see, when winds as strong as 90 mph hit the I-80 corridor.
“You definitely can see trucks get blown over, or lightweight trailers,” NWS meteorologist Rob Cox previously told Newsweek. “They completely blow over.”
On Thursday morning, the NWS office in Cheyenne said the winds would prevail through Saturday.
“Breezy to windy conditions will prevail, especially for the wind prone locations, through Saturday,” the office posted. “Expect a slow warming trend through Monday. Skies will be sunny today, Sunday and Monday, and partly cloudy for the Friday and Saturday. It will remain dry.”
Wind-prone areas in Wyoming can see strong gusts of wind up to 90 days out of the year.
“It is pretty common here in Wyoming, we probably see wind across these areas three to four months out of the year,” Cox said. “It’ll happen on a consistent basis from October to March.”
The best chance for strong winds will occur on Saturday morning, Charnick said. Some snow is present in the impacted areas, and winds could cause blowing snow.
Charnick suggested motorists should be aware of road closures, as sometimes I-80 and I-25 are closed due to high winds.
As of Thursday night, according to animated weather footage from windy.com, the strongest gusts in Wyoming were near Wheatland at around 35 mph.
WYOMING — Governor Mark Gordon hosted an impromptu panel discussion earlier this week with state veterinarians and the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) to initiate communication efforts relating to the New World screwworm.
A statement from Gordon’s office says that there are no reported outbreaks of the flesh-eating New World screwworm in the U.S. outside of previously confirmed cases in Texas and New Mexico. Gordon called the session to increase lines of communication about the screwworm ahead of Wyoming’s peak summer travel, backcountry and rodeo season. Included in the panel were State Veterinarian Dr. Hallie Hasel, State Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Allen, and WDH Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Emily Curren.
“There are no reported cases in Wyoming; however, Texas and New Mexico are tracking instances, so it is important to keep all citizens informed — including pet owners, campers, rodeo athletes, and sportsmen, in addition to our ag, ranching and wildlife communities.” Gordon said in the statement. “I’m satisfied with the extensive outreach regarding NWS that has been ongoing to our ag, livestock, and wildlife professionals.”
Gordon and the panelists fielded questions and heard commentary from various professionals, including Wyoming Department of Agriculture Director Doug Miyamoto, Director of Wyoming Game and Fish Department Angi Bruce, and Wyoming Livestock Board Director Steven True.
New World screwworm is a deadly, flesh-eating parasite that was previously eradicated in the United States and hasn’t been seen in Texas since 1966. An outbreak of the insects in Panama spurred a state of emergency in 2023, and a case of the screwworm was confirmed in southern Mexico in 2024. The female flies lay their eggs in open wounds of mammals, and the livestock industry is fearful of potential impacts on cattle and beef production.
Below are the key takeaways from the discussion, per Gordon’s statement.
- There are no reported outbreaks of New World screwworm in Wyoming.
- New World screwworms feed on and lay eggs in open wounds of warm-blooded animals, including humans.
- Transmission to humans is very rare.
- New World screwworm is not a food safety issue.
- Livestock and domesticated animals should be checked regularly — daily if possible.
- Contact a veterinarian or medical doctor if open wounds are painful and persistent.
- Keeping fly populations under control at rodeo events protects animals and people.
- Protocols for safe animal transport are currently in place in Wyoming.
- Wildlife and game populations are being monitored for early indicators of fly strikes.
JACKSON, Wyo. – Jackson Hole Public Art (JHPA) is proud to announce the
public installation of 250 Portraits, a community art project featuring self-portraits created and submitted by Wyoming residents from across the state. Launched in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the project invited Wyomingites of all ages and backgrounds to submit portraits of themselves or other Wyoming residents, resulting in a vibrant and deeply personal collection of artwork.
Portraits were submitted by artists ranging in age from 5 to over 80, representing residents from 16 of Wyoming’s 23 counties. Participants included individuals, families, school groups, and educators who worked with their students to take part. The result is a wide-ranging snapshot of the people who call Wyoming home, from young children just beginning to express themselves through art to lifelong residents reflecting on decades of experience and identity.
The portraits are now on display in five large-scale grid installations located throughout downtown Jackson. They can be found at the Center for the Arts, JH Book Trader, the Antler Inn, the alley at Pinky G’s, and the Jackson Hole Elks Lodge. The exhibition will remain on view throughout the summer, giving locals and visitors alike the opportunity to take in the full collection at their own pace.
The exhibit, 250 Portraits, was designed to highlight both individual identity and collective belonging, weaving together faces from communities large and small into a single, statewide visual portrait of Wyoming’s people. By placing the work in accessible, high-traffic locations in downtown Jackson, JHPA hopes to spark conversation among residents and visitors about what it means to be part of a community that spans such a wide and varied landscape.
A self-guided walking map is available to help visitors navigate between the five sites and experience other public art projects throughout Jackson. For more information and to access the 2026 Public Art Map, visit https://www.jhpublicart.org/art/2026map.
Pair your portrait with an audio story! Please consider adding your voice to another state-wide project celebrating the stories of everyday Wyomingites: Re-Storying the West.
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