Wyoming
Wyoming Has 400 Miles Of Snow Fences To Help Keep Roads Open In Winter
When the winter weather in Wyoming gets weird — and when isn’t it weird — the Wyoming Department of Transportation has its own team of snow scientists it can call on.
It’s a group of hands-on scientists whose year-round mission is the practical study and application of science to snow, and more particularly to snow in Wyoming, where wind and cold combine to create some of the most hazardous driving conditions in the nation.
The leader of the team is Clifford Spoonemore, a civil engineer by training. Rounding it out is a geologist and, because this is practical, applied science, a snowplow operator to keep the science real and down to earth.
“This is our lovely state of Wyoming inside America,” Spoonmore told Cowboy State Daily as he held up a map showing storm severity across the United States. “And you can see with the scale here, white is the most severe. And, of course, you see (white) over Yellowstone and the Rocky Mountains here, the whole Rocky Mountain chain.”
Meanwhile, the so-called lake effect that should produce bad conditions for Michigan and New York isn’t as severe as one might expect.
“You’d think the lake effect there would be really bad, and it is, but it’s not white like we get,” Spoonemore said.
After pointing out where the snow falls most in Wyoming — the Rendezvous areas, Yellowstone, the Big Horns and Snowy Range — Spoonemore pulls out one more map. It shows the hours of blowing snow on an annual basis for the United States.
“You can see, Wyoming is the epicenter of blowing snow,” he said, pointing to a river a pink that is centered right over the Cowboy State and appears nowhere else in the U.S. “Everybody else gets some snow, and they get wind, but they don’t get both of them like we do.”
Wyoming Is The Eye Of The Storm
Wyoming Department of Transportation has heard often from drivers that it seems as though conditions get remarkably worse as soon as they cross the border into Wyoming.
Maps of snow accumulations and of blowing wind clearly show why. Winter really is much more powerful in Wyoming than in other states.
The challenges that presents have driven the state to take a scientific approach to its snow management that’s a little more dedicated than anywhere else in the nation.
“We are not the only group (across the nation) that was ever formed to do this,” Spoonmore told Cowboy State Daily. “But most states just do it within the internal working order of their table of organization. They don’t break it out into a separate group. We kind of pulled it out separately for, especially because of the special wind that we have.”
The forerunner of WYDOT’s science team was Dr. Ron Tabler. He was commissioned in the early 1960s after Interstate 80 was built to help the state figure out how to keep the highway open more days during winter.
“I-80 was closing 40 days out of 60,” Spoonmore said.
And, it wasn’t even new snow that causing that problem. It was all the dry snow that built up out on the plains, blowing in and closing the road weeks after any snowstorm.
“It might be blue skies in Cheyenne, but out on the interstates, the wind is blowing 60 to 80 mph, and it’s got hundreds of miles of plains full of dry snow and that will just blow across the road when it’s not even snowing,” Wyoming Department of Transportation Communications Director Doug McGee told Cowoby State Daily. “It’s 2-week-old snow, and it’s closing our road.”
Enter The Wyoming Snow Fence
Tabler was with the U.S. Forest Service at the time, studying ways to trap and keep winter moisture around for agricultural use. He had come up with an idea he called a snow fence, which could be placed in desired locations to trap snow.
His idea was that later, when the snow melted, the moisture would seep into the ground slowly, helping create a deeper moisture bank and lusher vegetation.
Wyoming Department of Transportation had a completely different idea for snow fences, however.
They wanted to use the fences to trap all that dry and blowing snow that was shutting down I-80.
Tabler sought out a grant for a 10-year study on when and where to place snow fences to control the blowing snow.
That became his life’s work, much of which is captured in a thick notebook that Spoonmore keeps close at hand.
The Winter Science Team took over Tabler’s work after he retired, to keep improving on the state’s management of blowing snow.
Moving I-80 Isn’t The Solution Some Believe
Many in the Cowboy State have contended since I-80 was built that the interstate should have followed Highway 30 to avoid the worst of wind and blowing snow.
However, maps of what the wind and blowing snow are doing in Wyoming show that moving the route to follow Highway 30 wouldn’t necessarily solve those problems. The route still lies in a giant pink blob where there is more snow and more wind than anywhere else in the nation.
That territory belongs to winter, and it is huge. Going east to west, the blob covers an area that starts right around Cheyenne, just after the edge of I-25. It doesn’t fade at all until sometime after Rawlins, somewhere in the Wamsutter area, and it remains in the next highest level — blue — until Rock Springs.
Going north to south, the blob goes from the Colorado border almost to Casper, stopping just shy of Douglas.
Missing the pink area altogether is impossible.
It’s most narrow across the Colorado border, but moving I-80 there would put the route going over challenging, mountainous terrain in the area of Baggs and Savery, or even further south into Colorado.
“We don’t know that trying to skirt up and go through Medicine Bow would have helped too much. It’s just one of those, we still would have been there,” Spoonmore said, pointing at Highway 30 on the map, with all the pink surrounding it.
400 Miles Of Snow Fences
Wyoming has more than 400 miles of snow fences these days, and just about every aspect of them has been studied, either by Tabler or the snow science team that took over for him.
Studies have looked at optimal locations, whether vertical snow fences are better than horizontal, and the ideal gap between the ground and the snow fence. The most recent study looked at how much energy a solar panel attached to a snow fence collects, and whether the panel harms snow fence efficiency.
The study shows the panel can collect a lot of energy, without appreciably harming the ability to capture snow.
WYDOT has no concrete plans to add solar panels to all of its snow fences at this time, but it’s something that may be considered at some point in the future. Power from the solar panels could help run roadside signs and other applications.
Once the science team was established, it didn’t take long to realize there are a lot more questions that the team can tackle for the department to determine what’s optimal for winter weather management.
“Over the years, we’ve learned far more about winter overall, and now we get into almost everything winter,” Spoonmore said.
New studies are looking at things like automated vehicle location devices that can track vehicle locations and measure how much material is being put down in those locations. Another study is examining what color of lights are most visible in a snowstorm to try and prevent crashes involving snowplows.
“We can use drones to fly into our indoor stockpile sheds and take measurements,” Spoonmore said. “And that will save people from having to climb up and take the measurements themselves. They can get all sorts of information using drone technology.”
Why More Salt Isn’t Always The Right Answer
One of the really important questions the team has tackled is when and where to place snow-fighting materials like salt and sand, which the department buys by the ton.
WYDOT used 234,564 tons of sand and salt mixes for the 2022-2023 winter season, 6,044 tons of bulk sodium chloride, just over 1 million gallons of various liquid deicers, and 4,865 tons of other melting compounds.
With a shopping list that large, it pays to be efficient with the materials use, and that’s one of the things the science team works to refine.
In many cases, the answer isn’t necessarily to just put down more material either. There are complications with each material because of Wyoming’s winter conditions.
“We can put down salt, but the issue is dry salt has to go through a phase change (to be effective),” Spoonmore said.
A phase change refers to changing salt from a solid, dry powdery substance that would just blow away to something that is in a liquid form that can stick around long enough to do some good.
Generally, that means having enough natural energy from the sun to melt some of the snow. That helps keep the salts working in a brine at appropriate and effective concentration.
Temperature Places A Hard Limit On Salt Use
But salts have their limits temperature-wise, and that’s a complicating factor. They just won’t work below a certain range.
For sodium chloride, that outer limit is minus 6. But it works far better between 16 and 28 degrees. That gives a window for the snow to melt enough that a snowplow can come through and get it off the roadway.
Magnesium chloride, meanwhile, has a little bit lower effective temperatures. Its outer limit is minus 28.
But, like sodium chloride, its effective window is much higher. Its optimal range is between zero and 20 degrees.
Other materials that go further down the temperature scale are possible, but too expensive for widespread application and, in some cases, highly hazardous substances. Wyoming doesn’t use them for those reasons.
Putting salt down when conditions aren’t optimal has its dangers, and can actually be counterproductive to road safety. The salts have to be applied wet, so that wind doesn’t just blow it all away before it can be of use, as well as to ensure the brine has an optimal salt concentration.
“Any time you put down a chemical — go back to our wind,” Spoonmore said. “It is above 50 mph. All you’re doing is making your road wet and giving a spot for that snow to stick, and then it becomes your problem instead of your solution.”
Sand, meanwhile, is generally used as a means of adding more traction to the roads. It is vulnerable to both high wind and passing trucks, which blow it right off to the side of the road.
Renee Jean can be reached at: Renee@CowboyStateDaily.com
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Wyoming’s unique winters with its cold, wind and blowing snow, have led to the development of scientific snow mitigation measures like snow fences. (Wyoming Department of Transportation) -
Wyoming’s unique winters with its cold, wind and blowing snow, have led to the development of scientific snow mitigation measures like snow fences. (Adobe) -
Wyoming
Hoping to draw Colorado interest, construction begins at $80M betting facility in Laramie County
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Foundation work is beginning this week on Wyoming’s next horse betting and gaming house.
The $80 million Wyoming Downs facility in Laramie County, one of two the company is investing in over the next couple of years, is poised to be one of the largest facilities of its kind in the state. The company is aiming for a spring 2027 opening.
The facility will host upwards of 600 historic horse racing machines, Wyoming’s largest TV wall, multiple dining options and more across 58,000 square feet. More land was bought for future hotel development. Commuters driving between Cheyenne and the Colorado border can see clearly from Interstate 25 the expansive development.
That placement along the travel corridor is purposeful, Wyoming Downs and 307 Horse Racing President Kyle Ridgeway said.
“I think that the targeted consumer for this is from Colorado or from the Front Range,” Ridgeway said. “I anticipate we’re going to have plenty of people from Cheyenne come down here to play and enjoy the amenities, but when you look at 600,000 people within a 30-minute drive, that’s what justifies this investment and brings all that tax revenue in from another state, which is fantastic.
“We don’t get the opportunity to do that in Wyoming very often.”
There is still plenty to offer Cheyenne residents besides the facility’s amenities. Ridgeway said in a speech to attendees at the project’s groundbreaking Tuesday, June 2, that more than 150 permanent jobs will be supported by the facility on top of the dozens supported by the companies’ corporate offices and the 400-plus involved in the project’s construction.
Groathouse Construction, a Wyoming business, is the project’s general contractor. Wyoming Downs said it believes putting the project in local hands also helps keep the project uniquely Wyoming-focused.
Ridgeway added the facilities have already proven themselves to be effective tax revenue generators for the local governments. The Wyoming Gaming Commission’s 2025 report, released in late May, shows bettors wagered $2.49 billion on historic horse racing machines last year, a jump from the $2.11 billion wagered in 2024.
Wyoming Downs facilities generate roughly $25 million in taxes annually across the state, and Ridgeway estimated after the ceremony that the upcoming $80 million facility alone will generate an additional $3 million for Laramie County once the property has been in operation for a few years.
Horse betting sites have been increasingly popping up across Wyoming this decade. The Wyoming Downs location will be Cheyenne’s second large-scale horse betting facility since 2024, when the 30,000-square-foot Horse Palace at Swan Ranch opened. Ridgeway said Wyoming Downs is still offering something fresh for tourists and residents.
“This’ll have amenities that Swan Ranch doesn’t have, including the largest TV wall in Wyoming and a pretty super-cool sports viewing area with a restaurant and just a level of finish and class that I don’t think Wyoming has quite seen yet with these types of properties,” he said.
Ridgeway said he thinks resident fatigue with these facilities isn’t as strong as it appears, especially given the tourism benefits of off-track betting.
“Wyoming’s been built on mineral extraction and tourism, and what this is is a touristic facility. I’m not aware of any particular pushback about this specific facility outside of — you see random social media comments where people say, ‘Oh, another gambling facility.’ But where this is located, I think people in Cheyenne have generally been supportive of,” he said.
The Laramie County facility will be just one part of a larger project Wyoming Downs is working on over the next few years. Construction will begin in early 2027 on a similar facility in Evanston looking to draw in Utah and western Colorado crowds.
Some of the company’s current facilities, notably in Casper, Cheyenne and Rock Springs, will see millions poured into renovations as well. New smaller-scale parlors will also go up in Gillette and Green River this year, according to an information packet provided by the company.
More details will come as the construction process develops, Ridgeway said. Details about amenities, such as what the complex’s dining options will look like, remain undisclosed, though Ridgeway promised that options will be “excellent.”
“We haven’t made final selections on what the options are, but we have a number of different options on the table that we’re considering for what we want to offer for the customers,” Ridgeway said. “You have to have something that’s high quality for where this is located. If somebody’s going to drive 25 or 35, or even 45 minutes to come here, they got to be able to sit down and have a quality meal.”
For more information as it becomes available and to learn more about Wyoming Downs facilities and 307 Horse Racing‘s events and offerings, see the companies’ websites. Renderings for the upcoming Cheyenne facility commissioned by the company are available for viewing below.
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GILLETTE, Wyo. — Two of the Republican candidates for Wyoming governor, Megan Degenfelder and Brent Bien, went head to head in Campbell County this evening. They both highlighted differences in some areas but agreed on energy, public lands, government oversight, abortion and election security.
Degenfelder, Wyoming’s superintendent of public instruction, introduced herself as “a Wyoming ranch kid whose parents clawed their way into the middle class” and said she believes Wyoming is “worth fighting for” because she believes the Wyoming people’s lives are at stake.
Bien, a retired Marine Corps colonel and combat veteran, pointed to his military career and leadership experience.
“My whole adult life has been about leadership, about principled conservative leadership,” he said. “My objective is to restore principled conservative leadership, accountability and discipline to Cheyenne.”
Nuclear energy
Both candidates supported Wyoming’s role in energy production but opposed bringing outside nuclear waste into the state.
“I do not want Wyoming to be … the permanent repository for spent nuclear fuel. I will not allow that to happen on my watch,” Bien said.
Degenfelder said Wyoming should consider nuclear power as part of its energy future but added, “If it works for us to be able to have nuclear as part of the portfolio, then it has to be right for Wyoming and that is ensuring that we do not accept anyone else’s waste, period.”
Public lands
The candidates also opposed privatization of public lands.
“No one loves public lands more than I do,” Degenfelder said. “You start selling that to the highest bidder, Wyoming loses who we are.”
Bien said he is “absolutely opposed” to federal lands being sold to private interests.
“If they do decide to dispose of it, then we as the state of Wyoming should get first-right refusal at no cost,” he said.
Attorney general and judicial appointments
When asked what each would be looking for in an attorney general and judicial appointment, both candidates called for conservative leadership.
Bien said he would seek an attorney general from outside state government.
“I want a clean set of eyes to look at what everything’s been that’s been going on,” he said. “I want someone who will put people first and it will put Wyoming first.”
Degenfelder said she wants stronger advocacy from state agencies.
“I want a bulldog in not just the attorney general’s office, but in all state agencies,” she said. “I want an attorney general that is so aligned to my mission and vision and what I believe that there’s an amicus brief on my desk the next morning after an action takes place.”
Immigration
Both candidates supported stronger immigration enforcement.
Bien explained he wanted to cooperate with ICE “to the fullest extent possible” and to make sure immigrants who are not in the United States legally would be sent out of the state.
Degenfelder said illegal immigration is already affecting communities in Wyoming.
“If you’re here legally, you got nothing to worry about. If you aren’t, it’s time to go home,” she said.
Energy development and green energy
Energy policy generated some of the sharpest comments of the night.
Degenfelder argued renewable energy projects should compete without government support.
“I’m also an economist and so I’ll tell you the way that you kill these green energy, you make them play on the same playing field,” she said. “No more tax subsidies, no more handouts, ensuring the regulatory environment is just as equal.”
Bien took a firmer stance against renewable development.
“Folks, there’s no place in Wyoming for this green energy,” he said. “I want these things bonded up front and where we’re not paying for these like we did all the gas wells. The answer for me is absolutely, unequivocally no.”
Economic development
Degenfelder argued government should focus on infrastructure such as water and sewer systems rather than directing economic development.
“Government does not create jobs. Private business does,” she said.
Bien echoed that sentiment.
“The only business that government has in business is simply to get out of the way. It’s to cut taxes. It’s to deregulate,” he said. “Right now, we’re turning into state capitalism where we have our own state government picking winners and losers.”
Government audits
Both candidates supported increased auditing of state government.
“This state has not done a full-blown budgetary audit since 1989,” Bien said. “Whoever’s belly-aching loudest is going to get audited first.”
Degenfelder agreed.
“We should be auditing every single state agency, every single budget line all the time,” she said. “Government is a beast, and you need someone in there who can tame it and who knows how to do it.”
Abortion
Abortion was another topic where both candidates expressed strong opposition.
“Life starts at conception and there are no exceptions,” Degenfelder said. “We are now one of the most openly abortion states in the country because of that ruling by the Supreme Court. We’re working against the devil here.”
Bien also opposed abortion.
“Folks, for me, there are no exceptions. Life does begin at conception,” he said.
Election integrity
Bien advocated for hand-counting ballots.
“I am very much a proponent of hand tabulation being the primary method of counting all cast paper ballots and I will push that way,” he said.
Degenfelder called for paper ballots statewide.
“Every single ballot should be a paper ballot,” she said, adding that she supports “banning dropboxes.”
Republican platform
Both candidates pledged support for the Wyoming Republican Party platform.
“80% is a no-brainer, and we need to require that out of our elected officials,” Degenfelder said.
Bien said he expects to be held to “100%” of the platform.
“The party’s been co-opted. You have to have an ‘R’ behind your name to win in this state,” he said.
Candidate priorities
During a segment where candidates selected their own discussion topics, Degenfelder highlighted school choice, career and technical education, removing pornography from school libraries and protecting Wyoming’s water rights.
Bien focused on education and agriculture, criticizing student proficiency rates and proposing policies aimed at strengthening Wyoming’s agricultural industry, including declaring agriculture critical infrastructure and reducing regulations on small butcheries.
Technology and education
Although technology and its place within education was not discussed during the debate, County 17 asked both Degenfelder and Bien their thoughts regarding student technology in schools.
Bien said technology is being used too much in classrooms and is making it harder for students to think on their own.
“What it’s doing is it’s dumbing down our kids,” Bien said. “Our kids aren’t learning how to critically think anymore. They go straight to one of the AI things and it generates an answer for them.”
Degenfelder said she backed a bill to ban cellphones during instruction time.
“I supported a bill that came through the legislature a couple of years ago that actually would ban cell use during instructional time, and I stand by that,” Degenfelder said. “I think that it’s appropriate to take cellphones out of classrooms, and what we find is that kids thrive.”
Closing statements
In closing remarks, Bien emphasized his experience as an outsider candidate.
“I am the only outsider in this race, but I am the only one who’s got an inordinate amount of leadership experience,” he said. “Folks, you deserve a government that you can trust.”
Degenfelder pointed to her endorsements from President Donald Trump and U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman.
“I get asked a lot, ‘How did you get the Trump endorsement?’” Degenfelder said. “The answer is really simple. I earned it.”
Alongside other candidates, Bien and Degenfelder will be competing for support in Wyoming’s Republican gubernatorial primary Aug. 18.
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