Wyoming’s Coldest Christmas On Record

A white Christmas in Wyoming? It happens now and then.

One thing on Earth that we can always count on is that nothing stays the same.

We can't look at this Christmas and decide what the weather is supposed to be.

Let's go back and look at what's happened over the years.

The coldest Christmas on record in Casper was December 22, 2022, when the temperature dropped to -42°F. This broke the previous record of -41°F set on December 21, 1990.

The cold snap was part of a winter weather system that also affected other parts of Wyoming, including Reliance -27°F; Togwotee Pass, Wamsutter, and Grant Village in Yellowstone National Park at -24°F; Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park was -21°F and Lander at -19°F

Wyoming's record low temperature was -66°F, recorded in Yellowstone Park on February 9, 1933. However, this record is being reviewed because the observations may have been made in Montana.

December 2023 was one of the warmest Decembers on record in Wyoming, with Cheyenne, Laramie, Rawlins, Scottsbluff, and Sidney all recording the top 10 warmest Decembers. The warmest day of the month was December 6, when Laramie, Rawlins, and Sidney all set daily record highs. Cheyenne didn't drop below 10°F in December, which hasn't happened since 2002.

Wyoming's warmest parts of the winter are the lower elevations of the central and northeast portions, the lower portions of the Big Horn Basin, and along the east border. In January, the coldest month, minimum temperatures are usually between 5°F and 10°F, but in the western valleys, they can drop to around -5°F.

The forecast for Christmas 2024 snow is high in the low 40s for most of the state and a chance of light snow.

Every year is different.

We have no idea what happens next.