The peak of the storm lands on Tuesday evening, which is also Cinco de Mayo, so anyone driving in the zone after dark will be sharing the road with holiday traffic on top of active chain controls and deteriorating mountain routes.
Current Status
- I-80 Wyoming (Cheyenne to Rawlins): open, light/high-profile restriction expected Monday night
- I-25 north (Cheyenne to Casper): open, snow and wind impacts Tuesday
- I-70 west of Denver: open, chain controls likely Tuesday afternoon
- US-34 through Rocky Mountain National Park: open, expected to close Tuesday
- Highway 14 over Cameron Pass: summit deteriorating
What Changed
The watches went to warnings overnight. NWS Cheyenne issued at 2:41 AM MDT. NWS Denver/Boulder issued just before 1 AM. The Weather Prediction Center is holding heavy snow risk at HIGH for both Tuesday and Wednesday across the Rockies.
I-80 Summit, Wyoming
The Winter Storm Warning here covers I-80 between Cheyenne and Laramie. The interstate climbs to about 8,640 feet at the top. Forecast: 8 to 16 inches from 9 PM Monday through noon Wednesday MDT.
This stretch closes a lot. WYDOT’s monthly closure data has southern Wyoming at or near the top of the country in almost every winter month, and 8 to 16 inches at the Summit makes a multi-day closure close to certain.
What to watch for: WYDOT will post a “light/high-profile vehicle restriction” before any full closure. Empty trailers, RVs, campers, and passenger vehicles towing trailers get pulled off; loaded freight keeps running. Once that’s posted, full closure usually follows within hours, and once the gates come down at the Cheyenne and Laramie ramps, you’re not getting back on until WYDOT lifts it. The closure radio on AM 1610 carries the updates…