GOSHEN COUNTY – Winter has officially hit southeastern Wyoming last week. Temperatures plummeted to the single digits quickly over the course of a few days. A thick blanket of snow has fallen on Goshen County and the surrounding areas and in some areas more snow is forecasted, but will it continue and if so, for how long? 

According to Meteorologist Steve Rubin, Wyoming should be out of the deep freezer soon. 

“We have had some pretty cold temperatures,” Rubin told the Telegram. “Torrington had a record low this morning (Monday) with a low of 9 below which ties the record from 2007. The high temperature didn’t even get above zero, it’s only 3 below.”

The 17-year-old record may be broken again with Monday night’s lows in the negative teens. 

“The normal high around this time of year is 42 degrees, so the -3 was 45 degrees below the normal temperature,” Rubin explained. 

“It’s going to be cold again tonight (Monday), probably colder than it was last night,” Rubin said. “It looks like it will probably be around 18 below for a low in Torrington because we have clear skies, an arctic air mass, light winds and the snowpack.”

“Luckily the recovery starts Tuesday,” Rubin told the Telegram. “It will warm all the way up to a balmy 26 for Tuesday which from the low this morning and tomorrow morning, that is about a 44 degree rise in temperature.” 

“Wednesday, it might get a little warmer. It will be near 35 degrees on Wednesday,” Rubin said. “The only thing is, which people in this area know, the winds are going to pick up. It will be breezy and chilly Tuesday, but it will be in the 20s.”

“The normal high is 42 degrees and the normal low is 16 degrees,” Rubin explained. “But of course, that is just your average high and average low, half of the days are above that, and half are below.” 

“It was pretty windy earlier. They are currently blowing 15 to 20 mph in Torrington so that is producing some cold wind chills with these old temperatures,” Rubin said. “People outside should bundle up and cover all your exposed skin and wear several layers of clothing. It’s not pleasant out there so don’t be out longer than you have to be.”

The remainder of the week will be looking up.

“The west winds are going to pick up,” Rubin told the Telegram.  “The Shinnok winds are going to blow a lot of the cold air. It will retreat off to the east so tomorrow (Tuesday) should be in the mid 20s and even up to the mid 30s on Wednesday.”

More snow is on the way for Goshen County. 

“Thursday, we get a little cooler, low 30s, and another cold front comes through for Friday, but it’s not going to be quiet as cold. There will be a high near 19 degrees on Friday but back into the mid 30s on Saturday. Really, the rest of the week looks pretty pleasant compared to what we’ve been having,” Rubin explained. 

The windchill and roadways have been the primary concern of this storm system. 

“We are also expecting some blowing snow in the next day or so because of the powdery snow being picked up by the winds. We will have some visibility restrictions because of the blowing snow,” Rubin said. 

Snowfalls totaled anywhere from two to five inches in the Goshen County area.