Charlie Powell clears his sidewalk in
© Dan Cepeda, Oil City NewsCharlie Powell clears his sidewalk in central Casper after record-breaking snowfall in Casper on Tuesday, April, 4, 2023.
Snowfall in what has become a historic blizzard in central Wyoming has begun in Gillette, and it likely won't end until tonight.

The National Weather Service in Rapid City, South Dakota, is forecasting a 100% chance of heavy snow throughout the day today, enough so to issue a Winter Storm Warning for Gillette. Patchy blowing snow will be troublesome for travelers, particularly this afternoon. Today's forecast high is 24 degrees but with a northeast wind 16 to 20 mph and gusts reaching 31 mph, wind chills will dip as low as 7 degrees. Total daytime accumulation of 3 to 7 inches is possible.

Gillette city officials issued a Level I Snow Emergency on Monday ahead of the storm.

Elsewhere in the state, Casper saw the fall of a 40-year snowfall record in this storm with more than 26 inches of snow Monday. The previous record of just more than 24 inches was set in 1982, according to the National Weather Service in Riverton.



Suffice it to say, travel is nearly impossible into Casper as Interstate 25 and state highways remain closed with no estimated open time. As for roads in and around Gillette, the Wyoming Department of Transportation is reporting all are slick with snowfall. As of 7:30 a.m., there are no road closures here reported by WYDOT.

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© Dan Cepeda, Oil City News
Heavy snow will continue today and slowly decrease tonight. However, winds will increase this afternoon and remain strong through Wed, so blowing snow will continue even after the snow is done falling. If you don't need to travel today, stay home! #sdwx #wywx pic.twitter.com/2YKUA2Sxs8
— NWS Rapid City (@NWSRapidCity) April 4, 2023
Snowfall is expected to continue into tonight with diminishing chances. Still, another half-inch of accumulation is possible, according to the forecast. Wind chills will dip to -3 as north winds do not let up. With wind speeds of 16 to 20 mph and gusts reaching 32 mph, patchy blowing snow overnight will pose an issue.

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© Dan Cepeda, Oil City News

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© Dan Cepeda, Oil City News