Cheyenne Weatherman Says Storm Offers “Little Bite” From Drought

There is no doubt that the wet, heavy snow that is falling on southeast Wyoming is good news in terms of drought conditions that have plagued the area in 2026.

But how much will it matter? We put that question to Cheyenne meteorologist Don Day Jr.

Here is his response: "It is a nice little bite out of it but need more, droughts are like eating an elephant, one bite at a time."

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Cheyenne Office of the National Weather service was reporting an official total of six inches of snow, with significantly more expected before the system clears out on Wednesday.

That can only be good news for an area that at last report was mostly considered to be under "extreme drought" as of April 28. That's according to a drought monitor map released by the federal government. According to the map, extreme drought carries the threat of "Long-term impacts, typically greater than 6 months (hydrology, ecology)."

Snow Offers A Brief Reprieve From Fire Danger

One bit of good news for southeast Wyoming over the short term will be an easing of the fire danger, albeit not for long unless more precipitation is received. Much of the region has been under regular Red Flag Warnings for critical fire danger.

Laramie County Emergency Management has temporarily lifted fire restrictions that were imposed last month. But that lifting of restrictions is only in effect until Thursday morning. It's also important to note that the lifting only refers to the restrictions ordered in March, and all normal fire regulations aside from those restrictions remain in effect.