Why Did It Take Winter So Long To Get To Wyoming?

Nobody was complaining about that nice, long stretch of wonderful weather we had this year- except maybe the ski resorts.

We began 2023 with a wet, snowy winter that filled Western reservoirs to their tops after several years of drought.

That wet weather continued through the spring and fall, giving us the longest stretch of green prairies that the western states have seen in generations.

Ranchers and farmers loved those full-stock ponds.

As we moved from summer to fall folks began to wonder where the cold and snow were.

It really wasn't until Christmas, and the first calendar day of winter that temperatures finally dropped and we felt really cold.

So, what happened?

Each morning on Wyoming's morning talk show (Wake Up Wyoming), I chat with our regional weatherman Don Day, of Day Weather. I had a theory about what was going on so I asked him.

I'm proud to say that he said I was correct.

Let's go back to a video Don Day posted back in mid-December of 2023.

Even if you don't watch the above video, look at the picture it shows above. That letter "H" is the key.

That's a high-pressure system that got sandwiched between lower-pressure systems, right smack dab in the middle of the country.

In time that high-pressure system did move a little more east, just covering the Westen states while leaving California, Oregon, and Washington states to that low-pressure system you see off the coast.

Every state to our east, west, and south was dealing with an early winter and some harsh weather.

But that high-pressure system kept the Western states sunny and mild.

Finally, that system broke free and was moved away.

That left the door open for WINTER!

Here is Don Day's forecast for Monday, 12/26/23.

Watch that video and you'll see what happened as high pressure was moved away.

Those in the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Eastern Wyoming got hit hard and winter came rolling in.

Those ski resorts are finally happy.

Another high-pressure system has moved in to replace the one that just moved out.

The weather will be calm and mild through New Year's Day.

Later next week that high pressure will move off and we will get another blast of arctic air.

This last video from Don Day will show the new high-pressure system moving in.