Winter Storm Ulmer, the blizzard that resulted in the day-and-a-half closure of the University of Wyoming campus in the days leading up to spring break, will go down in regional history for its record pressure drop and high winds as well as its impact on school and road operations.
Cheers broke out through the seemingly somber crowds of the snow- and wind-buffeted Union when students received emails and text messages early in the afternoon of March 13 announcing the cancellation of classes and nonessential work for the remainder of the day. The University also canceled classes and work all day March 14, UW’s first day-long weather closure in years.
“The storm is what we call a bomb cyclone, which means its pressure dropped by at least 24 mb in 24 hours,” said Atmospheric Science Professor Zachary Lebo. “This rapid intensification results in very strong winds and can promote heavy precipitation, as we saw, often leading to blizzard conditions. The pressure dropped to an unofficial record low for the state of Colorado before moving to the northwest.”
After 14 inches of snow fell in the Laramie area, snow drifts throughout town formed high enough to prevent some people from leaving their homes. There were also some reports of tornadoes throughout Wyoming on March 14.
The storm also broke records for wind in Colorado with gusts above 90 mph occurring in multiple locations, per the Associated Press. The National Weather Service recorded at 96 mph gust in Colorado Springs, shattering the town’s previous record of 78 mph and reaching the equivalent wind speed of a Category 2 hurricane.
In the midst of the storm, interstates and highways around the tri-state area, including all roads in and out of Laramie, were closed through most of Thursday, March 14.
“At one point I-80, I-25 and I-90 were completely closed in Wyoming,” said Lebo. “There were also numerous accidents, most notably 100 cars involved in wrecks along a single mile of I-25 in northern Colorado on Wednesday.”
This severe weather has become a flood threat to central and southern parts of the United States as the snow melts and flows east toward the Gulf of Mexico. In places like Nebraska residents are still experiencing historic flooding.
The bomb cyclone began as Winter Storm Ulmer on March 12, later bringing blizzard-level snow and winds to parts of Colorado while other Colorado towns hardly received any snow accumulation, according to The Weather Channel. The reason for the difference comes down to geography.
“The winds in Laramie were generally from the north to north-northwest, which enable the air to rise through the Laramie Valley, aiding in lifting the air and producing precipitation,” said Lebo. “Meanwhile, places in Colorado, like Boulder, received just two inches of snow because the air was actually sinking down the mountains, causing it to warm and dry out.”
Though much of the snow dumped on campus by the blizzard has since melted away, this storm was one for the history books.
