Late-April snow, fog create slick travel conditions in Albany County

A late-April burst of snow and fog left Albany County roads slick early Monday, with a CoCoRaHS station east of Laramie measuring 1.90 inches and a Wyoming Department of Transportation sensor near town showing freezing conditions on US 287.

The National Weather Service in Cheyenne said the overnight snowfall and areas of fog were creating locally hazardous travel conditions that morning. At 5:34 a.m., a WYDOT sensor on US 287 near Laramie, labeled Pumpkin Vine, recorded an air temperature of 26.6 degrees, northeast wind around 2.5 mph and visibility below one-quarter mile. That combination meant drivers on US 287, Interstate 80 and other Albany County roads faced a slower, more careful commute than spring calendars might suggest.

For Albany County residents, the bigger issue was not the total alone but how quickly late-season weather can change the day. Even under 2 inches of snow can be enough to coat bridges, reduce visibility and slow morning travel, especially when fog settles in after an overnight cold snap. Ranch crews, construction schedules and early deliveries can all be forced to wait for roads to improve, while foot traffic in downtown Laramie often thins when visibility drops and pavement turns slick.

The weather pattern was not expected to end with the morning commute. The National Weather Service said unsettled conditions would continue through the work week, with daily chances for scattered rain and snow showers and the possibility of isolated thunder. Warmer, drier weather was expected to return for the weekend, offering a short break after a stretch of spring volatility.

WYDOT says its 511 road reports are built mainly on first-hand observations from maintenance crews, with added input from volunteer observers through the ECAR program. That matters on days like this, when a sensor reading in one part of the county can capture freezing fog and another stretch of highway can still change fast enough to catch drivers off guard.

Late-season snow is a familiar pattern in southeast Wyoming. National Weather Service event summaries list spring storms including a May 12 Mother’s Day snowstorm and an April 16 late-season winter storm, a reminder that April and May can still deliver conditions more like winter than spring across Laramie and the I-80 corridor.