Spring Blizzard Sends Semis Sliding Off I-80 Across Wyoming

Multiple semitrucks jackknifed or slid off Interstate 80 near Elk Mountain on Thursday as a surprise spring blizzard buried portions of southern Wyoming under several inches of snow and dropped visibility to near zero across the mountain corridor running through Albany County's high country.

One trucker negotiating the mountain stretches near Elk Mountain captured the conditions plainly: "I couldn't see 10 feet in front of me."

Jackknifed rigs clogged westbound lanes, and additional trucks slid into center medians as the storm pushed through the passes. Wyoming Department of Transportation issued advisories and dispatched crews, while state troopers coordinated emergency response to multiple incidents simultaneously, closing lanes for recovery and clearing operations and managing the backed-up flow of commercial traffic for miles through the corridor.

The timing caught many drivers unprepared. After an unusually warm winter across Wyoming, the early April blizzard arrived with little warning, and some motorists had already stowed winter equipment or shed the seasonal caution that January conditions typically demand. High-profile vehicles like semis and RVs are especially prone to jackknifing and rollover on slick pavement, and because I-80 carries the bulk of Wyoming's east-west freight volume, even partial closures create economic ripple effects that stretch well beyond the immediate incident scenes.

The storm did deliver one benefit: the snowfall added meaningful moisture to Wyoming's snowpack at a point late in the accumulation season when every inch matters for summer water supplies.

Authorities urged drivers to check WYDOT road conditions before travel on the I-80 mountain corridor, carry chains or adequate traction devices, and delay trips when conditions deteriorate. With passes through Albany County capable of flipping from dry pavement to whiteout in a matter of hours, Thursday's pileup of jackknifed trucks made clear that spring on the calendar does not mean winter is finished in the high country.