BRIDGER VALLEY — The forecasted April story, projected to be one of the biggest of the year, lived up to its forecast and dropped piles of snow on Bridger Valley and throughout Wyoming

The storm, starting Sunday afternoon, and the Valley woke up Monday morning to piles of snow. And more was slated to come through Tuesday, It was even projected to continued into Wednesday. Not fine white stuff that hit the ground and melted, but big heavy, wet snow that piled and piled until there were inches and inches, up into the two feet level of more, depending on where people lived.

And with the storm, came a wind that piled the snow even more creating drifts, which hovered into four and five foot levels, maybe more.

Highways in more than half of the state were still closed Wednesday morning, as the state continued to dig out from the latest winter storm of the last few days. However, I-80, both directions, was opened Wednesday afternoon.

As for the blizzard that blew earlier this week, according to reports in the Casper Star, the storm was projected to drop 18-24 inches of snow in Casper. This was an under statement as Casper reported Tuesday morning it had already received 27 inches of snow. The Star also reported widespread closures in Casper Monday as people tried to get home before conditions worsened. Downtown Casper was also basically shuttered on Tuesday. Natrona County Schools were virtual on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The late season snow dropped heavy snow over large parts of the state, combined with high winds to pile the snow, creating blizzard, white-out conditions in much of the state including the roads in Bridger Valley from Fort Bridger to Lyman and to Mountain View.

The storm in the Valley was clearing off Tuesday evening, and the sun tried to peek out for a short time before dusk. Wednesday morning was sunny and a little wind, but a drastic change from the first part of the week.

The forecast for the Valley Wednesday and Wednesday night included snow showers with a high near 28 but wind chill temperatures dropping to minus 10 Wednesday Night. The forecast for Thursday was sunny with a high near 32.

SLC TV channels repeatedly talked about this storm as one of the major storms of the year, and said it would probably be the biggest storm of the year and definitely a record storm for this time of the year. The weather forecaster even went so far Sunday night as to urge people to work remotely or just stay home due to the prediction of snowfall. Forecasts said the storm would drop 10-12 inches or more on the Valley floor in Salt Lake.

The Valley and Uinta County were reeling from the storm Tuesday, with multiple closures and changes in operation. Uinta #1 was out on spring break. Uinta #4 held a virtual learning/snow day Tuesday reporting "School buildings will be closed in Uinta County School District 4 on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, due to poor driving conditions, adverse weather, and the most current winter storm warning that calls for more snow and increased wind.” Uinta #4 also held a virtual learning day Wednesday.

Uinta #6 closed the schools as a result of the storm and resulting conditions with a caution to residents to, “Be safe.” Uinta #6 was back in classrooms on Wednesday.

The local county libraries in Mountain View and Lyman were closed Monday and Tuesday because of the storm. And, also sure others were closed no mentioned here.

Tuesday morning Amanda Hutchinson, UC clerk, reported, “Due to the weather, the courthouse is closed and the Work Session is canceled. (For the Commissions regularly scheduled meeting for Tuesday, April 4.) The commissioners will meet via zoom at 2 p.m. to approve bills and any other urgent matters on the agenda already and to determine if a special meeting will be scheduled or if all other business will just be moved to the regularly scheduled commission meeting on April 18.”

Meteorologist Don Day on Cowboy Daily said Evanston would most likely get another 1-3 more inches of snow Tuesday and get inch Tuesday night with temperatures as low as 12 with a wind chill as low as zero.