Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 28

Seasonal snow, cold and
Wyoming's infamous
wind - Wyoming Climate
Atlas says the state
averages 12.9 mph wind
with frequent periods of
30-40 mph and gusts up
to 50-60 mph - creates a
trifecta of conditions that
can change in mere hours.

Cold can kill

Key to survival in inclement weather is
knowing what to do. Jeff Christie, after
building a lean-to out of branches and tree
boughs, sits by a fire to keep warm and dry.

all. Stalled for two days, it buried valleys in 4 feet of
snow and 8-10 feet in the high country. Roads were
closed for a period of time. Backroads that carried
deer hunters into the national forest and Bureau of
Land Management land were impassable, stranding
dozens. One acquaintance was rescued by friends on
snowmobiles, forcing him to leave his new one-ton
pickup and camping trailer for the winter. Snow broke
windows in the trailer, ultimately totaling it.
28 | January 2021	

Today, we're embracing Wyoming's longest season,
winter. Storms like that in Fremont County start in
early September and expectations of more continue
until June. Of course, it makes sense to check on
the weather before heading out, but relying on the
absolute accuracy of the prediction is a fool's errand.
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
Seasonal snow, cold and Wyoming's infamous wind
- Wyoming Climate Atlas says the state averages
12.9 mph wind with frequent periods of 30-40 mph
and gusts up to 50-60 mph - creates a trifecta of
conditions that can change in mere hours. On Nov.
29, 2014, the town of Douglas fell 36 degrees between
7 and 8 p.m. The temperature was 60 degrees at 2
p.m. and dropped to 11 degrees by 10 p.m. Two days
before, I picked up a friend at the Billings, Montana,
airport for a deer hunt. As he slid into the pickup seat
he said, " We're going to be hunting in shirtsleeves. "
Over three days, the temperatures in our hunt area
ranged from a high of 55 to a low of 11 below zero.
Preparation for such conditions is key to surviving,
be it pursuing outdoor adventures or simply traveling.
I carry a year-round emergency kit in my pickup.
In the winter, I add another box of essentials. Furthermore, I'm not one to let my fuel tank get much
below half full. This practice could have helped a
friend who was stuck in a raging blizzard behind an
accident roadblock. The three hours wait became life
threatening when he ran out of gas in an hour. A mere
10 miles from a fuel station, he was stuck. Another
driver saved him that day, letting my friend wait in his
running car until a tow truck could rescue the pickup.
Every winter we see videos of wind pushing cars
and pickups off roadways and 18-wheelers blown over
with ease. Wind makes everything feel colder, more



Wyoming Wildlife magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wyoming Wildlife magazine

Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 1
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 2
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 3
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 4
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 5
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 6
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 7
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 8
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 9
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Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 12
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Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 15
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Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 17
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 18
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 19
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Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 21
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 22
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 23
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 24
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 25
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 26
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 27
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 28
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Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 30
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 31
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Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 36
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Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 40
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 41
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Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 43
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 44
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 45
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 46
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 47
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 48
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/wyoming-wildlife-may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2024-e-edition
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2024
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2023
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2022
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-iak-special-issue
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/dec-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/January2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/December2020
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