Dust Storm Warning Issued for Cheyenne and Southeastern Wyoming Through Thursday Afternoon

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Cheyenne has issued a Dust Storm Warning for southeastern Wyoming. This alert (NWS code: DSW) indicates that significant blowing dirt and dust are creating life-threatening conditions for motorists and residents in the path of the storm.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following regions in southeastern Wyoming:

• Southeastern Albany County
• Southwestern Laramie County

Impacted locations include Cheyenne, Warren AFB, Cheyenne Regional Airport, Happy Valley, Federal, Table Mountain Ranches, Willadsen Estates, Rocking Star Ranch, Silver Sage Estates, Granite Canon, Fox Farm-College, Winchester Hills, North Crow Campground, Ranchettes, Frontier Park, North Cheyenne, Horse Creek, Curt Gowdy State Park, Bison Crossing, and the Laramie County Fairgrounds at Archer.

Specific highway impacts include:

• Interstate 25 between mile markers 3 and 30.
• Interstate 80 between mile markers 335 and 380.

What You Should Do

Motorists are urged to avoid travel in the warning area. If you are caught in a dust storm, follow the “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” protocol:

1. Pull your vehicle far off the road.
2. Turn off your vehicle lights.
3. Keep your foot off the brake to prevent other drivers from following your tail lights off the road.
4. Stay in the vehicle with your seatbelt buckled until the storm passes.

Infants, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory issues are urged to take extra precautions to avoid dust inhalation.

Expected Conditions

Observations from trained weather spotters, highway sensors, and satellite data indicate a significant area of blowing dust moving eastward.

• Visibility: Expected to drop to less than a quarter mile, with sudden drops to near zero.
• Wind: Damaging westerly winds in excess of 60 mph are carrying dust from the southern Laramie Range Mountains.
• Hazards: Dangerous, life-threatening travel conditions due to the combination of high winds and zero visibility.

Timeline

The Dust Storm Warning is effective immediately and is scheduled to remain in effect until 3:15 PM MDT on March 12, 2026.