National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

2012 came to an end with some very chilly temperatures.  Western and Central Wyoming have been in a prolonged cold spell since around Christmas.  Areas west of the Divide have not experienced temperatures above freezing since around December 17th while the last time areas east of the Divide saw temperatures above freezing was December 23rd.  Snow cover and light winds have allowed for some bitter cold morning temperatures both east and west of the Divide. The coldest recorded temperatures over the last few days have been across the Upper Green River Basin as well as the Wind River Basin.  Boulder had a low on the 31st of -24.  Bondurant recorded a low of -23 on December 29th and 31st.  A sensor along the Little Wind River near Riverton recorded a low of -21 on the 30th and a low of -22 on the 31st.  Downtown Lander had a low of -15 on the 31st.  Downtown Riverton has a low of -19 on the 31st.  Below is a table displaying  the highs and lows for selected sites across Western and Central Wyoming from December 25 through 31st.  The coldest temperature at each location is highlighted.  

 DRESS FOR THE COLD...
Wear loose-fitting, light-weight, warm clothing in several layers.   Trapped air insulates. Layers can be removed to avoid perspiration and subsequent chill.  Outer garments should be tightly woven, water repellent, and hooded. Wear a hat. Half your body heat loss can be from your head.  Cover your mouth to protect your lungs from extreme cold.  Mittens, snug at the wrist, are better than gloves.   Try to stay dry.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT YOUR PETS...
Have a water supply available and make sure it is not frozen.  Many animal deaths in extreme cold is from dehydration.