Strong winds close roads in Wyoming
SIDNEY - Gusty winds wreaked havoc on travelers Saturday in Wyoming.
The Wyoming Department of Transportation closed both lanes of Interstate 80 and Highway 30 to light and high-profile vehicles from Cheyenne to just east of Rawlins, because of extreme risk of blow overs. Interstate 25 was also closed to light and high-profile vehicles from Casper to the Colorado border.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol posted a photo online of a semi-tractor-trailer blown over on I-25 in Platte County. WDOT says there were multiple blow overs and crashes reported.
Conditions reported Saturday afternoon were dry and windy.
The strongest wind gust, as of Saturday afternoon, was in Horse Creek, Wyoming in western Laramie County at 90 mph. Laramie registered an 81 mph wind gust, Warren Air Force Base at 70 mph, Cheyenne had a gust of 66 mph, and 59 mph was reported in Sidney, Neb.
A high wind warning includes all of southeast Wyoming, and Kimball, Banner, and Scotts Bluff Counties, until 6 p.m. Saturday.
The National Weather Service office in Cheyenne says very strong crosswinds are creating dangerous travel conditions for motorists, including on Interstate 80 between Wyoming mile marker 383 and Nebraska mile marker 35.