All articles tagged with #wyoming
A late-spring snowstorm is forecast to sweep Colorado and Wyoming, delivering freezing temperatures and possibly the season’s biggest snowfall, with wet snow observed in Fort Collins and snow expected around Denver.
Colorado is bracing for a major May snowstorm that could bring several inches to Denver and surrounding areas and Wyoming, potentially the largest in a decade or two, as warm spring temperatures collide with cold air. The storm should be followed by a return to 70-degree conditions later in the week, but could cause travel disruptions and power outages in a drought-stricken region.
Winter storm warnings stretch across parts of Colorado and Wyoming from May 4–6 as a Canadian cold front brings heavy snow—up to two feet in northern mountains—along with slick roads and possible power outages, while a broad storm system promises rain, thunderstorms and wintry mix from the Plains to the Northeast in the coming days.
WDH confirms Wyoming’s first measles case of 2026, an adult from Fremont County with unknown vaccination status, and enumerates exposure sites and times (including Walmart Riverton on Apr 24 and Maverik Powell on Apr 25). The release notes 15 measles cases in 2025, and warns of the virus’s contagious window and typical symptoms. Public health guidance urges those potentially exposed to monitor for 7–21 days, contact healthcare if symptoms appear, and emphasizes MMR vaccination (two doses ~97% effective) for protection.
Gov. Mark Gordon signed Wyoming’s two-year budget but used line-item vetoes to strike roughly two dozen items and footnotes, arguing it preserves separation of powers between the legislature and the executive. While the Legislature largely backed the governor’s funding priorities—such as state employee pay raises and preschool costs—the SUN Bucks summer meals program was cut, and footnotes directing agency spending drew vetoes. Funding for the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming was shaped by compromise, with conditions and review requirements added. The two chambers must still consider potential overrides (requires two-thirds in both houses). The unified budget ended up about $53 million shy of Gordon’s full recommendations, reflecting ongoing debates over state appointees, program scope, and reforms.
TerraPower, the Gates-founded nuclear startup, has secured NRC approval to build the first commercial-scale advanced nuclear reactor in the US, the Natrium plant in Wyoming, slated for completion by 2030. The 345 MW design uses liquid sodium cooling and a molten-salt energy storage system to boost output to 500 MW as demand spikes, part of broader efforts to strengthen grids for AI data centers and climate goals.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission unanimously approved TerraPower’s construction permit for the Natrium reactor in Kemmerer, Wyoming—the first new U.S. commercial reactor in about a decade—clearing the way for construction of a 345‑MW, sodium‑cooled design with a molten‑salt battery. The plant is expected to come online around 2031, backed by Bill Gates and supported by the Energy Department for partial cost sharing, though it still faces licensing, fuel, and cost‑overrun challenges as regulators continue to oversee its safety and deployment.
Trump-nominated Darin Smith, a former Wyoming state senator with no federal or criminal litigation experience, is awaiting Senate confirmation to become Wyoming’s US attorney and has drawn Democratic criticism as unqualified and potentially discriminatory; he has served as interim US attorney since his initial nomination, has faced questions about his January 6 Capitol presence (he says he was on the grounds but did not enter), and his confirmation is being weighed amid partisan dynamics.
The Wyoming Department of Health announced the death of a Fremont County child from influenza, part of a season dominated by the H3N2 strain; officials say flu can be serious, encourage annual vaccination, and outline preventive measures and antiviral treatment, noting nationwide pediatric deaths and that most affected children were not up to date on vaccines.
A Fremont County child has died from flu-related complications in the 2025-2026 season as the H3N2 strain dominates. Nationwide, 52 pediatric flu deaths have been reported, with about 90% of the children not up to date on flu vaccination. Health officials urge updated vaccination, staying home when ill, covering coughs, and handwashing; antiviral meds are recommended for higher-risk groups when started quickly, and flu shots remain widely available.
Christopher Robinson’s family-owned Ensign Group L.C. bought Pathfinder Ranches, a 916,000-acre Wyoming estate spanning four counties, for $79.5 million, a deal that makes the property larger than Rhode Island.
Pronghorns survived deep-time climate upheavals in North America through rapid reproduction, a drought-tolerant diet, and predator shifts, but today they face habitat fragmentation, warmer temperatures, drought and wildfires in the West—lessons in adaptation that humans may need to heed as climate change accelerates.
Wyoming's top court has struck down laws that nearly banned abortion, affirming a woman's right to make healthcare decisions, including abortion, citing the state's constitution. The decision invalidates laws banning abortion in most cases and the use of abortion pills, despite opposition from Republican leaders who seek to enshrine bans through a constitutional amendment.
A 20-year-old fossil of a brachiosaur foot found in Wyoming has been confirmed as the largest ever discovered, measuring nearly one meter across, and has provided new insights into the dinosaur's range across North America, thanks to modern 3D scanning techniques.
Senator Cynthia Lummis, a key advocate for cryptocurrency legislation and leader of the Senate crypto subcommittee, announced her retirement at the end of her term in 2026, prompting concerns within the crypto industry about losing a fierce ally on Capitol Hill, especially as her seat in Wyoming is likely to be contested in a heavily Republican primary.