LANDER - Ahhh, October. The aspen groves all dazzling gold. Whiffs of chimney smoke in the brisk evenings. Fallen cottonwood leaves skittering across the road - and the sudden, violent snowstorms that keep people here from getting drippy.

Yes, it's technically still fall, but Wyoming is about to be thumped by its first winter storm of the season, meteorologists said this week.

And this one could be a doozy.

The huge storm will begin moving across the Cowboy State today, and by early Sunday morning the towns of Lander and Cody could both be buried under a foot of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

The entire state has a chance to receive at least some snow accumulation this weekend, but residents in the Wind River and Big Horn basins should see the worst of the weather. The eastern slopes of the Wind River and Big Horn mountain ranges could each get up to two feet of heavy, wet snow, according to the forecast.

Blame Canada

The Cowboy State can say goodbye to 70 and 80 degree days for a while, said Dan Berc, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Riverton.

What's coming this way is a classic Gulf of Alaska storm system, mixing with a hard shot of frigid air from Canada's Yukon, Berc said.

Although the storm will come from the west, it'll also mix with winds blowing from the east, which will create "up-sloping" storms on the eastern side of both the Wind River and Big Horn mountain ranges.

"We're starting to see the first effects of it right now in the northwest," Berc said Thursday afternoon. "Right now it's snowing in Jackson and Cody. The full body of this storm will be moving in over the next 24 hours."

The Big Horn Basin, the Wind River Basin and the Cody foothills could all get up to a foot of snow in spots, he said.

East of Cody and Lander there should be some accumulation in the plains, but less as you get farther from the mountains.

"The higher elevations of the Absorokas and Winds will easily see a foot or two, Casper will be more in the 4-to-8-inch range, except up on Casper Mountain where they should get a foot or more," Berc said.

East of Casper, all the way to the Black Hills, the rest of the state could see 2 to 8 inches of snow in the lowlands, he said.

The eastern part of the state should see less snow than central Wyoming does, but some areas such as the northern Laramie Range could also get up to a foot of snow this weekend, said Chad Hahn, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Cheyenne.

"From Cheyenne to Wheatland there may be an inch or two in the grassland areas," Hahn said. "Laramie will get more, anywhere from 1 to 3 inches, and the Snowies and Sierra Madres will get 6 to 9 inches, but the snowfall estimation is still in flux."

Hahn advises that because this is the first storm of the season, travelers on the roads this weekend should use extra caution.

"We sometimes, over the course of the summer, forget what it's like to travel on some of these dangerous roads," Hahn said. "If possible, you should check road conditions before you leave on trips, and travel is going to be treacherous Saturday night in the eastern part of state."

It'll be colder than normal for a few days after the storm comes through, Berc said - with highs in the 20s and 30s in the basins - but western and central Wyoming will be back up into the 40s by early next week.

Eastern Wyoming will warm up a bit quicker, Hahn said, with temperatures in the lowlands back up into the 50s and possibly low 60s by Monday or Tuesday.

Good for business

For folks here this storm marks the start of the transition into the winter season. And although the snow might fill some with dread about the coming winter, at least a few Lander residents are excited about the snow.

"Bring it on," Emily Tilden said, with a twinkle in her eye. Tilden is Lander High School's head cross country ski coach, and she said she's thrilled about the coming winter. Although she enjoys the summer, she can't wait to get back out in the snow, she said.

Brian Stanford, co-owner of Gannett Peak Sports downtown, said he's looking forward to the winter weather, too.

A skiing and outdoors enthusiast, Stanford said the arrival of snow marks a transition both in his personal recreation and his business dealings. His store is about to switch from its summer mode of dealing mostly in bicycles, to its winter mode, which includes selling Nordic skis, snowshoes and other winter gear, including studded snow tires for bicycles.

Summer and winter are busy, he said, but this time of year, although beautiful, tends to be slow for business.

"Once the snow starts flying, it starts picking up again," Stanford said in his shop on Thursday. "It's a real shift. We go from working on bikes right here to waxing and repairing skis almost overnight."

Bill Bregar, owner of Ace Hardware here, said business is fairly steady year-round, but when the first snow storm of the year hits, his store can see an immediate uptick as customers rush in for shovels, ice melt, ice scrapers and insulation, among other things.

"This weekend we might get a rush on some stuff, but we're ready for it," Bregar said.

Ahhh, October in Wyoming.

Contact environment reporter Chris Merrill at (307) 267-6722 or chris.merrill@trib.com

BREAKOUT

Average October snowfall

Fall snowstorms are common in the Cowboy State. Here are some historical snowfall averages for the month of October:

Casper - 7.2 inches

Cheyenne - 3.9 inches

Douglas - 4.1 inches

Lander - 9.7 inches

Laramie - 3.6 inches

Muddy Gap - 3.6 inches

Rawlins - 3.4 inches

Riverton - 2.5 inches

Saratoga - 3.2 inches

Source: National Weather Service

Fall snowstorms are common in the Cowboy State. Here are some historical snowfall averages for the month of October:

Casper - 7.2 inches

Cheyenne - 3.9 inches

Douglas - 4.1 inches

Lander - 9.7 inches

Laramie - 3.6 inches

Muddy Gap - 3.6 inches

Rawlins - 3.4 inches

Riverton - 2.5 inches

Saratoga - 3.2 inches

Source: National Weather Service]]>