The Associated Press | Posted: Thursday, March 29, 2007 12:00 am
A powerful spring snowstorm continues to pound Wyoming, closing many highways, roads and schools, downing power lines and stranding travelers, including a bus full of high school students involved in a storm-related accident Wednesday.
Powder River Energy Corp. spokeswoman Doreen Schaar said that between 800 and 900 homes in north-central Wyoming were without heat and electricity today, down from about 2,200 Wednesday.
"We have several broken poles and downed wires," Schaar said.
Schaar added that the company expects homes in Buffalo, Ucross and Clearmont to be without power for several days.
"Our crews are not able to even access these areas," Schaar said. "The roads are just completely closed, visibility is at or below zero. We do have some crews still working in the Sheridan area, but those are limited too."
Stranded high school students whose school bus was involved in an accident Wednesday on I-90 were being housed today at Meadowlark Elementary School in Buffalo. The students from far north-central Wyoming's Tongue River High School were traveling to a Family, Career and Community Leaders of America competition in Cheyenne when their bus was involved in one of two chain crashes on the slick interstate. None of the students was injured.
"They're fine, they've got food and warmth and everything they need," Meadowlark principal Bob Tyser said. "We're taking care of them."
Tyser said classes at his elementary school were canceled, but the facility was being kept open for the stranded students.
"We're trying to make it as comfortable as we can for them under the circumstances," Tyser said. "They're watching TV's, playing a little basketball, doing the things that kids do."
A 250-mile stretch of Interstate 80 in southern Wyoming was closed between Cheyenne and Rock Springs. Most of Interstate 25 between Casper and Buffalo were shut down, and Interstate 90 between Gillette and Lodge Grass, Mont., also was closed.
Most other highways in central and northern Wyoming were closed or considered treacherous.
Winter storm warnings were posted Thursday for most of Wyoming, including Gillette, Casper, Riverton, Rawlins, Laramie, Lusk and Rock Springs. A blizzard warning remained in effect for Sheridan and Buffalo in north central Wyoming.
The National Weather Service predicted heavy snowfalls.
A location in the Wind River Mountains in central Wyoming had already accumulated 58 inches of snow from the storm by Thursday morning.
Wyoming Highway Patrol Sgt. Stephen Townsend said patrol dispatchers had received some 175 crash reports over the previous 24 hours. He said there were no fatalities that he was aware of at this time, but some injuries.