Cheyenne: Geography and Climate

Surrounded by rolling prairie, Cheyenne is located between the North and South Platte rivers. The Laramie Mountains 30 miles west of the city form a ridge that is part of the Rocky Mountain range and that significantly influences local temperature and weather. Winds passing over the ridge from the northwest through the west to southwest produce a Chinook effect, particularly during the winter. (Chinooks are warm, moist winds from the sea.) Because of the terrain and wind patterns, Cheyenne experiences wide daily temperature fluctuations of 30 degrees in the summer and about 23 degrees in the winter. Snow falls during late winter and early spring, with yearly snowfall averaging 51.3 inches.