Introduction: Wooden Fences Across I-80 If you have ever driven across southern Wyoming, you have likely seen the long, towering wooden fences across open sagebrush land. Miles and miles stretched in the flat land across the southern Wyoming. Have you ever wondered why they sit in the middle of empty fields?
It is even easy for some people to assume that they might be to keep the cattle in or have something to do with the wildlife migration. But the main purpose
lies behind the the invisible fury of Wyoming’s windy winters. While these popular fences were first built decades ago, their 21st-century evolution belongs in part to a Japanese scientist, Dr. Noriaki Ohara, a civil engineer and hydrologist at the University of Wyoming.
What are snow fences?
Those fences stretched across souther Wyoming’s vast valleys are actually a carefully designed meteorological life saving tool. Unlike regular fences, snow fences are designed and built to manage the movement of winter’s extreme winds. They do not block the wind, but rather they use a precise ratio of open slats to redirect, interrupt, and pile up the snow drifts in a controlled spot protecting the roads to get blizzards and extreme pushes of air (Tabler 2003).
Wyoming Ground Blizzards
Wyoming has a unique nature of blizzards. It does not have to be snowing from the sky for the highways like I-80 to turn white. Extreme winds can scoop dry and frozen crystals off miles of open fields toward the highway and can turn the road into a ground blizzard with almost zero visibility. This adverse side of Wyoming’s climate had created devastating consequences for not only the locals or passing drivers, but also for everyone else nationwide since millions of dollars can be lost when the continental supply chain freezes shut. Slowing that strong drift takes an understanding of weather dynamics, precipitation, and a profound respect for natural forces.
From Tokyo to High Plains
Dr. Ohara earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Civil Engineering at Chuo University in Tokyo. He then moved to the West Coast to complete his PhD at UC Davis in California. When he accepted a job position at the University of Wyoming, he had few expectations about the state’s cultural and natural landscape. Moving to the high-altitude town of Laramie has also contributed to his contemporary research focus.
What greeted him in the scale of High Plains was endless skies, rebellious wind, and vast mountain valleys. Experiencing Wyoming’s harsh winters and sheer volume of snow drifting, his research path has been reshaped; his academic focus localized, with the emphasis on the unique wind patterns, and winter hydrology of his new home (University of Wyoming 2026).
Why not just build a long solid wall to completely stop the snow drifts?
When WYDOT (Wyoming Department of Transportation) needed to modernize its snow fence systems, they turned to Dr. Ohara. As Dr. Ohara describes that the research can take three to fours years to complete. The research was not only to collect sources and solve mathematical problems, but it also included a lot of field work; visiting the sites, mounting custom sensor equipment, driving across to measure road surface conditions.
One of the interesting questions some people might ask about snow fences is “Why build a fence with gaps instead of a solid wall?” Dr. Ohara explains that the idea and the purpose of the project is not to fight against the nature or completely block the wind but rather make it work through gentle persuasion with lower cost and maximum effect. The open slats allow the wind to breathe through, slowing the strong air movement just down enough that it loses its violent energy. Dr. Ohara also mentioned that the fences are not to mimic continuous walls, yet they are purposefully designed and staggered with open gaps for miles ensuring native wildlife can continue their ancient migration without getting disturbed.
Dr. Ohara also describes the fences as “living fences.” Crafted from natural wood that weather under the sky, and they mimic almost the way a natural pattern of trees breaks the wind in the wild. Rather than fighting against nature, this technology works with it.
Similarity in Wyoming’s and Japan’s snow drift managing systems/A Story of Two Snow Countries.
Wyoming and Japan share a surprising kinship with each other. In regions like Hokkaido, at high elevation, cold air masses sweeping off from Siberia bring strong gales and snowdrifts. Dr. Ohara shared that he and his team sometimes share knowledge and scientific opinions working on collaboration.
While this creates similarity, it also creates a difference in how snow fences are managed in two sides of the world. Japan has a lot denser population and mountainous terrain, and this means that there is rarely room for miles of permanent wooden fences without blocking scenic views or crowding the site. In Hokkaido, for example, road crews often deploy temporary seasonal fences during the harsh seasons. On the other hand, Wyoming, with its vast land and uninhabited sagebrush land, allows these wooden fences to stand year-round.
Dr. Ohara as a Wyomingite today
Today, Dr. Ohara is leading a quiet and fulfilling life in Wyoming. He enjoys taking photos of snowdrifts and snow fences across Wyoming whenever he gets to visit wether in summer or in winter. When friends and family back in Japan ask what it is like living in the least populated state in the U.S, he often talks about the abundant wildlife and gorgeous landscape during green seasons. But he also likes to mention that the winters can be harsh but stating “as long as you are prepared, every day in Wyoming can be a good day.”
Author’s Reflection
Listening to Dr. Ohara describe and explain his research and contribution reminded me of a Japanese concept: shizen (自然). It is often translated as “nature,” but it speaks to a deeper philosophy of harmonizing with the nature with its naturalness rather than attempting to fight against or conquer it (Shizen, 2026). In Western culture, we are more conditioned to think that engineering is an act of human dominance; forcing nature into submission.
Yet, this engineering piece of wooden structure does not fight the gale, but it yields to it. And it is incredible to see the living shizen in practice in the vast land of High Plains thanks to scientists like Dr. Noriaki Ohara coming from thousands of miles away and making a life saving contribution to Wyoming.
Holds a Master's degree in American Studies from the University of Wyoming. His academic interests include American history, culture, and international relations. He has studied historical events and social changes from multiple perspectives. Through his academic work, he has developed research, analytical, and writing skills, which he applies to exploring the connections between historical backgrounds and contemporary society. At JASWY, he draws on his knowledge of American Studies to research and document the historical, cultural, and social connections between Wyoming and Japan. He aims to uncover lesser-known connections between the two regions and share them through educational content and articles. Through this work, he hopes to deepen understanding of their shared history and promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding for future generations.
All author postsNovember 10, 2026
Posted By Max Umurzakov / Category: Culture