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Canning altitude adjustments in Wyoming
Wyoming's featured towns sit about 3,940 to 7,280 ft — a spread that crosses 2 water-bath bands, so which town your kitchen is in genuinely changes the answer.
The lay of the land
Wyoming takes 'high plains' literally: four of its six featured towns — Cheyenne, Laramie, Jackson, and Rock Springs — sit above 6,000 ft in the 6,001–8,000 ft water-bath band. Sheridan and Casper hold the low end, and even there 'low' means about 3,940 and 5,320 ft — ten added minutes before you ever reach the mountains. Nowhere on the state's featured list does a water-bath recipe run as written.
From Sheridan at about 3,940 ft to Laramie at about 7,280 ft, Wyoming crosses 2 water-bath rows — 10 added minutes at the bottom of the state, 15 added minutes at the top. Each band carries one published answer, so find your town's row before the jars go in.
| Town | Elevation | Water bath | Dial gauge | Weighted gauge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheridan | about 3,940 ft | +10 min | 12 lb | 15 lb |
| Casper | about 5,320 ft | +10 min | 13 lb | 15 lb |
| Cheyenne | about 6,130 ft | +15 min | 14 lb | 15 lb |
| Jackson | about 6,220 ft | +15 min | 14 lb | 15 lb |
| Rock Springs | about 6,760 ft | +15 min | 14 lb | 15 lb |
| Laramie | about 7,280 ft | +15 min | 14 lb | 15 lb |
Town not in the table? The altitude lookup takes any Wyoming ZIP or town and hands back the full card — elevation, minutes, and pressures in one look. Recipe already in hand? The processing time adjuster does the arithmetic on your minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Why do different Wyoming towns get different canning numbers?
Because Wyoming's featured kitchens climb from about 3,940 ft in Sheridan to about 7,280 ft in Laramie — a spread that crosses 2 water-bath bands. Each band carries its own published answer, so the right move is reading your own town's row, not your neighbor's.
What would the same recipe look like in Sheridan versus Laramie?
In Sheridan, a water-bath recipe takes 10 extra minutes, with a dial gauge at 12 lb. In Laramie, the same recipe takes 15 extra minutes, and the dial climbs to 14 lb. Same recipe, different ground.
Is there one setting that covers all of Wyoming?
On a weighted gauge, nearly: 15 lb covers every featured town, with times exactly as tested. Water-bath minutes and dial settings genuinely differ by town, though — match the row for where the canner actually sits.