Alert archive / Wyoming / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2020

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 41, NWS Riverton, WY

August 1, 2020Natrona County, Wyoming

NWS Riverton, WY issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 1, 2020, 4:28 PM MDT for Natrona County, Wyoming. It was in force for 27 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 1, 2020, 4:28 PM MDT (22:28 UTC)
Expired
Aug 1, 2020, 4:55 PM MDT
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Riverton, WY
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
50.0 mph

County Natrona County, WY

The radar

The Riverton/Lander radar (KRIW), 137 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:29 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Riverton, WY (KRIW), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 131 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Riverton, WY at 12:00Z on 2020-08-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Riverton, WY at 12:00Z on 2020-08-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 20 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2710 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
55 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Riverton, WY wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 1, 2:12 PM MDT, 2 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 1, 2:12 PM MDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Riverton WY
212 PM MDT Sat Aug 1 2020

.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Sunday night)
Issued at 200 PM MDT Sat Aug 1 2020

Water vapor imagery shows yet another weak wave in the northwest
flow pulling across the area this afternoon/early evening. Also
there is a hint at some energy pulling east out of Idaho. These
weak disturbances combined with peak heating and modest
instability will result in another round of afternoon and evening
thunderstorms mainly along and east of the Divide. Expect the
activity to be tad more widespread than what occurred yesterday,
and with some activity over the far west as well. Most of the
convection should end between 01Z and 03z, but some activity could
linger through about 06Z over the far east.

Another weak wave is likely in the northwest flow Sunday, but
currently this wave is more subtle than the ones the last couple
of days. Expecting slightly less coverage with the activity
confined to areas east of the Divide for now.

High temperatures look to remain relatively similar as the 700mb
southwest to northeast temp gradient remains fairly consistent with
near 20C temps over the southwest to around 12C over Johnson County.

.LONG TERM...(Monday through Saturday)
Issued at 200 PM MDT Sat Aug 1 2020

As mentioned previously, the upper-level ridge axis will slide
eastward over the forecast area on Monday as a short-wave trough
moves from Washington into Montana. The ridge will also weaken
somewhat, with instability developing in the mid levels east of
the divide. The NAM has backed off yesterday's solution, and like
the GFS, is now keeping the main area of showers and
thunderstorms across southern Montana following the surface low.
Still expecting isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms
across central and northern WY with this feature though, and
increased westerly surface wind across southwest WY. As the
surface low moves into the west-central plains late Monday and
early Tuesday, higher surface pressure over Alberta will move into
Montana and Wyoming, bringing northerly flow to the Bighorn Basin
and into central WY. This should serve to reinforce the
stationary boundary that has been set up for quite a while along
the continental divide. Tuesday afternoon should see drier and
windier conditions into southwest WY for elevation fire weather
conditions. Tuesday evening will also see isolated to scattered
showers and thunderstorms east of the divide with the increased
surface moisture.

The upper-level ridge axis is expected to set up again from
northern Utah to western Montana on Wednesday, continuing the
pattern we have become very familiar with. However, Thursday into
Friday will see the ridge axis flatten and move to the east much
quicker this time as short-wave trough energy moves eastward along
the Canada/US border. The result will be increased southwest flow
into the forecast area with continued elevated fire weather
conditions over SW WY. During the latter part of the week, the
best chance for storminess appears to be across northern WY, and
temperatures will be near to slightly above normal. This pattern
is not favorable for bringing any type of monsoon moisture from
the SW US, but at least some showers and thunderstorms are
possible each afternoon and early evening.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Sunday evening)
Issued at 200 PM MDT Sat Aug 1 2020

West of the Divide Terminals: KBPI, KJAC, KPNA, and KRKS:

Very isolated showers and thunderstorms could impact western Wyoming
except the far south through about 00Z which could impact KJAC. VFR
conditions are still expected with mainly light winds, except near
any shower or thunderstorm. Dry, clear and light winds are expected
tonight. Any thunderstorm activity Sunday should be along and east
of the Divide and not impact any western terminals.

East of the Divide Terminals: KCOD, KCPR, KLND, KRIW, and KWRL:

Widely scattered thunderstorms are expected to continue to develop
this afternoon over and near the mountains and push southeast into
much of the basins. This activity is expected to diminish between
01Z and 03Z, except perhaps some lingering activity over the far
east until 04Z or 05Z. All terminals could be impacted by the
convection this afternoon and evening. Except for brief MVFR/IFR
with convection the main issue will be very gusty winds. Another
round of widely scattered afternoon and evening convection is
expected Sunday, but the coverage is expected to be more isolated
than what occurs today.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued AT 200 PM MDT Sat Aug 1 2020

This afternoon and evening, widely scattered thunderstorms are
expected along and east of the Divide, while very isolated
thunderstorms could occur over western Wyoming. The far southwest
will remain dry. Another round of thunderstorms are again expected
along and east of the Divide on Sunday. Although relative humidity
will be near or exceed critical fire weather thresholds in many
lower elevations today and Sunday, winds will be light except
near any thunderstorms.

&&

.RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&

SHORT TERM...Murrell
LONG TERM...McDonald
AVIATION...Murrell
FIRE WEATHER...Murrell
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 1, 3:28 PM MDT, 1 hour before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 1, 3:07 PM MDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Riverton WY
307 PM MDT Sat Aug 1 2020

WYZ008-012145-
Bighorn Mountains West-
307 PM MDT Sat Aug 1 2020

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN BIG HORN AND
NORTHEASTERN WASHAKIE COUNTIES UNTIL 345 PM MDT...

At 306 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a thunderstorm near
Cloud Peak, which is 21 miles northeast of Ten Sleep, moving south at
10 mph.

Pea size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.

This thunderstorm will be near...Meadowlark Lake around 345
PM MDT.

Other locations impacted by this storm include Leigh Creek
Campground.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Occasional cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this
storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek
a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

&&

LAT...LON 4418 10707 4416 10707 4414 10704 4412 10705
      4410 10705 4406 10733 4434 10734 4435 10720
TIME...MOT...LOC 2106Z 354DEG 9KT 4431 10725

Lipson
Special weather statement, Aug 1, 3:17 PM MDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Riverton WY
317 PM MDT Sat Aug 1 2020

WYZ002-003-012145-
Cody Foothills-Absaroka Mountains-
317 PM MDT Sat Aug 1 2020

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN PARK COUNTY UNTIL
345 PM MDT...

At 316 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 16
miles west of Meeteetse, moving east at 20 mph.

Pea size hail and winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with
this storm.

This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of southeastern Park
County, including the following locations... Sunshine Reservoir.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.

&&

LAT...LON 4416 10875 4399 10884 4399 10892 4395 10891
      4394 10890 4395 10889 4394 10887 4392 10887
      4392 10890 4408 10934 4425 10926
TIME...MOT...LOC 2116Z 290DEG 16KT 4414 10921

TL
Special weather statement, Aug 1, 3:45 PM MDT, 43 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Local storm report, Aug 1, 3:57 PM MDT, 31 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Special weather statement, Aug 1, 4:17 PM MDT, 11 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Special weather statement, Aug 1, 4:24 PM MDT, 4 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

The office that day

Everything else NWS Riverton, WY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 1, 1:20 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementRIWJohnson25 min
Aug 1, 1:50 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementRIWJohnson40 min
Aug 1, 2:28 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRIWJohnson32 min
Aug 1, 2:58 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementRIWNatrona47 min
Aug 1, 3:07 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementRIWJohnson38 min
Aug 1, 3:17 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementRIW28 min
Aug 1, 3:21 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRIWNatrona24 min
Aug 1, 3:45 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementRIWNatrona30 min
Aug 1, 4:01 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRIWNatrona29 min
Aug 1, 4:17 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementRIWNatrona28 min
Aug 1, 4:24 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementRIWBig Horn36 min
Aug 1, 4:54 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementRIWNatrona36 min
Aug 1, 5:10 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementRIWWashakie50 min
Aug 1, 5:21 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRIWBig Horn, Washakie24 min
Aug 1, 5:47 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementRIWWashakie43 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wyoming, 2020Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2020

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.