A strong mountain wave produced damaging west wind over the Absaroka Mountains and adjacent Cody Foothills during the overnight hours of November 12 and 13. Another mountain wave developed along and in the lee of the Bighorn Mountains early on the 13th.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS RIW wrote it up.
A strong mountain wave produced damaging west wind over the Absaroka Mountains and adjacent Cody Foothills during the overnight hours of November 12 and 13. Another mountain wave developed along and in the lee of the Bighorn Mountains early on the 13th. Strong west to southwest wind also occurred across favored locations in central Wyoming in response to a strengthening surface pressure gradient.
Frequent wind gusts of 50 mph or more were recorded at many sites. Locations in Park, Johnson, Natrona, and Fremont counties observed winds in excess of 75 mph. About seven miles northeast of Cody the strong wind was able to move an open-sided 50x12x10-foot shed 20 feet from its foundation. Some notable wind gusts were 91 mph at School House RAWS in the Bighorn Mountains at 5:49 p.m. MST on the 12th and 127 mph on Chief Joseph Pass at 9:33 p.m. MST on the 12th.
In addition, more than 75 firefighters battled a wildfire near Clark where wind speeds were estimated to be gusting over 75 mph. The fire stretched for about two miles along Line Creek. One firefighter said rocks up to the size of golf balls were being thrown by the wind even shattering the back window of a fire engine. One cabin was destroyed, two outbuildings were consumed by flames, and one car and a horse trailer were lost. Many homes were evacuated during the blaze which started about 7:00 p.m. Monday the 12th and was not completely extinguished until around noon on Tuesday.
The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Nov 12, 3:24 PM MST, 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 324 PM MST MON NOV 12 2007 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT IMPRESSIVE 200-300 MB 100 TO 130 KT JET SWEEPS OUT OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ACROSS MONTANA AND NORTHERN WYOMING TONIGHT WITH HIGH WIND EXPECTED TO BREAK OUT ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS WITH THE ABSAROKAS DEVELOPING FIRST THEN SPREADING SOUTH AND EAST TO THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS AND THE BIGHORN MOUNTAINS ALONG WITH HIGH WIND DEVELOPING THROUGH THE WIND CORRIDOR. HAVE UPGRADED HIGH WIND WATCH TO A HIGH WIND WARNING. NAM12 WINDS TOO HIGH BUT SHOW THE THREAT IN ALL AREAS IN THE WARNING AND HAS BEEN CONSISTENT. 4KM WRF NMM SHOWS DECENT MOUNTAIN WAVE SIGNATURES OVER THE EAST SLOPES OF THE THREE MOUNTAIN RANGES IN THE WARNING. BIG QUESTIONS ON HOW FAR FROM THE MOUNTAIN BASES WILL THE WINDS EXTEND. AREAS AT MOST THREAT NOT IN THE WARNING ARE LANDER AND BUFFALO. THIS HAS BEEN THE MAIN FOCUS...HOWEVER SNOW WILL MOVE INTO THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT AND HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR 5 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW...AN MAY BE HIGHER WHICH WOULD THROUGH THEM INTO ADVISORY CRITERIA. WITH THE STRONG DOWNSLOPE WIND...TEMPERATURES WILL WARM SIGNIFICANTLY. COLDER AIR MOVES IN BEHIND THE TROUGH WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. .LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY EXTENDED PERIOD HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE AN ACTIVE ONE IF THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE CORRECT. FLAT RIDGE IS EXPECTED OVER THE AREA INTO THE WEEKEND WITH A SERIES OF EMBEDDED SHORTWAVES CREATING THE SETUP FOR MOIST ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE ACROSS THE WEST. FLOW COULD BECOME EVEN STRONG AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK WITH STRONG OROGRAPHICS AND POTENTIAL STRONGER SHORTWAVE IMPACTING THE WEST. THIS PATTERN WOULD ALSO PRODUCE WINDY CONDITIONS AT TIMES IN THE MOUNTAINS...FOOTHILLS AND WIND CORRIDOR FROM NEAR RKS TO CPR. MOST OF THE PERIOD HAS CHANCE POPS IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS. THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD ACTUALLY LOOKS THE DRIEST AS THE AREA LOOKS TO BE IN BETWEEN SYSTEMS. HAVE TRIMMED BACK POPS TO JUST SLIGHT CHANCES IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS FOR THURSDAY. NO SIGNIFICANT COLD AIR IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA UNTIL PERHAPS THE END OF THIS PERIOD OR JUST BEYOND. && .AVIATION... LARGE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OFF THE NORTHWEST COAST WILL MOVE NORTH OF WYOMING TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. STRONG SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE LOW PRESSURE AREA TONIGHT...ALLOWING SOUTHWEST WINDS TO REMAIN IN THE 12-20 KT RANGE OVERNIGHT WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 KT AT KCOD AND KCPR. CORE OF STRONGEST UPPER LEVEL WINDS WILL CROSS THE REGION BETWEEN 09Z AND 15Z WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 KT AT KCOD AND WIND GUSTS 25 TO 30 KT AT THE REMAINING TAF SITES. PRECIPITATION WITH THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MAINLY AFFECT WESTERN WYOMING WITH IFR CEILING CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT KJAC IN LIGHT RAIN AND SNOW BETWEEN 18Z AND 22Z. && .FIRE WEATHER... STRONG WIND AND LOW HUMIDITY WILL BE OBSERVED OVER AND NEAR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. HIGH WIND WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WITH GUSTS OF 60 TO 75 MPH ARE EXPECTED. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 PM MST TUESDAY FOR WYZ002. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 2 AM TO 5 PM MST TUESDAY FOR WYZ019-020. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 PM MST TUESDAY FOR WYZ003-009-015. && SHORT TERM...C.BAKER LONG TERM...SKRBAC AVIATION...SMITH FIRE WEATHER...C.BAKER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 525 AM MST MON NOV 12 2007 WYZ001>020-022>030-131200- ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS-BIGHORN MOUNTAINS SOUTHEAST- BIGHORN MOUNTAINS WEST-CASPER MOUNTAIN-CODY FOOTHILLS- EAST SWEETWATER COUNTY-FLAMING GORGE- GREEN MOUNTAINS AND RATTLESNAKE RANGE-JACKSON HOLE-LANDER FOOTHILLS- NATRONA COUNTY LOWER ELEVATIONS-NORTH BIG HORN BASIN- NORTHEAST JOHNSON COUNTY-OWL CREEK AND BRIDGER MOUNTAINS- ROCK SPRINGS AND GREEN RIVER-SALT RIVER AND WYOMING RANGES- SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY-SOUTHEAST BIG HORN BASIN- SOUTHEAST JOHNSON COUNTY-SOUTHWEST BIG HORN BASIN-STAR VALLEY- TETON AND GROS VENTRE MOUNTAINS-UPPER GREEN RIVER BASIN- UPPER GREEN RIVER BASIN FOOTHILLS-UPPER WIND RIVER BASIN- WIND RIVER BASIN-WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS EAST-WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS WEST- YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK- 525 AM MST MON NOV 12 2007 ...HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS FROM 8 PM MST THIS EVENING THROUGH 5 PM MST TUESDAY... ...HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE BIGHORN AND WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS AND CODY FOOTHILLS FROM MIDNIGHT UNTIL 5 PM MST TUESDAY... ...HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE GREEN MOUNTAINS AND RATTLESNAKE RANGE FROM 2 AM MST TONIGHT THROUGH 5 PM MST TUESDAY... ...HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE NATRONA COUNTY FROM 5 AM MST TUESDAY THROUGH 5 PM MST TUESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT CLEARING SKIES THIS MORNING WILL BRING THE POSSIBILITY OF PATCHY FOG ACROSS THE NORTHWEST THIS MORNING...ESPECIALLY AROUND JACKSON AND LOW LYING AREAS OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. THIS FOG MAY CREATES AREAS OF LIMITED VISIBILITIES THROUGH THE MID MORNING HOURS. STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS IN RESPONSE TO A TIGHTENED PRESSURE GRADIENT. THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS MAY SEE WIND SPEEDS OF 50 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 75 MPH AFTER 8 PM THIS EVENING. THESE STRONG WINDS WILL SPREAD EAST DURING THE EVENING...AND WILL IMPACT THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE BIGHORN AND WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS AFTER MIDNIGHT. ADDITIONALLY...STRONG WINDS OF 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH MAY OCCUR IN THE CODY FOOTHILLS AFTER MIDNIGHT. CONTINUING TO SPREAD SOUTHEAST...THE GREEN MOUNTAIN AND RATTLESNAKE RANGE MAY SEE WINDS OF 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH AFTER 2 AM MST...WHICH MAY SPREAD INTO NATRONA COUNTY AFTER 5 AM MST. STRONG WINDS MAY MAKE FOR HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. MOTORISTS WILL WANT TO USE EXTREME CAUTION IF HIGH WINDS ARE ENCOUNTERED DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY...AND MAY PERSIST UNTIL THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WEAKENS TUESDAY EVENING. MOTORISTS WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO USE CAUTION IF STRONG WINDS ARE ENCOUNTERED ON ROADWAYS...ESPECIALLY THOSE DRIVING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. AN UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN WILL BRING A CHANCE OF VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW AT TIMES TO THE FAR WEST FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES WILL START OUT RATHER MILD BUT BEGIN TO TURN COLDER LATE IN THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE MILDER TEMPERATURES MAY KEEP THE SNOW IN THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS AROUND MIDWEEK BEFORE SNOW LEVELS BEGIN TO DROP LATER IN THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO STRONG WIND SPEEDS OVERNIGHT AND TUESDAY. THANK YOU. TEAM RIVERTON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, November 2007
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 61419, 61338, 61429, 61360, 61434, 61433.