Wyoming, 2008

Extreme Cold in Wyoming, December 15, 2008

December 15, 2008 · NWS CYS · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A very cold arctic airmass and some wind combined to produce very cold wind chills over some parts of southeast Wyoming.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS CYS wrote it up.

A very cold arctic airmass and some wind combined to produce very cold wind chills over some parts of southeast Wyoming.

What forecasters said that day

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 Cheyenne, WY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 14, 11:40 PM MST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 14, 11:40 PM MST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 14, 11:43 PM MST, 1 hour 17 minutes before
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      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
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        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Cheyenne Foothills

When
December 15, 1:00 AM MST to 7:53 AM MST
Where
Cheyenne Foothills forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways

Wind chills as low as 34 degrees below zero recorded around Cheyenne, WY.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Converse

When
December 15, 5:53 AM MST
Where
Converse forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
43.841, -104.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills as low as 31 degrees below zero recorded at Douglas, WY.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Goshen

When
December 15, 6:53 AM MST
Where
Goshen forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

Wind chills as low as 36 degrees below zero recorded at Torrington, WY.

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wyoming in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, December 2008

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 140634, 140632, 140633.