Sustained southwest wind of 40 to 60 mph was recorded at several locations across western and central Wyoming. Localized gusts of around 70 mph were also observed.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
Sustained southwest wind of 40 to 60 mph was recorded at several locations across western and central Wyoming. Localized gusts of around 70 mph were also observed. The strong wind occurred in advance of a vigorous cold front which moved south from Montana during the day on Tuesday, January 15. Some of the stronger winds occurred along Interstate 80 near Green River where an automated station recorded sustained wind of 52 mph with gusts of 70 mph.
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 Jan 14, 3:31 PM MST, 9 hours 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 331 PM MST MON JAN 14 2008 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY LARGE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE NAM12 AND THE GFS/ECMWF TODAY. SIDED STRONGLY TOWARDS THE GFS/ECMWF WITH THE AFTERNOON PACKAGE. THE GFS AND ECMWF SHOW MUCH MORE DIGGING WITH THE TROUGH LATER TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY AND THIS IS SUPPORTED BY LATEST SATELLITE TRENDS. EVENING CREW CAN GIVE THE LATEST MODELS ANOTHER LOOK-SEE AND HIT THIS STORM HARDER YET IF NEED BE. BASED ON THE 18Z RUN OF THE GFS...WE ARE STILL LIKELY UNDERDOING SOME OF THE POPS. WE MAY YET NEED TO HIT MORE AREAS WITH LIKELY POPS DURING THE DAY TUESDAY AND INTO TUESDAY EVENING. JET STREAK DYNAMICS COULD ALSO COME BRIEFLY INTO PLAY EAST OF THE DIVIDE DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. ITS A RATHER TRICKY FORECAST BASED ON THE SPEED OF THE FRONT...ITS SHARPNESS AND THE STRONG POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WINDS AHEAD OF IT. WE COULD TRANSITION RATHER RAPIDLY FROM A RELATIVELY MILD...HIGH WIND EVENT TO SHARPLY COLDER WITH STRONG NORTH WINDS AND SNOW. IF THE GFS TIMING HOLDS...THE FRONT MAY BE THROUGH THE ERN ZONES BEFORE THE HIGH WIND WARNING EXPIRES. GFS TRYING TO INDICATE A SECONDARY SHORTWAVE COMING DOWN FROM THE NORTH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT WHILE THE NAM12 IS BONE DRY. HAVE LEANED TOWARDS THE HIGHER POPS UP NORTH FOR AT LEAST THE HIGH COUNTRY...ESPECIALLY THE BIG HORNS. BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES WILL BE BLOWN IN WITH THIS SYSTEM AND OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE DRIVEN BY CLEAR AREAS TUESDAY NIGHT VS AREAS WHERE LOW CLOUDS LINGER. HAVE TRENDED TEMPERATURES DOWN IN MANY AREAS OF THE WEST WITH THE GREATEST CHANGE WHERE THE SKY MAY CLEAR OFF. WEAKER SHORTWAVES IN A GENERAL ISENTROPIC/WARM ADVECTION PATTERN DEVELOPS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE LIGHT SNOW EAST OF THE DIVIDE...MAINLY IN AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS AND PERHAPS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO LIKELY RETURN TO THE WIND CORRIDOR AND CODY FOOTHILLS WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN ADVANCE OF THIS PATTERN CHANGE. THIS WILL ALSO HAVE TO BE WATCHED FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF HIGH WINDS EVEN WITH MORE NW FLOW ALOFT. .LONG TERM...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY WILL BE DOMINATED BY NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE AREA...WITH STRONG RIDGING ALONG 135W AND A LONGWAVE TROUGH ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY. THIS FLOW WILL BE CONDUCIVE FOR LIGHT TO MODERATE OROGRAPHIC SNOW...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. IN ADDITION...A WEAK CLIPPER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA LATE THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT...BRINGING A SLIGHT REINFORCEMENT OF COLD AIR INTO THE AREA...AND ENHANCING THE SNOW...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE BIGHORN MTS...WHERE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW COULD OCCUR. THE NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE EXTENDED...WITH A DECENT SHORTWAVE TROUGH AFFECTING THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY TIME FRAME...WITH THE 00Z GFS MORE PROGRESSIVE AND FASTER THAN THE 00Z ECMWF. HAVE BROAD BRUSHED POPS DUE TO TIMING ISSUES...BUT HIT SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT THE HARDEST RIGHT NOW. THE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TROUGH...WILL BRING YET ANOTHER REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR. THUS...BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE EXTENDED TIME FRAME. SATURDAY COULD BE THE CLOSEST DAY TO NORMAL...AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT. && .AVIATION... WIDESPREAD VFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING AS NEXT SYSTEM CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE AREA. THE NORTHWEST WILL SEE LOWERING CLOUD DECKS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...AND LIGHT SNOW ACTIVITY BY 12Z TUESDAY. LOWERING CLOUD DECKS AND SNOWFALL WILL SPREAD SOUTH AND EAST THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON TUESDAY. THIS WILL CAUSE PERIODS OF MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS OVER KJAC AFTER 12Z TUESDAY. AS SNOW BECOMES MORE WIDESPREAD...PERIODS OF MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE MAJORITY OF WYOMING AFTER 19Z TUESDAY. && .FIRE WEATHER... VERY STRONG TO HIGH WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST WYOMING LATER THIS EVENING INTO TUESDAY BEFORE A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES ACROSS THE AREA ON TUESDAY BRINGING AREAS OF SNOW AND STRONG WIND. BITTER COLD AIR WILL BE USHERED IN BEHIND THIS COLD FRONT WITH STRONG TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS DEVELOPING IN MANY BASINS AND VALLEYS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY MORNING. MORE WIND WILL LIKELY DEVELOP FROM NORTHEAST OR RKS TO CPR WEDNESDAY AND IN THE CODY FOOTHILLS. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM MST TUESDAY FOR WYZ002. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 3 PM MST TUESDAY FOR WYZ019-020. HIGH WIND WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR WYZ015. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 AM MST TUESDAY FOR WYZ003. && SHORT TERM...SKRBAC LONG TERM...WM AVIATION...BRANHAM FIRE WEATHER...SKRBAC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 312 PM MST MON JAN 14 2008 WYZ001>020-022>030-151200- 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- 312 PM MST MON JAN 14 2008 ...HIGH WIND WARNING LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS... ...HIGH WIND WARNING LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH 8 AM TUESDAY MORNING FOR THE CODY FOOTHILLS... ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR SOUTHEAST FREMONT COUNTY AND THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF NATRONA COUNTY FROM LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH 3 PM TUESDAY... ...HIGH WIND WATCH FOR THE EAST SLOPE OF THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS LATE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT VERY STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN THE HIGH WIND WARNING AREAS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST WYOMING LATER TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY. WIND SPEEDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 65 MPH ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS IN THIS AREA WITH SPEEDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 75 MPH ALONG THE EAST SLOPE OF THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS. SOME TOWNS INCLUDED IN THE WARNING AREA INCLUDE...CASPER...JEFFREY CITY... SWEETWATER STATION...CODY...CLARK AND THE CHIEF JOSEPH HIGHWAY. A HIGH WIND WATCH ALSO CONTINUES FOR THE EAST SLOPE OF THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS FOR LATE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. THIS HIGH WIND WATCH HAS BEEN DELAYED INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS BUT THE POTENTIAL IS STILL THERE FOR A HIGH WIND EVENT. STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS ON THIS POTENTIAL WEATHER HAZARD. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY THE THREAT OF HIGH WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY MORNING ACROSS THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS AND CODY FOOTHILLS AND THROUGH THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON ALONG THE EAST SLOPE OF THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS FROM THE GREEN MOUNTAINS TO CASPER AREA. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL LIKELY PRODUCE A QUICK SHOT OF AROUND 2 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOWFALL TUESDAY EVENING FROM THE GREEN MOUNTAINS TO CASPER. STRONG NORTH WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WILL LIKELY PRODUCE AREAS OF SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IN THESE AREAS REDUCING THE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH. 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 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, January 2008
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: 65693, 65692, 65694, 65696, 65697, 65695.