Southwest wind intensified ahead of a powerful Pacific storm and associated cold front as they progressed inland. Sustained wind speeds were routinely clocked at over 40 mph with gusts over 60 mph at several locations.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
Southwest wind intensified ahead of a powerful Pacific storm and associated cold front as they progressed inland. Sustained wind speeds were routinely clocked at over 40 mph with gusts over 60 mph at several locations. An observation point on Beaver Rim had sustained wind over 40 mph for more than four hours. The strongest gust was recorded at the Buffalo ASOS where a peak of 76 mph occurred at 1557MST. Other notable gusts were 66 mph at the Casper/Natrona County International Airport, 74 mph at Fales Rock RAWS, and 62 mph on I-25 20 miles north of Casper. The wind was strong enough to topple one semi-truck about four miles west of Jeffrey City on U.S. Highway 287 and another vehicle on Wyoming Boulevard near Casper.
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 27, 3:10 AM MST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 310 AM MST SUN JAN 27 2008 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT WINDS HAVE BEEN INCREASING OVER SOUTHEAST FREMONT AND NATRONA COUNTIES THIS EVENING AND MORNING. CASPER AIRPORT REPORTING HIGH WINDS AT 07Z THIS MORNING WITH 36KT SUSTAINED. 13MB GRADIENT BETWEEN KRKS AND KGCC. OTHER AREAS HAVE PICKED UP SOME WIND AS WELL BUT NO WHERES NEAR AS STRONG. A LITTLE FOG HAS FORMED IN THE UPPER GREEN BASIN ONCE AGAIN. MAJOR WINTER STORM STILL ON TRACK FOR TODAY THROUGH MONDAY BRINGING SIGNIFICANT WIND TO MUCH OF THE AREA AND SNOW TO THE WEST. TWO SYSTEMS TO COMBINE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. THE FIRST IS THE UPPER LOW OFF THE CANADIAN COAST WITH GOOD SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE PLUME. AND THE SECOND IS A COLD UPPER LOW SPINNING OFF THE CENTRAL BRITISH COLUMBIA COAST. THE CA LOW WILL BECOME DEFORMED TODAY AS IT GETS CAUGHT IN THE CIRCULATION OF THE BC LOW. AS IT DOES...IT ACCELERATES NORTHEAST TODAY BRINGING GOOD JET AND SOME BAROCLINIC DYNAMICS AS WELL AS COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE. THIS SYSTEM SHEARS ACROSS THE ROCKIES TONIGHT. THE SNOW MOVES INTO SOUTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY BY LATE MORNING...THEN REMAINDER OF THE WEST IN THE AFTERNOON. NEXT COMES THE BC LOW WHICH BRINGS IN GOOD BAROCLINIC LEAF AND JET DYNAMICS. WITH PLENTY OF MOISTURE STILL IN PLACE... EXPECT TO SEE SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO POSSIBLY 2 INCHES PER HOUR FOR SEVERAL HOURS LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING. EXPECT BY 18Z MONDAY...10 TO 20 INCHES IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS...AND 6 TO 12 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS AND NORTHERN UPPER GREEN RIVER BASIN. WILL UPGRADE WINTER STORM WATCHES TO WARNINGS...VALID NOON TODAY THROUGH NOON MONDAY. ALSO...WILL HOIST AN ADVISORY FOR THE ABSAROKAS WITH THE SAME VALID TIME. COLD FRONT TO MOVE INTO NORTHERN WYOMING LATE MONDAY MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON WITH THE SNOW MOVING INTO THE BIGHORNS AND JOHNSON COUNTY...AND POSSIBLY INTO THE BIG HORN BASIN. THE SNOW THEN LOOKS TO MOVE INTO NATRONA COUNTY BY LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. EXPECT 1 TO 3 INCHES IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH UP TO 5 INCHES IN THE BIGHORNS. VERY WINDY CONDITIONS WILL ACCOMPANY THIS STORM. STRONG SOUTHWEST GRADIENT CONTINUES AT SURFACE AND H7. H7 WINDS SHOWING 60+ KTS THERE... WHICH IS HIGHLY FAVORABLE FOR HIGH WINDS OVER THE GREEN MOUNTAINS THROUGH NATRONA COUNTY. THE GRADIENT LOOKS TO EXTEND THROUGH 12Z MONDAY AT LEAST SO HAVE EXTENDED THE WARNING UNTIL THEN. THE MOUNTAINS WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE THE WINDS AND EXPECT SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING OVER THE WEST...INCLUDING THE VALLEYS. EXPECT MUCH OF THE AREA TO BECOME WINDY TO VERY WINDY BY THIS AFTERNOON... CONTINUING TONIGHT INTO MONDAY AS THE STORM MOVES THROUGH. VERY COLD AIR MOVES IN WITH THIS TROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. TRANSITORY RIDGE BUILDS IN BEHIND THE DEPARTING TROUGH...WITH DECENT WARM AIR ADVECTION PICKING UP TUESDAY. WITH THIS...EXPECT ISENTROPIC SNOWS TO INCREASE TUESDAY IN THE WEST WITH NOT MUCH OF A BREAK BETWEEN THE SYSTEMS. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY EXTENDED FORECAST REMAINS VERY PROGRESSIVE AND UNSETTLED WITH A SERIES OF RAPIDLY MOVING SHORT WAVE LOW PRESSURE TROUGHS EJECTING EAST TROUGH A RATHER COMPLEX LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC AND WESTERN U.S. SIGNIFICANT SPREAD DEVELOPS IN THE ENSEMBLES AS EARLY AS WEDNESDAY AND BECOMES PROGRESSIVELY LARGER OVER THE WESTERN U.S. WITH OTHER LARGE SPREADS DEVELOPING IN THE GULF OF ALASKA AS WELL AS OVER THE HUDSON BAY AREA IN CANADA. OVERALL WESTERLY FLOW SHOULD RESULT BUT THE TIMING OF SHORT WAVE RIDGES AND TROUGHS AND THEIR IMPACT ON PRECIPITATION/CLEARING PERIODS SEEMS BEYOND THE ABILITY OF RESOLUTION WITH THE MODELS AT THIS TIME. OVERALL EXTENDED FORECAST KEEPS PRECIPITATION CHANCES HIGHEST IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND LOWEST IN THE LEE OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. MODEL TEMPERATURES REMAIN ON THE COOL SIDE BUT THE IMPACT OF CLOUD COVER...PRECIPITATION AND MIXING DUE TO PERIODS OF STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS WILL LIKELY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON DAILY HIGHS AND LOWS AND WILL LIKELY CAUSE A MUCH GREATER DAY TO DAY CHANGE IN TEMPERATURES THAN IS CURRENTLY DEPICTED IN THE FORECAST OR IN THE VARIOUS MODEL OUTPUT. FAIR CONFIDENCE WITH HIGH PROBABILITY OF PRECIPITATION IN THE WEST ON FRIDAY WHEN ADVISORY TO LOW END WARNING SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE...THEN THE CONFIDENCE IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST DECREASES RAPIDLY THROUGH SUNDAY. && .AVIATION... CLOUD HEIGHTS WILL BE LOWERING OVER WESTERN WY TODAY WITH MVFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING BY 19Z. SNOW WILL BE DEVELOPING IN THE WEST TODAY WITH IFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS OCCURRING AFTER 19Z AND CONTINUING THROUGH 06Z MONDAY. WINDY AREAS WILL ALSO OCCUR IN THE WEST. EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL TODAY AND THIS EVENING WITH GUSTY WIND SPEEDS AT MANY LOCATIONS. KCPR WILL SEE THE HIGHEST WIND SPEEDS AND GUSTS. && .FIRE WEATHER... MAJOR STORM SYSTEM TO BRING SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL TO THE WEST AND VERY WINDY CONDITIONS TO THE ENTIRE AREA TODAY THROUGH MONDAY. WINTER STORM WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE WEST FROM NOON TODAY THROUGH NOON MONDAY. EXPECT 10 TO 20 INCHES OF SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH 6 TO 12 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS. COLD FRONT TO BRING THE SNOW TO THE NORTH MONDAY AFTERNOON. WINDY CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. LIGHT SNOW WILL LIKELY CONTINUE IN THE WEST MOUNTAINS MONDAY NIGHT AND BEGIN INCREASING TUESDAY AS THE NEXT SYSTEM MOVES IN. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST MONDAY FOR WYZ019-020. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 12 PM MST MONDAY FOR WYZ001-012>015-023>025-027. SNOW ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 12 PM MST MONDAY FOR WYZ002. && SHORT TERM...TWB LONG TERM...C.BAKER AVIATION...AR FIRE WEATHER...TWB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 501 AM MST SUN JAN 27 2008 WYZ001>020-022>030-281201- 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- 501 AM MST SUN JAN 27 2008 ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE GREEN AND RATTLESNAKE MOUNTAINS AND THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF NATRONA COUNTY THROUGH 5 AM MONDAY... ...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR MOST OF WESTERN WYOMING AND THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS 12 PM TODAY THROUGH 12 PM MONDAY... ...SNOW ADVISORY FOR THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS 12 PM TODAY THROUGH 12 PM MONDAY... .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG WINDS TONIGHT TO NATRONA AND SOUTHEAST FREMONT COUNTIES. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH ARE EXPECTED THROUGH 5 AM MONDAY MORNING. THE STORM WILL ALSO BRING SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL TO WESTERN WYOMING AND THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH NOON MONDAY. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AND 10 TO 20 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS. ALSO...VERY WINDY CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR...CAUSING SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS REGARDING THIS STORM SYSTEM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY IT WILL REMAIN VERY WINDY MONDAY AND THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE. THE SNOW WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTH WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES POSSIBLE IN JOHNSON AND NATRONA COUNTIES WITH UP TO 5 INCHES IN THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT WINDS IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH...AND SNOWFALL. THANK YOU. TEAM RIVERTON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 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: 67245, 67244, 67243.