S. Highway 287 and surrounding areas of Fremont and Natrona counties.
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.
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.
Gusty southwest wind of 40 to 45 mph with gusts up to 73 mph materialized along U.S. Highway 287 and surrounding areas of Fremont and Natrona counties. A strong pressure gradient across Wyoming led to the development of the hazardous wind.
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 8, 2:35 AM MST, 7 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 235 AM MST TUE JAN 8 2008 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT RIDGE ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES THIS MORNING WILL FLATTEN OUT QUICKLY TODAY...AS A WELL DEFINED TROUGH MOVES INTO THE PAC NW THIS MORNING AND IS FOLLOWED BY A FAIRLY STRONG NEGATIVELY TILTED TROUGH OFF THE COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA WHICH WILL DIG INTO THE PAC NW THIS AFTERNOON. THE FIRST TROUGH WILL MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE GREAT BASIN...WHILE THE TRAILING TROUGH WILL MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS THE INTERIOR NW TOWARD THE NORTHERN ROCKIES TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE INTERACTION OF THESE SYSTEMS WILL RESULT IN A STRONG ZONAL FLOW ALOFT AND INCREASING PAC MOISTURE ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. GFS AND NAM INDICATE THAT ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL DEVELOP ACROSS WESTERN WY AFTER 18Z TODAY...CAUSING LIGHT SNOW TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAIN RANGES. SNOW WILL BEGIN FALLING IN THE WESTERN VALLEYS DURING THE EVENING HOURS AND WILL BECOME MODERATE TO HEAVY IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...AS THE ISENTROPIC LIFT INTENSIFIES AND CONTINUES THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. A SNOW ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE TETON...GROS VENTRE...WYOMING AND SALT RANGES FOR 8-12 INCHES OF SNOW FROM 18Z TODAY THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY. SNOW AMOUNTS IN THE WESTERN VALLEYS APPEAR TO BE BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA AT THIS TIME...BUT WILL HAVE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION AS NEW DATA BECOME AVAILABLE. IT WILL REMAIN DRY EAST OF THE DIVIDE TODAY WITH HIGHS BELOW NORMAL. AS A PRONOUNCED LEE SURFACE TROUGH FORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...SOUTHWEST WINDS FROM SWEETWATER COUNTY NORTHEASTWARD TO NATRONA COUNTY WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 KT WITH GUSTS TO 35 KT. THE TROUGH AXIS WILL MOVE ACROSS WY WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AND A SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE STATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING. NORTHWEST FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BRING SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS TO THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND THE BIGHORNS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS TO THE REST OF THE REGION EAST OF THE DIVIDE WEDNESDAY EVENING. COLDER TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR THURSDAY AS A SHORTWAVE RIDGE MOVES ACROSS WY. THIS RIDGE WILL BREAK DOWN RAPIDLY THURSDAY AFTERNOON...AS STRONG ZONAL FLOW ALOFT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE PAC NW INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. A 110+ KT H25 JET EXTENDING FROM NORTHERN CA INTO CENTRAL CO AND STRONG WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT LATE THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT WILL BRING MORE PAC MOISTURE AND STRONG ISENTROPIC LIFT INTO WESTERN WY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL IN THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. .LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NEAR -30C H5 COLD POOL ALOFT TO LINGER OVER THE AREA FRIDAY WITH SNOW BECOMING MORE SHOWERY OVER WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS FRIDAY MORNING...DECREASING WITH NIGHTFALL FRIDAY EVENING. UPPER RIDGE AND DRY...MUCH MORE STABLE AIRMASS WILL PUSH ACROSS AREA SATURDAY MORNING. MEDIUM-RANGE MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT UP TO THIS TIME AND THEN BEGAN TO SHOW INCREASING SPREAD ESPECIALLY BY TUESDAY. FORECAST WEIGHTED TOWARD GFS MORE PROGRESSIVE LESS AMPLIFIED SOLUTION WHICH WOULD BE MORE OF A CONTINUATION OF CURRENT PATTERN RATHER THAN THE MAJOR CHANGES REFLECTED BY THE EC BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. SO CONTINUING INTO SATURDAY NIGHT...GFS SHOWS WEAK CLIPPER SYSTEM MOVING OVER UPPER RIDGE CENTERED OVER THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST THAT WILL BRING INCREASING CHANCES OF SNOWFALL TO MAINLY THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS THROUGH SUNDAY. UPSTREAM UPPER RIDGE THEN PUSHES EASTWARD INTO WYOMING MONDAY WITH A STRONGER CLIPPER SYSTEM DIVING DOWN INTO NORTHERN PLAINS MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO BE A CHALLENGE IN THIS PATTERN WITH THE WESTERN VALLEYS AND WIND RIVER BASIN EXPERIENCING BETTER MIXING AND MORE MODERATE TEMPERATURES WITH COLDER MORE UNSTABLE AIR ALOFT ON FRIDAY WHILE WHILE TEMPERATURES COOL AT RIDGE TOP LEVEL AND OVER THE BETTER MIXED LESS SNOW COVERED NORTHERN BASINS. GFS THEN SHOWS STRONG WARM AIR ADVECTION AT H7 BY MONDAY WHICH WILL LIKELY RESULT IN STRONG INVERSIONS...LESS MIXING OVER WESTERN VALLEYS AND WIND RIVER BASIN WHILE THE BETTER MIXED AREAS SHOULD SEE ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES TO START THE WEEK. && .AVIATION... IR SATELLITE INDICATING WARMING CLOUD TOPS ACROSS WESTERN WYOMING EARLY THIS MORNING AS TRANSIENT SHORT WAVE RIDGE PROGRESSES EAST FROM IDAHO. HAVE CUT BACK ON EARLY MORNING CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION AT TAF SITES WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AS ANTICYCLONIC FLOW BECOMES MORE PREVALENT. TIMEFRAME OF 12Z-18Z/TUESDAY TO BE DRY AS RIDGE PROGRESSES ACROSS WESTERN WYOMING. MOISTURE FROM NEXT SYSTEM WILL BEGIN AFFECTING KJAC TAF AFTER 20Z/TUESDAY. HOWEVER...BETTER CHANCE OF ACCUMULATING SNOW IN KJAC WILL COME AFTER 00Z/WEDNESDAY AND MORE LIKELY BEYOND THE 06Z/WEDNESDAY END TIME OF THIS TAF SET. NOTHING MUCH MORE THAN FLURRIES ANTICIPATED EAST OF THE FAR WEST RANGES AT TAF SITES SUCH AS KBPI...KPNA...AND KRKS FROM AROUND 00Z/WEDNESDAY AND BEYOND. ELSEWHERE...MID CLOUD DECKS SHOULD DEVELOP IN THE LEE OF THE ABSAROKA AND WIND RIVER RANGES BUT THESE AND OTHER TAF SITES WILL SEE VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. ONLY OTHER CONCERN WOULD BE GUSTY SOUTHWEST WIND AT KCPR...BUT FOR THE MOST PART EXPECT WIND GUSTS TO BE FROM 20-30KTS THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .FIRE WEATHER... AN ACTIVE PATTERN IS EXPECTED TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. TWO PACIFIC STORM SYSTEMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHWEST U.S. INTO THE INTERIOR TODAY AND LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND BRING MORE MOISTURE INTO WESTERN WYOMING LATE TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. A MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY IN THE WESTERN VALLEYS. IT WILL REMAIN DRY EAST OF THE DIVIDE TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY ALONG THE I-80 CORRIDOR AND ACROSS NATRONA COUNTY. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON IN THE WEST AND DURING THE EVENING IN CENTRAL WYOMING...AS A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND BEHIND THE COLD FRONT ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SNOW ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR WYZ012-024. && SHORT TERM...SMITH LONG TERM...AEM AVIATION...CNJ FIRE WEATHER...SMITH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 500 AM MST TUE JAN 8 2008 WYZ001>020-022>030-091200- 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- 500 AM MST TUE JAN 8 2008 ...A SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TODAY THROUGH 11 AM WEDNESDAY FOR THE TETON...GROS VENTRE...SALT RIVER AND WYOMING RANGES... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TODAY THROUGH 11 AM WEDNESDAY FOR THE TETON...GROS VENTRE...SALT RIVER AND WYOMING RANGES... A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TODAY AND PUSH EASTWARD INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. PACIFIC MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM WILL BRING SNOWFALL TO WESTERN WYOMING THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH TONIGHT AND WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SNOW WILL TAPER OFF WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON IN WESTERN WYOMING. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS IN THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN WYOMING ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE BETWEEN 8 AND 12 INCHES BY NOON WEDNESDAY. STRONG WESTERLY FLOW WILL DEVELOP THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY NIGHT...BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL TO THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN WYOMING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT ANY SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS. THANK YOU. TEAM RIVERTON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 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: 65636.