An approaching surface cold front and strong westerly flow helped to generate a brief period of high wind over the northern Absaroka Mountains.
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.
An approaching surface cold front and strong westerly flow helped to generate a brief period of high wind over the northern Absaroka Mountains.
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 Mar 23, 8:05 PM MST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 905 PM MDT SUN MAR 23 2008 .UPDATE... WINDS PICKING UP OVER THE GREEN AND RATTLESNAKE RANGES THIS EVENING AS WELL AS AROUND CODY AND CHIEF JOSEPH. MODELS STILL SHOWING HIGH POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WINDS OVER THESE AREAS...SO HAVE UPGRADED WATCH TO WARNING FOR THESE AREAS BEGINNING AT MIDNIGHT. BUMPED UP BEGINNING TIME FOR GREEN MOUNTAINS TO MIDNIGHT AS WELL AS WINDS NEAR HIGH WIND CRITERIA ALREADY AND GO THROUGH 9 PM MONDAY. ABSAROKAS AND CODY FOOTHILLS GO THROUGH NOON. .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY HIGH CLOUDS ON THE INCREASE FROM THE WEST THIS AFTERNOON AS A STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO SOUTHWEST CANADA. THE RIDGE AXIS IS MOVING EAST AND THE FLOW IS TURNING MORE WEST. BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS IN THE HIGH COUNTRY AND IN THE FAVORED AREAS OF SOUTH CENTRAL WY. THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WIND IS A CONCERN IN THE NORTH AND SOUTH CENTRAL THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HAVE POSTED THE WATCHES AND THE NEXT SHIFT CAN EXAMINE THINGS. THE PROGGED UPPER JET POSITION ALONG WITH A TIGHTENING GRADIENT WOULD FAVOR SOME STRONG WIND GUSTS IN THE EXPOSED AREAS OF THE ABSAROKA MTS AND ALONG THE CODY FOOTHILLS. LOCAL MOUNTAIN WAVE PROGS DO NOT SHOW A CLASSIC EVENT REACHING THE GROUND NORTHWEST OF CODY. IN THE GREEN MTS AND RATTLESNAKE RANGE... THE 700MB GRADIENT FAVORS 40 TO 50 MPH SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS ON MONDAY INTO MONDAY EVE. SHOULD SEE GOOD MIXING AND THAT WILL BRING THE WIND DOWN TO THE SURFACE. OTHERWISE DRY TONIGHT WITH SOME LIGHT SNOW DEVELOPING AFTER MIDNIGHT IN THE NW MOUNTAINS. AS THE WEATHER SYSTEM ZIPS ACROSS MONTANA MONDAY...THE MOIST WEST FLOW BRINGS LIGHT SNOW TO THE WESTERN MTS. WILL KEEP SNOW AMOUNTS BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS. SOME RAIN COULD OCCUR IN THE FAR WEST VALLEYS AS TEMPS WARM. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...A DRY AND BREEZY TO WINDY MONDAY EXPECTED WITH MILD TEMPS. THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS EAST OF THE DIVIDE. THE BIGHORN MTS MAY SEE A SHOT OF SNOW WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. SNOW SHOWERS TO CONTINUE IN THE WESTERN MTS MONDAY NIGHT. NAM MODEL INDICATES LESS PRECIP IN THE WESTERN MTS TUESDAY WHILE THE GFS/ECMWF BRING ANOTHER SHORTWAVE INTO THE AREA WHICH WOULD ENHANCE SNOWFALL. WILL KEEP THINGS WET IN THE WEST TUE AND TUE NIGHT. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...MOSTLY DRY AND A LITTLE COOLER ON TUE WITH BREEZY TO WINDY AREAS. MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A STRONGER SYSTEM IMPACTING WESTERN WY ON WED. WILL KEEP THE CURRENT WET FORECAST FOR THE WEST. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON SHOWERS LOOKS OK FOR NOW. WINDY AGAIN FOR MOST PLACES WITH MILD TEMPS EAST OF THE DIVIDE AHEAD OF THE STORM SYSTEM. LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY THE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA...ESPECIALLY FOR WESTERN WYOMING THROUGH THE LONG TERM. WEDNESDAY NIGHT SEEM TO BE THE ACTIVE PERIOD DURING THE LONG TERM FOR THE ENTIRE AREA...AS A STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH IN THE WESTERLY FLOW...AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT PUSH ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. MEDIUM RANGE MODELS INDICATE A STRONG 100-120 KT UPPER JET NOSING INTO THE AREA WHICH SHOULD HELP ENHANCE PRECIPITATION. AFTER WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THE 00Z GFS HAS TRENDED TO A BROAD TROUGH OVER THE REGION FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WITH THE STRONGEST BELT OF WESTERLY FLOW SHIFTING A TAD SOUTH OF THE COWBOY STATE...WHILE THE 00Z ECMWF CONTINUING TO SHOW STRONG ZONAL FLOW OVER THE REGION. THE ECMWF WOULD SUPPORT PRECIPITATION...MAINLY OUT WEST AND MILDER...WITH THE GFS SUPPORTING SOME PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA...WITH A SLIGHTLY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE AS THE GFS IS FORECASTING LIFTED INDEXES OF -1/-2 THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOON. HAVE TRENDED FORECAST A TAD COOLER AND DID NOT MAKE ANY MAJOR CHANGES TO POP FORECAST WAITING TO SEE SOME MORE MODEL CONSISTENCY. BY NEXT WEEKEND...THE INCONSISTENCY OF THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE WITH THE ECMWF SHOWING A DECENT SHORTWAVE TROUGH AFFECTING THE AREA...WHILE THE GFS SHOWS MORE OF ZONAL FLOW. HAVE BROAD BRUSHED POPS WITH AN EMPHASIS OUT WEST FOR NEXT WEEKEND...WITH A WARMING TREND. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE SEASONAL TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE ON WEDNESDAY...WITH TEMPERATURES BELOW AVERAGE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...AND THEN RETURNING TO SEASONAL LEVELS FOR NEXT WEEKEND. AVIATION... SHORTWAVE RIDGE ACROSS THE AREA TODAY PROVIDING ABUNDANT SUNSHINE AND VFR CONDITIONS. MID-HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE WILL INCREASE LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT AS RIDGE FLATTENS AND TRANSITIONS TO A WESTERLY FLOW. WESTERLY FLOW AND TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL ALLOW FOR SOUTHWEST TO WEST WIND TO INCREASE AT KCOD AND KCPR LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY. EXPECT WIND TO INCREASE FURTHER AROUND MIDDAY MONDAY AS LOWER ATMOSPHERE MIXES AND MID-LEVEL WINDS SURFACE. LARGE RANGE OF POSSIBILITIES FOR HOW STRONG WIND MAY BE AT KCPR...KRKS...KCOD AND KRIW. PRESSURE GRADIENT NOT FAVORABLE FOR HIGH WIND EVENT. NONETHELESS...EXPECT 20G30KT WILL BE COMMON WITH G35-40KT POSSIBLE AT KCPR AND KRIW MONDAY AFTERNOON...WITH KRIW THE FAVORED LOCATION AS WIND DIRECTION BECOMES WEST-NORTHWEST. LIGHT PRECIPITATION IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS EXPECTED TO BEGIN AROUND 09Z/MONDAY WITH VALLEY PRECIPITATION AROUND KJAC BEGINNING CLOSER TO 18Z-20Z/MONDAY. CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES COULD BE MVFR OR EVEN IFR AT KJAC LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON. FIRE WEATHER... DRY WEATHER FOR MOST OF THE AREA TONIGHT. SOME LIGHT SNOW WILL FORM IN THE NW MOUNTAINS LATE TONIGHT. PERIODS OF SNOW WILL OCCUR IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW IN THE FAR WEST VALLEYS MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE BIGHORN MTS AS WELL MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY. FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS EAST OF THE DIVIDE...MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WILL BE BREEZY TO WINDY AND MOSTLY DRY WITH MILD TEMPERATURES. A WEATHER SYSTEM WILL BRING A CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS ON WEDNESDAY EAST OF THE DIVIDE ALONG WITH WINDY CONDITIONS. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 12 PM MDT MONDAY FOR WYZ002-003. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 PM MDT MONDAY FOR WYZ019. && UPDATE...TWB SHORT TERM...AR LONG TERM...WM AVIATION...CNJ FIRE WEATHER...AR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 912 PM MDT SUN MAR 23 2008 WYZ001>020-022>030-241200- 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- 912 PM MDT SUN MAR 23 2008 ...A HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS AND CODY FOOTHILLS FROM MIDNIGHT THROUGH NOON MONDAY... ...A HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE GREEN AND RATTLESNAKE MOUNTAINS FROM MIDNIGHT THROUGH 9 PM MONDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT STRONG WEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT ACROSS THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT CODY FOOTHILLS. A HIGH WIND WARNING HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THESE AREAS. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR ON CHIEF JOSEPH PASS AND NEAR THE MOUTHS OF THE CLARKS FORK AND SHOSHONE CANYONS. WIND SPEEDS EXCEEDING 40 MPH WITH GUSTS GREATER THAN 60 MPH MAY BE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED OVER THE GREEN AND RATTLESNAKE MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL WYOMING AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH 9 PM MONDAY. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS REGION. THIS WIND WILL IMPACT TRAVEL ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 287. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE IN THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS AND CODY FOOTHILLS BY MIDDAY AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH FROM MONTANA. GUSTY NORTHWEST WIND WILL DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON IN THE WIND RIVER BASIN. THE FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE GREEN AND RATTLESNAKE MOUNTAINS AFTER 6 PM MONDAY EVENING. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY...WEST OF THE DIVIDE....ESPECIALLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS. THE BIGHORN MOUNTAINS MAY EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT SNOW WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS IN PARK COUNTY ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RIVERTON. 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, March 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: 83724.