A member of the Jackson Hole Ski Area ski patrol was critically injured in a human triggered avalanche in the resort's Cheyenne Bowl. The victim succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, January 9, after spending several days in an area hospital.
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.
A member of the Jackson Hole Ski Area ski patrol was critically injured in a human triggered avalanche in the resort's Cheyenne Bowl. The victim succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, January 9, after spending several days in an area hospital. The patroller was conducting routine avalanche hazard reduction duties when he was caught in the slide. He had previously thrown one hand charge onto the slope before throwing two additional charges which fractured the slope above him. The man traveled an estimated 1,000 feet and over a 25-foot cliff while trapped in the avalanche. He was found unconscious under about six feet of snow. Another patroller was caught in the slide but clung to a tree to save himself.
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 6, 2:34 AM MST, 5 hours 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 234 AM MST WED JAN 6 2010 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT ARCTIC FRONT STRETCHES ACROSS CENTRAL YELLOWSTONE PARK SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE NORTHERN WIND RIVER BASIN AND CENTRAL NATRONA COUNTY AT 08Z THIS MORNING. ISENTROPIC LIFT AND DEEP LAYER MOISTURE SOUTH OF THE FRONT ACROSS WESTERN WY CONTINUES TO PRODUCE AREAS OF LIGHT SNOW...BUT THE WIDER COVERAGE OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW WHICH FELL LAST EVENING HAS DIMINISHED CONSIDERABLY OVER THE PAST 4 HOURS. NAM AND GFS BOTH INDICATE MODERATE TO STRONG H8/H7 FRONTOGENESIS ALONG AND TO THE NORTH OF THE SURFACE ARCTIC BOUNDARY THROUGH AROUND 15Z ALONG A LINE FROM JACKSON TO RIVERTON TO CASPER AND THROUGH 18Z ALONG A LINE FROM AFTON TO ROCK SPRINGS TO RAWLINS. BEHIND THE ARCTIC FRONT WEAK TO MODERATE UPSLOPE FLOW EAST OF THE DIVIDE IN SOUTH CENTRAL WY WILL PRODUCE LIGHT SNOWFALL THROUGH AROUND 00Z THURSDAY. SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO DIMINISH ACROSS WESTERN WY THIS MORNING...AS DRIER MID LEVEL AIR ADVECTS ACROSS THE REGION. WILL ALLOW WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES ACROSS THESE AREAS TO RUN THROUGH 18Z. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...LEFT FRONT QUAD JET FORCING WILL FAVOR LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW TODAY WITH LOW END WARNING ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED. ADVISORIES ACROSS MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF CENTRAL WY APPEAR REASONABLE WITH LIGHT SNOW ENDING BY AROUND 00Z THURSDAY. STRONG CAA TODAY WILL RESULT IN EARLY HIGH TEMPERATURES DURING THE PRE-DAWN TO MID MORNING HOURS ACROSS THE CWA. AS THE TROUGH CLOSES OFF SHARPLY TO THE EAST OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS TONIGHT...SKIES WILL GRADUALLY CLEAR AS VERY STRONG SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES FROM WESTERN MT SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS WY. LOWS THURSDAY MORNING WILL RANGE FROM 15 TO 35 BELOW ZERO IN THE WESTERN VALLEYS AND BETWEEN 10 TO 20 BELOW ZERO IN THE VALLEYS AND BASINS EAST OF THE DIVIDE. NORTH NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT THURSDAY WILL KEEP VERY COLD AIR MASS ACROSS WY WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES GENERALLY FROM ZERO TO 10 ABOVE. FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES THURSDAY...VALUES BELOW GUIDANCE WERE PREFERRED. LARGE AMPLITUDE RIDGE OVER WESTERN U.S./WESTERN CANADA WILL MOVE SLOWLY EASTWARD THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING WITH A VERY SLOW WARMING TREND ANTICIPATED. STRONG INVERSIONS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS EAST AND WEST OF THE DIVIDE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. STRONG WARMING ALOFT FRIDAY NIGHT WILL FAVOR FOG FORMATION IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. .LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL BRING CHANCES FOR LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE WEST SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW EAST OF THE DIVIDE ON SUNDAY. UPPER RIDGE REBUILDS OVER AREA MONDAY AND TUESDAY FOR DRY WEATHER AND GENERALLY MILD TEMPERATURES WITH INVERSIONS RE-ESTABLISHING OVER LOWER CENTRAL BASINS AND SOME WESTERN VALLEYS. INCOMING PACIFIC ENERGY WILL BRING CHANCES OF LIGHT SNOW BACK INTO THE WEST ON WEDNESDAY. MEDIUM-RANGE MODELS REMAIN IN GOOD OVERALL AGREEMENT WITH PROGRESSION OF UPPER RIDGE ACROSS AREA SATURDAY WITH SPLIT TROUGH MOVING ACROSS ROCKIES SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...FOLLOWED BY UPPER RIDGE BUILDING BACK IN MONDAY AND TUESDAY. ECMWF OVERALL WEAKER WITH TROUGH PASSAGE OVER THE WEEKEND AND STINGIER WITH MOISTURE AND QPF...NOT PLACING ANY QPF WITHIN WYOMING BORDERS. GFS THE WETTEST OF THE MODELS AND GEM A COMPROMISE. FORECAST BRINGS CHANCE POPS INTO WEST SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WITH SOME WEIGHT TOWARD CLIMO POPS WITH SLIGHT CHANCE POPS EAST OF THE DIVIDE ON SUNDAY WHICH REFLECTS THE COMPROMISE GEM SOLUTION. TROUGH PASSAGE WILL HELP TO MIX OUT TRAPPED SHALLOW ARCTIC AIR REMAINING IN LOWER BASINS...SO SUNDAY MORNING DOES NOT LOOK CONDUCIVE FOR FOG FORMATION. HOWEVER UPPER RIDGE...VERY DRY AIRMASS AND STRONG WARM ADVECTION WILL HELP RE-ESTABLISH STEEP INVERSIONS OVER BASINS AND WESTERN VALLEYS MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH H7 TEMPERATURES PROGGED TO BE NEAR 3C BY 12Z TUESDAY. THIS WILL LEAD TO MILD...ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN THE WIND CORRIDORS WITH COLDER TEMPERATURES AND MORNING FOG IN THE LOWER BASINS AND WESTERN VALLEYS...ESPECIALLY TUESDAY MORNING. GFS IS LIKELY TOO FAST IN BRINGING PACIFIC ENERGY ACROSS THE AREA WEDNESDAY WITH THE ECMWF SOLUTION PREFERRED...LOW POPS IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND OVERALL SEASONALLY MILD WITH SOME COLD AIR REMAINING TRAPPED IN LOWER CENTRAL BASINS. && .AVIATION... A WINTER STORM WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE REGION THROUGH THIS EVENING. AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT FROM KLND...TO SOUTH OF KCPR EARLY THIS MORNING WILL PUSH SOUTHWEST TO KRKS BY AROUND 18Z...AND THROUGH THE ENTIRE REGION BY AROUND 03Z THURSDAY. EXPECT BREEZY TO LOCALLY WINDY NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND THIS FRONT TODAY...BUT WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAKEN SUBSTANTIALLY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING OVER MUCH OF THE REGION...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SWEETWATER COUNTY...WHERE NORTHEAST TO EAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BLOW. LIGHT TO OCCASIONAL MODERATE SNOW OVER THE AREA...IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY END FROM NORTH TO SOUTH TODAY...WITH SOME LINGERING SNOW OVER THE FAR SOUTH THIS EVENING...WITH THE SNOW OUT OF THE AREA EXCEPT SOME FLURRIES BY 06Z THURSDAY. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR THROUGH 18Z TODAY...MAINLY EAST OF THE DIVIDE...FROM THE EASTERN WIND RIVER MTS...EAST TO NATRONA COUNTY. THE MOST IMPACTED TERMINAL WILL BE KCPR...WHERE IFR CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY THROUGH 15Z...AND COULD PERSIST THROUGH 18Z. KLND COULD ALSO EXPERIENCE OFF AND ON IFR CONDITIONS THROUGH 18Z. IMPROVING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON. && .FIRE WEATHER... ARCTIC FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN WYOMING INTO NORTHERN COLORADO BY LATE THIS MORNING. SNOW AMOUNTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FRONT WILL BE GENERALLY LIGHT...EXCEPT ACROSS PORTIONS OF NATRONA COUNTY...MAINLY SOUTHERN NATRONA COUNTY...AND IN THE STAR VALLEY AND THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN WYOMING WHERE MODERATE SNOWFALL WILL PREDOMINATE. WIND BEHIND THE FRONT TODAY WILL RANGE BETWEEN 10 TO 20 MPH FROM THE NORTH TO NORTHWEST. CLEARING AND LIGHT WINDS TONIGHT WILL RESULT IN FRIGID TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION. INVERSIONS WILL DEVELOP THURSDAY ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AND WILL STRENGTHEN ON FRIDAY. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR WYZ015- 017>019. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 11 AM MST THIS MORNING FOR WYZ001-012- 013. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM MST THIS MORNING FOR WYZ002- 003-005>011. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 3 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR WYZ024. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR WYZ020- 022. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 3 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR WYZ023. && SHORT TERM...SMITH LONG TERM...AEM AVIATION...WM FIRE WEATHER...SMITH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 500 AM MST WED JAN 6 2010 WYZ001>020-022>030-071200- 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 WED JAN 6 2010 ...NUMEROUS WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES AND WINTER STORM WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING THROUGH WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW...BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH LIMITED VISIBILITY...AND AREAS OF NORTH WIND AT 15 TO 30 MPH ALONG WITH BITTERLY COLD MORNING WIND CHILLS OF 20 TO 30 BELOW ZERO WILL FOLLOW AN ARCTIC FRONTAL PASSAGE THIS MORNING ACROSS CENTRAL WYOMING. FROSTBITE MAY OCCUR IN 30 MINUTES ON EXPOSED SKIN. THE FAVORED UPSLOPE AREAS AROUND CASPER AND LANDER ARE EXPECTED TO RECEIVE THE MOST SNOW ACCUMULATION TODAY. FOR MORE DETAILS ON THIS WINTER STORM SEE THE LATEST WINTER STORM AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY PRODUCTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY BITTER COLD LOW TEMPERATURES OF 10 TO 20 BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL WYOMING EARLY THURSDAY MORNING WITH READINGS FROM 20 TO 30 BELOW ZERO IN THE WESTERN VALLEYS. EXTENSIVE DENSE FOG FORMATION IS LIKELY IN THE WESTERN VALLEYS AND CENTRAL BASINS...ESPECIALLY THE WIND RIVER BASIN...FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MORNINGS. SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SNOW AMOUNTS. THANK YOU. TEAM RIVERTON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche, Teton & Gros Ventre Mountains | 2010-01-09 | 58 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, January 2010
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: 201328.