Winds increased through the early morning hours as the surface pressure gradient increased and combined with strong upper level winds and produced areas of strong winds.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 CYS wrote it up.
Winds increased through the early morning hours as the surface pressure gradient increased and combined with strong upper level winds and produced areas of strong winds.
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 Cheyenne, WY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 23, 2:48 AM MST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 248 AM MST SUN JAN 23 2011 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY...CURRENT IR SATELLITE LOOP SHOWS DECREASING CLOUDS OVER THE AREA AS THE WEAK STORM SYSTEM WHICH BROUGHT SOME SNOW AND PLENTY OF WIND TO THE REGION YESTERDAY QUICKLY PUSHES SOUTHEAST AND WEAKENS OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. DRIER WEATHER IS EXPECTED TODAY WITH SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPS IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT...BUT WITH MODELS SHOWING STRONG SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE REMAINING NEARLY STATIONARY AND SURFACE PRESSURE LOWERING DURING THE DAY OVER THE PLAINS AHEAD OF THE NEXT WEAK DISTURBANCE...THERE IS SOME CONCERN OF HIGH WINDS PRIMARILY OVER THE WIND PRONE AREAS OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. DECIDED AGAINST ISSUING A HIGH WIND WATCH FOR EAST CARBON COUNTY NEAR ARLINGTON...SW PLATTE COUNTY NEAR BORDEAUX...AND THE SOUTHERN LARAMIE RANGE SINCE THE STRONGEST PRESSURE FALLS EAST OF THE REGION OCCUR EARLIER TODAY BEFORE THE 700MB WINDS INCREASE TO NEAR 50 KTS BY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STILL EXPECT SUSTAINED WINDS TO INCREASE AROUND 40 MPH FOR A TIME TODAY BUT DO NOT EXPECT THE HIGHER WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH AT THIS TIME. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THROUGH THE DAY. OTHERWISE...EXPECT HIGH CLOUDS TO INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY TODAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM PUSHING SOUTHWARD OUT OF CANADA. FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY...TWO FAST MOVING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL PUSH ACROSS SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND WESTERN NEBRASKA BRINGING SOME LIGHT SNOW TO THE REGION AS WELL AS SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPS. ALL MODELS ARE IN BETTER AGREEMENT FOR MONDAYS SYSTEM...SHOWING AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH QUICKLY BRUSHING THE EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA AS IT SLIDES SOUTHWARD INTO THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS ON MONDAY. EXPECT SOME LIGHT SNOW LATE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY MORNING WITH UP TO ONE INCH OF SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE...AND A FEW ISOLATED AREAS SEEING ONE OR TWO INCHES MAINLY IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN. OTHERWISE...EXPECT WINDS TO INCREASE OUT OF THE NORTHWEST ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS. CONDITIONS WILL QUICKLY IMPROVE DURING MONDAY AFTERNOON WITH BRISK WINDS AND COOL TEMPS AS A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT QUICKLY MOVES EASTWARD OVER THE AREA. FOR TUESDAY...THE SECOND UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL PUSH SOUTHEASTWARD INTO WYOMING. EXPECT A BIT MORE MOISTURE WITH THIS FEATURE SINCE IT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PACIFIC INTO WASHINGTON STATE BEFORE SLIDING SOUTHWARD. THIS FEATURE HAS A BETTER CHANCE OF PRODUCING WIDESPREAD LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AND 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER...SINCE THE TROUGH WILL ORIGINATE FROM THE PACIFIC...SLIGHTLY WARMER TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 30S TO NEAR 40 WITH SOME RAIN MIXED IN WITH THE SNOW AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY ACROSS FAR EASTERN WYOMING INTO NEBRASKA. INCREASED POP BETWEEN 25 TO 40 PCT ON TUESDAY ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH LIKELY POP (60+ PERCENT) IN THE MOUNTAINS. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY... AN UPPER LEVEL SHORT-WAVE DISTURBANCE IN THE NORTHERLY FLOW ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BE PRESENT EARLY IN THE LONG TERM FORECAST PERIOD. THIS APPEARS TO BE A QUICK MOVING SYSTEM AND THE MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT THIS DISTURBANCE WILL NOT PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION. SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL BE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AS THIS DISTURBANCE WILL HAVE BROUGHT A WEAK COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA TUESDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL REBOUND THURSDAY WITH THIS LIKELY BEING THE WARMEST DAY OF THE PERIOD. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY...AND THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE SHOWING DIFFERENCES IN THE NEXT CLIPPER SYSTEM MOVING SOUTHEAST OUT OF WESTERN CANADA. THE PREVIOUS EUROPEAN MODEL RUN WAS MORE AMPLIFIED WITH THE COASTAL UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE AND OPENED UP THE FRONT RANGE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A FAIRLY STRONG SURGE OF ARCTIC SURFACE AIR...BUT THE LATEST RUN HAS FLATTENED THE UPPER RIDGE WITH ANOTHER SHORT- WAVE DISTURBANCE MOVING SOUTH ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THE GFS MODEL SHOWS THIS SECONDARY LOW IN THE VICINITY OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST...BUT DOES NOT EVOLVE THIS FEATURE IN THE SAME WAY AS THE EUROPEAN MODEL. IN ADDITION...THE GFS CONTINUES TO BE SLIGHTLY FARTHER EAST WITH THE ENERGY IN THE NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT. WITH THIS ISSUANCE...WILL JUST CONTINUE TO MENTION A COOL DOWN AT LEAST TO NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEKEND...AND THE BEST CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION LATE IN THE PERIOD OCCURRING FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. && .AVIATION...12Z ISSUANCE... LOW CLOUD COVER WILL BE DIMINISHING EARLY THIS MORNING...WITH VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL THROUGH MUCH OF THE PERIOD. AREAS OF MVFR AND LOCALIZED IFR...AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION...WILL BECOME POSSIBLE AT AREA TERMINALS AFTER AROUND 1000 PM MST TONIGHT AS ANOTHER SHORT-WAVE DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. && .FIRE WEATHER...SEVERAL WEAK DISTURBANCES WILL PUSH ACROSS THE AREA IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT THIS WEEK RESULTING IN COOL TEMPERATURES...PERIODS OF SNOWFALL...AND WINDY CONDITIONS AT TIMES. FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS REMAIN MINIMAL WITH HIGH HUMIDITIES EXPECTED. && .CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WY...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM/FIRE WEATHER...TJT LONG TERM/AVIATION...CARPENTER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 455 AM MST SUN JAN 23 2011 WYZ103>107-109>118-241200- NORTH LARAMIE RANGE-FERRIS/SEMINOE/SHIRLEY MOUNTAINS- SHIRLEY BASIN-CENTRAL LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY- EAST PLATTE COUNTY-CENTRAL CARBON COUNTY- NORTH SNOWY RANGE FOOTHILLS-SOUTHWEST CARBON COUNTY- SIERRA MADRE RANGE-UPPER NORTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN-SNOWY RANGE- LARAMIE VALLEY-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE FOOTHILLS- CENTRAL LARAMIE COUNTY- 455 AM MST SUN JAN 23 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINDS WILL SHIFT INTO THE WEST WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS BETWEEN 25 TO 40 MPH TODAY. STRONG WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE MORE WIND PRONE LOCATIONS ALONG INTERSTATE 80 AND INTERSTATE 25 INTO THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS SEVERAL WEAK DISTURBANCES PUSH SOUTHEAST INTO THE GREAT PLAINS. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT. && THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE NEZ002-003-019>021-054-055-095-096-WYZ101-102-108-119-241200- DAWES-BOX BUTTE-SCOTTS BLUFF-BANNER-MORRILL-KIMBALL-CHEYENNE- NORTH SIOUX-SOUTH SIOUX-CONVERSE COUNTY LOWER ELEVATIONS- NIOBRARA COUNTY-GOSHEN COUNTY-EAST LARAMIE COUNTY- 455 AM MST SUN JAN 23 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING EAST OF INTERSTATE 25. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS SEVERAL WEAK DISTURBANCES PUSH SOUTHEAST INTO THE GREAT PLAINS. LITTLE TO NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT. && THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
WYDOT sensor at Arlington recorded sustained winds in excess of 40 mph and gusts greater than 58 mph throughout the event with a peak gust of 63 mph at 23/0801 MST.
UP railroad sensor at Emkay recorded sustained winds in excess of 40 mph and gusts greater than 58 mph throughout the event with a peak gust of 68 mph at 23/0955 MST.
WYDOT sensor at Bordeaux recorded sustained winds in excess of 40 mph and wind gusts greater than 58 mph throughout the event with a peak gust of 66 mph at 23/0820 MST.
UP railroad sensor at Buford recorded sustained winds in excess of 40 mph throughout the event with a peak gust of 61 mph at 23/2100 MST.
WYDOT sensor at Vedauwoo recorded sustained winds in excess of 40 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, January 2011
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: 269286, 269289, 269285, 269287, 269288.