High wind developed within the Red Desert to Casper corridor as a tight pressure gradient coupled with strong southwest flow across the area. Gusts to 62 mph were recorded at an automated sensor in the Green Mountains and a semi-truck was blown over along Wyoming Boulevard in southwest Casper.
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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.
High wind developed within the Red Desert to Casper corridor as a tight pressure gradient coupled with strong southwest flow across the area. Gusts to 62 mph were recorded at an automated sensor in the Green Mountains and a semi-truck was blown over along Wyoming Boulevard in southwest 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 Nov 3, 1:37 AM MST, 5 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 237 AM MDT THU NOV 3 2011 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES NOTED ACROSS THE AREA...WITH A FEW MID TO HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS SPILLING OVER THE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE AND INTO WESTERN WYOMING. CLEAR SKIES EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CWA THIS MORNING...AND SOME RESIDUAL MOISTURE FROM MELTING SNOW MAY BE ENOUGH TO INITIATE AREAS OF FREEZING OR ICE FOG...ESPECIALLY ACROSS FREMONT AND SWEETWATER COUNTIES. GUSTY WIND REMAINS OVER THE WIND CORRIDOR AROUND CASPER THIS MORNING...WHICH WILL RESULT IN SOME BLOWING SNOW. ANY FOG DEVELOPMENT WILL DISSIPATE DURING THE MID TO LATE MORNING HOURS TODAY. THE AXIS OF THE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLIDE THROUGH THE CWA TODAY. THIS WILL ALLOW SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD OVER THE AREA...RESULTING IN GUSTY WIND OVER THE WIND CORRIDOR THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY. DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. A WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE TOWARDS WESTERN WYOMING EARLY FRIDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL INCREASE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE AREA BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON...WITH INCREASED WIND EXPECTED. SHOWER ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO MOVE INTO WESTERN WYOMING FRIDAY AFTERNOON. MODELS CONTINUE TO DEBATE THE TRACK AND TIMING OF THIS SYSTEM. THE NAM DEMONSTRATES THIS SYSTEM SPLITTING...WITH A CHUNK OF THE ENERGY REMAINING OVER WESTERN AND NORTHERN WYOMING...WHILE ANOTHER CHUNK DIVES FURTHER SOUTH. THE MORE SOUTHERLY CHUNK IS THEN EXPECTED TO QUICKLY LIFT THROUGH EASTERN WYOMING AND INTO SOUTH DAKOTA. THE SPEED OF THIS SYSTEM IS TOO GREAT TO AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUCH UPSLOPE PRECIPITATION AS WAS PREVIOUSLY EXPRESSED IN MODEL RUNS. THE GFS IS THE MORE ACCEPTED SOLUTION BASED ON NATIONAL CENTERS. THIS SOLUTION KEEPS THE WAVE TOGETHER...THOUGH SLOWS DOWN ITS PROGRESSION AND DIGS THE ENERGY A BIT FURTHER SOUTH. THE GFS THEN DOES NOT HAVE MUCH ACTIVITY OCCURRING EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE UNTIL SATURDAY MORNING...WITH THE SYSTEM THEN MOVING RELATIVELY QUICKLY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. FORECAST TRENDS MORE TOWARDS GFS SINCE IT IS THE MORE ACCEPTED SOLUTION. HAVE DELAYED THE HIGHER POPS...AND REMOVED SOME OF THE UPSLOPE SNOWFALL DEMONSTRATED IN THE FORECAST SINCE THE GFS KEEPS THE SYSTEM AS A WAVE. OVERALL...THE CURRENT FORECAST PACKAGE SLOWS THE ARRIVAL OF PRECIPITATION AND DOES LESSEN THE INTENSITY A BIT. WARMING TEMPERATURES ANTICIPATED THROUGH FRIDAY WITH THE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE. THEN THE APPROACHING WAVE WILL USHER COOLER TEMPERATURES OVER THE AREA...WITH A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN DAYTIME TEMPERATURES EXPECTED ON SATURDAY. .LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A BROAD TROUGH WILL BE IN PLACE OVER THE WESTERN CONUS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EXTENDED. A SIGNIFICANT TROUGH ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS TROUGH IS PROJECTED BY THE GLOBAL MODELS TO DIG INTO THE GREAT BASIN DESERT/DESERT SOUTHWEST SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS TROUGH IS THEN EXPECTED TO PUSH EAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN ROCKIES MONDAY/MONDAY NIGHT...EXITING INTO THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS ON TUESDAY. THE TRACK OF THIS TROUGH WILL KEEP THE MAIN ENERGY WELL SOUTH OF THE AREA...WITH ONLY ISOLATED TO PERHAPS LOCALLY SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA SUNDAY AND MONDAY. AS THE TROUGH PULLS INTO THE PLAINS TUESDAY...GLOBAL MODELS HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING ON WHETHER THE AREA WOULD BE INFLUENCED BY RIDGING OR BE MORE INFLUENCED BY THE NORTHERN STREAM WEST/NORTHWEST FLOW. THE TREND OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS IS TO BRING MORE RIDGING INTO THE AREA TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...BUT HAVING A SHORTWAVE TROUGH IN THE NORTHERN STREAM BREAK DOWN THIS RIDGE IN THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY TIME FRAME. LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THE ENERGY WITH THIS SYSTEM WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE AREA. BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY AND MONDAY...WITH A WARMING TREND COMMENCING TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...WITH ANOTHER COLD FRONT EXPECTED THURSDAY. && .AVIATION.../12Z ISSUANCE/ AN UPPER RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT EAST INTO THE HIGH PLAINS TODAY WITH AN INCREASING SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT...AND AN INTENSIFYING LEE SIDE SURFACE TROUGH. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL WITH SKC-SCT200-250 MSL TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WIND WILL INCREASE...ESPECIALLY ALONG KRKS-KCPR ROUTES TODAY WITH AREAS OF SW WIND 25-35KT. AREAS OF LLWS WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE LEE SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS ALONG A VCNTY KLND-KCOD LINE THIS AFTERNOON AND PERSIST ABOVE BASIN INVERSIONS THROUGH THE NIGHT. && .FIRE WEATHER... SOME FOG WILL BE PRESENT ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WYOMING THIS MORNING...AND SHOULD LIFT BY THE MID TO LATE MORNING HOURS AS THE INVERSIONS BREAK. HIGH PRESSURE WILL KEEP GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS OVER THE AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING...THOUGH THE AXIS OF THE RIDGE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA TODAY WILL ALLOW INCREASED SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER THE AREA. THIS WILL ESPECIALLY IMPACT THE WIND CORRIDOR BETWEEN ROCK SPRINGS AND CASPER WITH INCREASED AFTERNOON WIND. WARMING TEMPERATURES GENERALLY EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE. BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON...RAIN AND SNOW WILL THEN BEGIN TO MOVE INTO WESTERN WYOMING AS A WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES TOWARDS THE AREA. SHOWER ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT MUCH OF THE STATE ON SATURDAY...WITH MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...BRANHAM LONG TERM...WM AVIATION...AEM FIRE WEATHER...BRANHAM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 500 AM MDT THU NOV 3 2011 WYZ001>020-022>030-041200- 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 MDT THU NOV 3 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINDY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WIND...BETWEEN ROCK SPRINGS AND CASPER WILL RESULT IN AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. IN ADDITION PATCHY FOG...COULD REDUCE VISIBILITY ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING THIS MORNING...ESPECIALLY NEAR ANY BODIES OF WATER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY FRIDAY NIGHT...LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW POSSIBLE ALONG AND WEST OF THE DIVIDE AND SWEETWATER COUNTY. SATURDAY...LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW POSSIBLE EAST OF THE DIVIDE...MAINLY OVER JOHNSON AND NATRONA COUNTIES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SIGNIFICANT RESTRICTIONS TO VISIBILITY THIS MORNING. THANK YOU. TEAM RIVERTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 525 AM MDT THU NOV 3 2011 WYZ019-020-022-031400- CASPER MOUNTAIN-GREEN MOUNTAINS AND RATTLESNAKE RANGE- NATRONA COUNTY LOWER ELEVATIONS- 525 AM MDT THU NOV 3 2011 STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS BETWEEN 20 AND 40 MPH WILL OCCUR TODAY. A FEW GUSTS BETWEEN 50 AND 60 MPH COULD ALSO OCCUR. THE STRONG WIND WILL CREATE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW IN RURAL AREAS... ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST FREMONT COUNTY...FROM AROUND BEAVER RIM TO MUDDY GAP. IN ADDITION...WIND CHILL READINGS THIS MORNING WILL RANGE FROM 5 TO 15 DEGREES. WYZ007>009-031400- BIGHORN MOUNTAINS SOUTHEAST-BIGHORN MOUNTAINS WEST- OWL CREEK AND BRIDGER MOUNTAINS- 525 AM MDT THU NOV 3 2011 AREAS OF STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WIND...WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN BIGHORN MOUNTAINS. STRONG WINDS BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MPH...WITH A FEW GUSTS TO 60 MPH...WILL CREATE SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW. IN ADDITION...WIND CHILL READINGS THIS MORNING WILL RANGE BETWEEN 5 TO 15 DEGREES. 21
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
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, November 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: 353983, 353984.