High wind was noted throughout the day in the Green Mountains and Rattlesnake Range. A gust of 91 mph was recorded by a Department of Transportation official at the site where two tractor-trailers were toppled approaching South Pass on State Highway 28.
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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 was noted throughout the day in the Green Mountains and Rattlesnake Range. A gust of 91 mph was recorded by a Department of Transportation official at the site where two tractor-trailers were toppled approaching South Pass on State Highway 28.
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 19, 2:43 AM MST, 3 hours 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 243 AM MST THU JAN 19 2012 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW HAS FALLEN IN THE WEST TODAY WITH MANY AREAS OF HIGH WIND EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. THE MOUNTAINS OF THE WEST HAVE SEEN UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW THUS FAR WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY AND OVERNIGHT. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...STRONG WIND WILL CONTINUE TODAY AS JET SUPPORT WANES A BIT. THE BEAVER RIM TO ALCOVA CORRIDOR WILL LIKELY SEE A CONTINUED HIGH WIND THREAT WHILE ELSEWHERE THERE MAY BE BRIEF HIGH WIND MAINLY THE WIND WILL REMAIN BELOW HIGH WIND CRITERIA. COLD TEMPERATURES ARE TRYING TO HOLD ON IN THE NORTHERN BIG HORN BASIN AND JOHNSON COUNTY AS A PESKY ARCTIC FRONT REMAINS IN PLACE. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER NORTHEAST MONTANA IS COMPETING WITH STRONG WESTERLY PACIFIC FLOW FOR REAL ESTATE AND NORTHEAST WYOMING IS THE BATTLEGROUND. HAVE COOLED TEMPERATURES IN THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE WARMER PACIFIC AIR WILL WIN OUT BY FRIDAY AS THE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OFF INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. FRIDAY MORNING THERE WILL BE A LULL IN THE WESTERN SNOW AS A BRIEF PERIOD OF UPPER RIDGING MOVES THROUGH AND THE STRONG JET MOVES AWAY. WEST TO SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL STILL CONTAIN CONSIDERABLE MOISTURE ALLOWING LIGHT SNOW TO CONTINUE IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER...A VIGOROUS MOISTURE LADEN PACIFIC SHORTWAVE WILL FOLLOW FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY MORNING RENEWING MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW FOR THE WEST. IT SEEMS THE WINTER WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR IN THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST HAS FINALLY ARRIVED. .LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SUNDAY...UPPER RIDGE BUILDS INTO AREA BEHIND SATURDAY/S TROUGH. CHANCES OF LIGHT SNOW ACROSS MAINLY THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. BREEZY TO WINDY AREAS SOUTH AND CENTRAL. MONDAY...DRY AND WARMER WITH BREEZY TO WINDY AREAS CENTRAL. CHANCES OF SNOW CONTINUE WESTERN MOUNTAINS. MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...COLD FRONT SPREADS SLIGHT CHANCES OF SNOW SHOWERS INTO CENTRAL WYOMING MONDAY NIGHT...TUESDAY MORNING. COOLER TUESDAY. WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...MILD WESTERLY FLOW. CHANCES OF RAIN AND SNOW WEST. DRY WITH WINDY AREAS CENTRAL. MEDIUM RANGE GLOBAL MODELS IN BETTER OVERALL AGREEMENT THIS MORNING WITH SPLIT UPPER TROUGH/S PROGRESSION ACROSS THE WESTERN U.S. MONDAY AND TUESDAY. UPPER RIDGE TRANSLATES ROCKIES SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF THIS NEXT TROUGH. THE BULK OF ENERGY FROM THIS NEXT TROUGH THEN DIGS INTO THE DESERT SW/SOUTHERN ROCKIES MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH A COUPLE OF WEAKER CLIPPER SYSTEMS DIVING INTO THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. UPPER HIGH STRENGTHENS NEAR 30N/130W TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WITH DEEP UPPER LOW/TROUGH OVER GULF OF ALASKA/150W. DOWNSTREAM...FLAT UPPER RIDGE EXPANDS INTO ROCKIES WEDNESDAY FOLLOWED BY FLATTER ZONAL FLOW THURSDAY INTO THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK. THUS...AFTER SLOW START TO THE BUILD UP OF SNOWPACK IN THE WEST THIS WINTER...PREVAILING MOIST WESTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE UP FOR THIS SLOW START AND THEN SOME THROUGH THE REST OF THE MONTH. && .AVIATION.../12Z ISSUANCE/ WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY. MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT THE IMPACTED TERMINALS...WITH SOME INSTANCES OF LIFR CONDITIONS. KRKS WILL ALSO SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME PASSING SNOWFALL AFTER 00Z. STRONG WINDS ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE TURBULENCE AND WIND SHEAR. PLEASE SEE INDIVIDUAL TERMINAL SITES FOR DETAILS. EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...IN CENTRAL WYOMING FROM KLND TO KRIW TO KCPR GUSTY WIND WILL CONTINUE AT TIMES THROUGH 00Z. WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE AT KCPR AIRPORT THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY...THEN DECREASE AT LITTLE BY 12Z FRIDAY. EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS IN CENTRAL WY THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY. IN NORTHERN WY VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT KWRL AND KCOD WITH COLD AIR IN PLACE. ABOVE THE COLD AIR DOME STRONG WEST WIND WILL CONTINUE CREATING WIND SHEAR ISSUES AND TURBULENCE. THE WIND WILL TURN BACK TO THE WEST AT KCOD BY 18Z. AROUND KBYG AIRPORT MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR OVERNIGHT THROUGH AT LEAST 18Z AND POSSIBLY THROUGH 00Z. SOME LIGHT SNOW MAY ALSO OCCUR THERE AT TIMES THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY. && .FIRE WEATHER... STRONG WIND WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA WITH HEAVY SNOW IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS. A MOIST PACIFIC FLOW WILL REMAIN IN PLACE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. THERE WILL BE A SHORT LULL IN THE SNOW WITH ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM MOVING IN FOR THE WEEKEND. WIND EAST OF THE DIVIDE WILL DIMINISH SOMEWHAT BUT STILL REMAIN STRONG IN NORMALLY FAVORED AREAS. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST EARLY THIS MORNING WYZ015-016-018>020. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST FRIDAY WYZ001-002-012>015-023>025-027. && SHORT TERM...BERC LONG TERM...AEM AVIATION...AR FIRE WEATHER...BERC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 502 AM MST THU JAN 19 2012 WYZ001>020-022>030-201200- 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- 502 AM MST THU JAN 19 2012 ...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR MUCH OF WESTERN WYOMING THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY MORNING... ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR JEFFREY CITY...GREEN MOUNTAINS AND RATTLESNAKE RANGE THROUGH TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT WESTERN WYOMING THROUGH TONIGHT. HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WIND WILL COMBINE TO CREATE HAZARDOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS...PARTICULARLY OVER TETON AND TOGWOTEE PASSES. SNOWFALL RATES OF ONE TO TWO INCHES AN HOUR WILL BE COMMON IN THE MOUNTAINS AT TIMES. HIGH WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER CENTRAL WYOMING ALONG THE HIGHWAY 287 CORRIDOR WHICH INCLUDES BEAVER RIM AND JEFFREY CITY. SEE WINTER STORM AND HIGH WIND WARNING PRODUCTS FOR MORE INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY LATE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...ANOTHER ROUND OF SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WEST. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL TOTALS AND WIND DAMAGE TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE 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 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, January 2012
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: 357568.