A tight pressure gradient produced a brief period of strong gap winds for the Elk Mountain and Bordeaux areas.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
A tight pressure gradient produced a brief period of strong gap winds for the Elk Mountain and Bordeaux areas.
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 5, 10:55 AM MST, 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 1055 AM MST THU JAN 5 2012 .AVIATION...18Z TAFS. VFR...WITH PERIODS OF SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS AT OR ABOVE 12 THOUSAND FEET AGL. THROUGH 00Z...WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH...WITH LOCALLY STRONGER WINDS AT BORDEAUX...WHITAKER...VEDAUWOO AND ARLINGTON. RUBIN && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 931 AM MST THU JAN 5 2012/ DISCUSSION...PREVIOUS FORECAST ON TRACK AND ONLY MINOR CHANGES WERE MADE IN A RECENT UPDATE TO THE FIRST PERIOD. TEMPERATURES WILL BE WELL ABOVE NORMAL TODAY WITH NEAR RECORD HIGHS POSSIBLE IN MANY LOCATIONS. READINGS WERE RUNNING ABOVE THOSE OF WEDNESDAY AT THIS TIME AND THE AREA 12Z 700 MB TEMPERATURES WERE AT 5C. SO HAVE BUMPED UP TEMPERATURES A BIT FOR TODAY AND EXPANDED THE AREAS OF RECORD HIGHS. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH AT PLACES LIKE KBRX AND KARL TODAY...WITH MODELS INDICATING WINDS GRADUALLY DECREASING AS THE DAY GOES ON. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION.../ISSUED AT 422 AM MST THU JAN 5 2012/... AVIATION...12Z TAFS NO WEATHER RELATED IMPACTS TO AVIATION INTERESTS THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS SOUTHEAST WYOMING. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE AREA. CLAYCOMB PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 211 AM MST THU JAN 5 2012/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT... ONE MORE MILD TO UNSEASONABLY WARM DAY ACROSS THE CWA TODAY WITH THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS WHERE A FEW RECORDS MAY FALL ONCE AGAIN. THIS IN RESPONSE TO PLENTY OF SUNSHINE AND DOWNSLOPE WINDS UNDER A WEAKENING UPPER RIDGE. CHANGES THEN BEGIN TO OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CWA AHEAD OF AN UPPER TROF THAT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKYS INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS BY FRIDAY MORNING. PASSAGE OF THESE SYSTEMS SHOULD BE DRY OVERALL WITH SCANT MOISTURE OVER THE REGION. MUCH COOLER CONDITIONS FRIDAY AS SFC HIGH MOVES ACROSS THE AREA WITH RATHER BROAD AND LOW AMPLITUDE CYCLONIC FLOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY. NEXT UPPER SHORTWAVE...SOMEWHAT STRONGER...WILL WILL DROP SE ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKYS FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY BRINGING A REINFORCING PUSH OF COOLER AIR FOR SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. IN ADDITION A BETTER UPSLOPE PATTERN SHOULD ALLOW FOR SOME AREAS OF LIGHT SNOW TO DEVELOP AND MOVE ACROSS MAINLY SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. LATEST NAM MORE ROBUST WITH PCPN BUT STILL ON THE LIGHT SIDE OVERALL. LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY PRETTY QUIET CONDITIONS WEATHER WISE IN THE LONG TERM. HAVE A DRY COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE TUESDAY AFTERNOON THAT WILL INCREASE WINDS OUT AHEAD OF IT. 700MB WINDS INCREASE TO AROUND 50KTS AND THE CRAIG TO CASPER HEIGHT GRADIENT RIGHT AROUND 60MTRS. WINDS RELAX FAIRLY QUICKLY AFTER FROPA AND 700MB TEMPERATURES FALL FAIRLY QUICKLY FROM +4C TUESDAY MORNING TO -8C TUESDAY EVENING. PROBABLY HAVE OUR HIGH TEMPERATURES EARLY IN THE DAY WITH FALLING TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. ECMWF PAINTS SOME QPF BEHIND THIS FRONTAL SYSTEM TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. BUT IT LOOKS TO BE MAINLY NORTH OF THE CWA. CONTINUED SLIGHT CHANCE POPS DURING THIS TIME FRAME INTO WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...THOUGH MAINLY THE NORTH FACING MOUNTAIN SLOPES WILL MOST LIKELY BE THE ONLY PLACES SEEING MEASURABLE SNOWFALL. FIRE WEATHER... NO SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS OVERALL THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WARM AND DRY WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON MAY COMBINE WITH SOME BREEZINESS OVER FAR SE WYOMING INTO THE SOUTHERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE TO PRODUCE SOME BRIEF NEAR CRITICAL CONDITIONS WITH RATHER LOW MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES. SFC COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE DISTRICTS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING BRINGING MUCH COOLER AIR FOR FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. BEST CHANCE FOR SOME LIGHT SNOWS EXPECTED TOWARDS SATURDAY NIGHT...MAINLY OVER SOUTHERN DISTRICTS. HYDROLOGY...WITH VERY WARM TEMPERATURES CONTINUING THROUGH TOMORROW ACROSS THE REGION...SNOW MELT AND BREAK UP OF ICE IS LIKELY IN STREAMS AND RIVERS IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF CARBON AND ALBANY COUNTIES. THIS WILL HEIGHTEN THE RISK FOR ICE JAMS AND RISES IN WATER LEVELS...ESPECIALLY IN THE UPPER NORTH PLATTE...LARAMIE...AND LITTLE SNAKE RIVERS. RIVER LEVELS ARE CURRENTLY WELL BELOW FLOOD STAGE...BUT WILL MONITOR SITUATION CLOSELY THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN WATER LEVELS. && .CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WY...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM/FIRE WEATHER...RE LONG TERM/AVIATION...CLAYCOMB UPDATE...WEILAND
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 510 AM MST THU JAN 5 2012 NEZ002-003-019>021-054-055-095-096-WYZ101>105-107>109-111>119- 061145- DAWES-BOX BUTTE-SCOTTS BLUFF-BANNER-MORRILL-KIMBALL-CHEYENNE- NORTH SIOUX-SOUTH SIOUX-CONVERSE COUNTY LOWER ELEVATIONS- NIOBRARA COUNTY-NORTH LARAMIE RANGE- FERRIS/SEMINOE/SHIRLEY MOUNTAINS-SHIRLEY BASIN-EAST PLATTE COUNTY- GOSHEN COUNTY-CENTRAL CARBON COUNTY-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-EAST LARAMIE COUNTY- 510 AM MST THU JAN 5 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...EAST CENTRAL WYOMING...SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE BY THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT AND COULD BRING SOME LIGHT SNOW TO MAINLY SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA AT THAT 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 WYZ106-110-061145- CENTRAL LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY- NORTH SNOWY RANGE FOOTHILLS- 510 AM MST THU JAN 5 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED MAINLY THIS MORNING INTO EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. SOME GUSTS AROUND 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE BY THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT AND COULD BRING SOME LIGHT SNOW TO THE AREA AT THAT 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
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 552 AM MST THU JAN 5 2012 WYZ106-051600- CENTRAL LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY- INCLUDING THE CITY OF...BORDEAUX 552 AM MST THU JAN 5 2012 ...GUSTY WINDS TO CONTINUE THROUGH 9 AM THIS MORNING NEAR BORDEAUX... SUSTAINED WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 55 MPH WILL OCCUR IN SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY THROUGH 9 AM...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE BORDEAUX EXIT ALONG INTERSTATE 25. THE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ADVISES NO LIGHT TRAILER TRAFFIC BETWEEN CHEYENNE AND WHEATLAND DUE TO WIND SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MPH. THESE WINDS MAY CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL OR A BLOW OVER TO HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES TRAVELING EMPTY OR WITH A LIGHT LOAD. DRIVERS OF SUCH VEHICLES ARE ADVISED TO DELAY TRAVEL.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 958 AM MST THU JAN 5 2012 WYZ106-052030- CENTRAL LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY- INCLUDING THE CITY OF...BORDEAUX 958 AM MST THU JAN 5 2012 ...STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON BETWEEN CHUGWATER AND WHEATLAND... SUSTAINED WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 55 MPH WILL CONTINUE IN SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE BORDEAUX EXIT ALONG INTERSTATE 25. AT 940 AM...WIND GUSTS AT BORDEAUX WERE AT 54 MPH. THE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ADVISES NO LIGHT TRAILER TRAFFIC BETWEEN CHEYENNE AND WHEATLAND DUE TO WIND SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MPH. THESE WINDS MAY CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL OR A BLOW OVER TO HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES TRAVELING EMPTY OR WITH A LIGHT LOAD. DRIVERS OF SUCH VEHICLES ARE ADVISED TO DELAY TRAVEL. WEILAND
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The WYDOT site at Halleck Ridge near Elk Mountain measured sustained winds of 40 mph or greater.
The WYDOT site at Bordeaux measured winds of 58 mph or greater, with a peak gust of 63 mph at 05/1215L.
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: 355130, 355129.