Strong southwest flow aloft mixed down over the Green Mountains to produce a period of high wind. Gusts to 60 mph were recorded at an automated sensor at Fales Rock.
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The episode as NWS RIW wrote it up.
Strong southwest flow aloft mixed down over the Green Mountains to produce a period of high wind. Gusts to 60 mph were recorded at an automated sensor at Fales Rock.
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 Mar 13, 1:34 PM MST, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 234 PM MDT TUE MAR 13 2012 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY WINDS HAVE BEEN INCREASING EARLY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS ZONE 19 WITH SOME GUSTS AROUND 50 MPH RECENTLY. PEAK WINDS STILL LOOK GOOD FOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. OUT WEST...WE ARE STARTING TO SEE SOME LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES OVER THE PEAKS AND THIS SHOULD GRADUALLY INCREASE INTO THE EARLY EVENING WHEN STEADIER AND HEAVY SNOW DEVELOPS. ADVISORY STILL LOOKS GOOD THERE. THE VALLEY FLOOR WILL BE TRICKY WITH HIGHS IN THE 40S TODAY AND A STEADY BREEZE KEEPING UP OVERNIGHT. PRECIPITATION INTENSITY MAY ALSO BE A FACTOR LATER THIS EVENING. GENERAL FEELING IS THAT THE FOOTHILLS WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW AS THE EVENING WEARS ON BUT THE LOWEST VALLEY LOCATIONS MAY STAY RAIN MOST IF NOT ALL THE NIGHT. HOWEVER...JUST A FEW HUNDRED FEET UP IT MAY MIX WITH SNOW AND THEN BECOME ALL SNOW. KEEPING ACCUMULATIONS LIGHT TO NIL IN THE LOWEST SPOTS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME ACCUMULATION ABOVE 6500 TO 7000 FEET. MORE LIKELY ABOVE 7000 FEET. THIS SAME SCENARIO WILL LIKELY BE AROUND THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. EXTENDED OUR HIGHER POPS THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT EVEN THOUGH AMOUNTS WILL BE LESS. SOMEWHAT MOIST PLUME MAY REMAIN OVER THE AREA THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT BEFORE THE EDGES OF OUR DEVELOPING LONGWAVE TROUGH MOVES IN FRIDAY. THIS PLUME WILL KEEP A GOOD CHANCE OF SNOW GOING IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN OR A MIX IN THE VALLEYS. SNOW WILL INCREASE IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS FRIDAY WITH RAIN OR RAIN AND SNOW MIX DOWN LOW. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...THE MAIN WEATHER WILL BE PERIODS OF WINDY CONDITIONS AND FAIRLY LOW RH'S IN THE TEENS TO LOWER 20S. IT WILL REMAIN MILD WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S AND 60S AND LOWS IN THE 30S. .LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY SHOWERS TO CONTINUE ACROSS WESTERN WYOMING IN THE EARLY PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. THE ANTICIPATED TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL BE JUST OFF THE PACIFIC COASTLINE...THOUGH ITS PRECEDING SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL ALREADY BE OVER THE AREA. MODELS IN FAIR AGREEMENT WITH THIS UPCOMING SYSTEM...THOUGH THE GFS WINDS UP THE LOW INTO CLOSED LOW OFF THE CALIFORNIA COST BY SATURDAY NIGHT WHILE THE ECMWF REMAINS A WAVE ALONG THE COAST. THE GFS CONTINUES TO DIG THE SYSTEM SLIGHTLY FURTHER SOUTH THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...WITH THE CORE OF THE LOW IMPACT NORTHERN MEXICO TO THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. THE ECMWF CONTINUES TO PROGRESS THE SYSTEM AS A WAVE THROUGH THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. THIS LATTER SOLUTION MAY PRESENT MORE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE SOME PRECIPITATION ACROSS NORTHEASTERN WYOMING...WHICH IS NOT CURRENTLY INDICATED STRONGLY ON THE ECMWF. THE GFS FINALLY CLOSES OFF THE LOW BY TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION. THE ECMWF THEN QUICKLY MOVE THE CORE OF THE LOW ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. THE GFS BEGINS TO EJECT THE LOW ON WEDNESDAY MORNING...WITH THE LOW MOVING ACROSS WYOMING BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE ECMWF IS SLOWER WITH THE EJECTION OF THE LOW...AND DOES NOT PUSH IT NORTHWARDS UNTIL THURSDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON WHEN IT WOULD MORE IMPACT THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THOUGH TIMING REMAINS VARIED...PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED IN THE LATER PERIODS OF THE FORECAST...WHICH MAY IMPACT MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA. ADDITIONALLY...THE TROUGH OR LOW WILL BRING COOLER AIR ACROSS THE AREA...RESULTING IN COOLER TEMPERATURES. .AVIATION.../00Z ISSUANCE/ WEST OF THE DIVIDE...PRECIPITATION...WHICH MAY BE A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW AT TIMES...IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. TIMING OF THE CONVERSION FROM RAIN TO SNOW AT KJAC IS A CHALLENGE...THOUGH IT LOOKS FAVORABLE TO BE A FEW HOURS AFTER SUNSET WHEN TEMPERATURES COOL MORE. PERIODS OF MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED WITH THIS SYSTEM. SOME VCSH NOTED AT KBPI AND KPNA THROUGH THE PERIOD. MOUNTAINS WILL HAVE PERIODS OF BRING OBSCURED DUE TO CLOUD COVER...AND MOUNTAIN PASSES MAY CONTAIN SOME ADDED TURBULENCE WITH A STRONGER FLOW ALOFT. THIS SCENARIO WILL ALSO BRING SOME INSTANCES OF LLWS OVER KJAC THROUGH PERIODS OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. THE MAIN AVIATION CONCERN CONTINUES TO BE THE CONTINUED PERIODS OF INCREASED WIND...ESPECIALLY BETWEEN KRKS AND KCPR...AND ALSO AROUND KLND FROM THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS. INCREASED FLOW ALOFT WILL RESULT IN SOME LLWS AT AREA TERMINALS...ESPECIALLY KCOD AND KLND. OTHERWISE...THE GENERAL MOUNTAINS MAY HAVE PERIODS OF BEING OBSCURED DUE TO CLOUD COVER. .FIRE WEATHER... EAST OF THE DIVIDE: IT WILL REMAIN WINDY AND DRY AT TIMES WITH MIN RH'S BETWEEN 15 AND 22 PERCENT IN MANY AREAS THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE WINDIEST AREAS WILL BE THE WIND CORRIDOR FROM THE RED DESERT THROUGH NATRONA AND FAR SOUTHEAST JOHNSON COUNTY AND IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE ABSAROKAS... WIND RIVERS AND BIGHORNS. IT SHOULD REMAIN WINDY AT TIMES AND DRY THROUGH SATURDAY BEFORE SOME SHOWERS TRY TO DEVELOP BY SUNDAY. WEST OF THE DIVIDE: GENERALLY WET WITH VALLEY RAIN OR RAIN AND SNOW MIXTURE WITH STEADIER MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL...ESPECIALLY TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A MAJOR STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE WEST FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH SIGNIFICANT MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL AND A MIXTURE AGAIN ON THE VALLEY FLOOR. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT WYZ019. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 3 PM MDT WEDNESDAY WYZ001-012. && SHORT TERM...SKRBAC LONG TERM...BRANHAM AVIATION...BRANHAM FIRE WEATHER...SKRBAC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 214 PM MDT TUE MAR 13 2012 WYZ001>020-022>030-141100- 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- 214 PM MDT TUE MAR 13 2012 ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE GREEN MOUNTAINS AND RATTLESNAKE RANGE THROUGH MIDNIGHT... ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE TETONS AND YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH 3 PM WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG WIND WILL DEVELOP TODAY EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WITH HIGH WIND EXPECTED IN THE GREEN MOUNTAINS AND RATTLESNAKE RANGE. SNOW WILL BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON IN THE NORTHWEST WYOMING MOUNTAINS AND INCREASE OVERNIGHT BRINGING SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS TO THE TETONS AND PORTIONS OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY WEDNESDAY...SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS DURING THE MORNING HOURS...TAPERING OFF IN THE AFTERNOON. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...SIGNIFICANT WESTERN MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY WIND GUSTS OVER 50 MPH OR HEAVY SNOWFALL. 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, March 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: 360748.