A tight surface pressure gradient and strong winds aloft produced high winds across the wind corridors of southeast Wyoming.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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 surface pressure gradient and strong winds aloft produced high winds across the wind corridors of southeast Wyoming.
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 Dec 30, 9:55 PM MST, 4 hours 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 955 PM MST MON DEC 30 2013 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 330 PM MST MON DEC 30 2013 TONIGHT...PRIMARY CHALLENGE IS WINDS. INHERITED HIGH WIND WATCH LOOKS ON TRACK...AND AFTER SEEING MORNING MODEL RUNS...HAVE UPGRADED THE WATCH TO A HIGH WIND WARNING STARTING LATE THIS EVENING FOR OUR WIND PRONE LOCATIONS. CRAIG TO CASPER 850/700 MB GRADIENTS STRENGTHEN WITH A NEAR 50 KNOT 700 MB JETLET DEVELOPING AND WITH SOME DOWNWARD VERTICAL MOTION PROGGED...EXPECT STRONGER WINDS TO MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE. TUESDAY...THE LAST DAY OF 2013 WILL BE RELATIVELY MILD AND WINDY PER PROGGED GRADIENTS AND THICKNESSES. NEXT CHUNK OF MID LEVEL MOISTURE APPROACHES FROM MONTANA...PRODUCING SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS AFTERNOON OROGRAPHIC SNOWS ACROSS THE SNOWY AND SIERRA MADRE RANGES...WITH DRY CONDITIONS ELSEWHERE DUE TO DOWNSLOPING. TUESDAY NIGHT...PROGRESSIVE LOW AMPLITUDE SHORTWAVE TROUGH ALOFT MOVES ACROSS OUR COUNTIES...PRODUCING A DUSTING OF LIGHT SNOW FOR MOST LOCATIONS AS THE NEW YEAR RINGS IN...ESPECIALLY OVER OUR MOUNTAINS DUE TO OROGRAPHICS AND NORTH OF A DOUGLAS TO SCOTTSBLUFF LINE CLOSER TO DEEPER MOISTURE AND DYNAMICS. NEW YEARS DAY...SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES AWAY FROM OUR REGION...BUT WITH ENOUGH RESIDUAL LOW AND MID LEVEL MOISTURE AND CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT...WILL SEE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS...MOST COVERAGE OVER THE SNOWY AND SIERRA MADRE RANGES DUE TO OROGRAPHICS. WEDNESDAY NIGHT...DRYING AND WARMING PERIOD AS HEIGHTS ALOFT INCREASE...FLOW BACKS AND LOW LEVELS MODERATE WITH RESPECT TO TEMPERATURES. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 330 PM MST MON DEC 30 2013 THURSDAY-FRIDAY: MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT IN SHOWING AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE TRANSVERSING THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA DURING THIS TIME. 7000MB STANDARDIZED TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES FROM THE GEFS AND ECMWF ARE SHOWING STANDARD DEVIATIONS AROUND 1 TO 1.5 DEGREES ACROSS THE AREA ESPECIALLY THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. WE LEANED SLIGHTLY TOWARDS THE CONSENSUS MODEL APPROACH SINCE IT APPEARS TO BE MORE WEIGHTED TOWARDS THE GFS SOLUTION. HOWEVER...SINCE WE ARE LOOKING AT FAIRLY HIGH STANDARD DEVIATIONS WE NUDGED TEMPERATURES UP A COUPLE MORE DEGREES FROM THE CONSENSUS APPROACH WHICH WILL RESULT IN TEMPERATURES MAINLY IN THE 40S AND 50S. HOWEVER...ALONG WITH THE WARMER TEMPERATURES COMES THE WIND WHICH WILL BE THE STRONGEST IN THE WIND PRONE AREAS. SATURDAY-MONDAY: THE ECMWF/GFS/GEM ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE U.S. MEANWHILE...A SERIES OF CANADIAN SHORTWAVES ARE PROGGED TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION. THIS WILL HELP BRING COLDER TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY TO THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. MEANWHILE...A POLAR VORTEX IS PROGGED TO BUILD OVER SOUTHERN CANADA AND THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THE ECMWF IS BRINGING PRETTY STOUT COLD AIR INTO THE REGION SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. 00Z RUN OF THE ECMWF WAS SHOWING SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE VALUES NEAR 1050MB WHICH WOULD RESULT IN TEMPERATURES POSSIBLY DROPPING INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE AND BELOW ZERO SUNDAY NIGHT WITH HIGHS STRUGGLING TO GET OUT OF THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS MONDAY. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE US CONTINUE TO LOWER TEMPERATURES SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THERE WILL ALSO BE A CHANCE OF SNOW AFTER THE FRONT PASSES THROUGH SUNDAY OR SUNDAY NIGHT. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 950 PM MST MON DEC 30 2013 VFR AT ALL AIRPORTS THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WITH STRONG WEST WINDS PICKING UP DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. COULD START SEEING LOWERING CONDITIONS OUT BY RAWLINS AS EARLY AS TUESDAY EVENING AS A FRONT PUSHES SOUTH. DEFINITELY BY 06Z WEDNESDAY...LOWER FLIGHT CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED OUT AT KRWL. NEXT 24 HOURS THOUGH...PILOTS FLYING IN AND OUT OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING AIRPORTS WILL ONLY NEED TO BE CONCERNED WITH MODERATE TURBULENCE. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 330 PM MST MON DEC 30 2013 NO FIRE WEATHER ISSUES AS HUMIDITIES REMAIN OUTSIDE CRITICAL THRESHOLDS. && .CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WY...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MST TUESDAY FOR WYZ106-110-116-117. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...RUBIN LONG TERM...REC AVIATION...CLAYCOMB FIRE WEATHER...RUBIN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 804 PM MST MON DEC 30 2013 WYZ101-103>107-109>118-010315- CONVERSE COUNTY LOWER ELEVATIONS-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- 804 PM MST MON DEC 30 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL WYOMING... SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT WEST WINDS WILL GUST AS HIGH AS 45 MPH TONIGHT IN SOME AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ARLINGTON...ELK MOUNTAIN... BORDEAUX...VEDAUWOO AND WHITAKER BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT FOR WEST WINDS 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ARLINGTON...ELK MOUNTAIN... BORDEAUX...VEDAUWOO AND WHITAKER FOR TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING FOR WEST WINDS 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH. LIGHT SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED OVER SOUTHEAST WYOMING TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. MOST LOCATIONS WILL RECEIVE AN INCH OR LESS OF NEW SNOW...WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES OVER THE MOUNTAINS. THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONG WINDS RETURNS TO AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. A CHANCE OF SNOW WILL AFFECT SOUTHEAST WYOMING THIS WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED 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-WYZ102-108-119-010315- DAWES-BOX BUTTE-SCOTTS BLUFF-BANNER-MORRILL-KIMBALL-CHEYENNE- NORTH SIOUX-SOUTH SIOUX-NIOBRARA COUNTY-GOSHEN COUNTY- EAST LARAMIE COUNTY- 804 PM MST MON DEC 30 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY LIGHT SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. MOST LOCATIONS WILL RECEIVE AN INCH OR LESS OF NEW SNOW. A CHANCE OF SNOW WILL AFFECT THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE THIS WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED 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.
11 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The WYDOT sensor at Buford East measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 61 mph at 31/0301 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Remount measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher.
The WYDOT sensor at Bordeaux measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 63 mph at 31/1426 MST.
The UPR sensor at Emkay measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 62 mph at 31/0930 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Vedauwoo measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 59 mph at 31/1002 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Arlington East measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 61 mph at 31/1001 MST.
The UPR sensor at Buford measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 66 mph at 31/1045 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Lone Tree measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 63 mph at 31/1236 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Wagonhound measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 64 mph at 31/1400 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Arlington measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 66 mph at 31/1831 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Foote Creek measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 58 mph at 31/1826 MST.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, December 2013
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: 493530, 493535, 493522, 493537, 493536, 493524, 493529, 493534, 493527, 493525, 493526.