A vigorous and fast moving storm brought a period of heavy snow to the western mountains and high winds to many portions of western and central Wyoming. Up to 9 inches of snow fell in the higher elevations of Park and Teton Counties as well as portions of Yellowstone National Park.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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 RIW wrote it up.
A vigorous and fast moving storm brought a period of heavy snow to the western mountains and high winds to many portions of western and central Wyoming. Up to 9 inches of snow fell in the higher elevations of Park and Teton Counties as well as portions of Yellowstone National Park. Lesser amounts fell in the Wind River Range where white-out conditions were reported over and around South Pass. In addition to the snow, high wind was reported across much of central and southwest Wyoming. Winds gusted over 70 mph in many areas, including 71 mph at Bitter Creek, 73 mph at Red Canyon, and 75 mph near Lander. The strong winds caused damage in Rock Springs, where several trees were downed, including one that crushed a police car. A telephone pole was also downed and 3 businesses lost their signs.
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 16, 10:30 PM MST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 1130 PM MDT SAT MAR 16 2013 .UPDATE... UPDATED FOR THE 06Z AVIATION DISCUSSION. UPDATE... HAVE EXTENDED WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES FOR THE NORTHWEST UNTIL 6 PM. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR BETWEEN 3 AM AND 9 AM SUNDAY MORNING. HOWEVER...WEAK INSTABILITY/STRONG LAPSE RATES SHOULD KEEP AT LEAST SCATTERED TO LOCALLY NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON ACROSS THE NORTHWEST WITH POTENTIAL FOR SOME DECENT SNOW FALL RATES. THIS COMBINED WITH WINDY CONDITIONS FROM THIS STORMS SYSTEM SHOULD KEEP WINTRY/HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THUS HAVE ELECTED TO EXTEND THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THROUGH 6 PM...ALSO MATCHING THE END TIME OF THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS. STAR VALLEY AND THE SALT RIVER AND WYOMING RANGES WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED FOR POSSIBLE INCLUSION INTO THE ADVISORY...BUT WILL LET THE OVERNIGHT SHIFT GIVE IT ANOTHER LOOK BEFORE DECIDING. WILL KEEP MULTIPLE HIGH WIND WATCHES GOING ACROSS CENTRAL/SOUTHWEST WYOMING...WITH MUCH IF NOT ALL OF THEM PROBABLY BEING UPGRADED TO WARNINGS ON THE EARLY MORNING PACKAGE. WSW HAS BEEN SENT...NEW GRIDS AND OTHER PRODUCTS WILL BE SENT OUT SHORTLY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 559 PM MDT SAT MAR 16 2013/ UPDATE... QUICK UPDATE TO ADD SOME ISOLATED CONVECTION THROUGH 02Z IN THE BIG HORN BASIN EAST ACROSS JOHNSON AND NORTHERN JOHNSON COUNTY. RADAR SHOWS WEAK ACROSS WASHAKIE COUNTY PUSHING EAST. THIS ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE TO DECAY WITH LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 449 PM MDT SAT MAR 16 2013/ SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY A LONE STRONG THUNDERSTORM FOR THE MIDDLE OF MARCH POPPED UP SOUTHEAST OF CODY THIS AFTERNOON AND AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING IS TRACKING SOUTHEAST ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHWEST BIG HORN COUNTY. NEXT THE ATTENTION FOCUSES ON A VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE NOW MAKING LANDFALL ONTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THIS FEATURE WILL REMAIN AN OPEN WAVE WITH THE TROUGH AXIS TRACKING EAST ACROSS WYOMING SUNDAY MORNING. A QUICK SHOT OF SNOWFALL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS FEATURE...ESPECIALLY IN WESTERN WYOMING WITH THE APEX OF THE SNOWFALL EXPECTED BETWEEN 03Z AND 15Z SUNDAY DURING WHICH TIME THE INFLUENCES OF THE STRONG WESTERLY DIFLUENT FLOW AND LEFT FRONT QUAD JET DYNAMICS OF THE JET ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE TROUGH WILL BE REALIZED. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN POSTED FOR NORTHWEST WYOMING FOR LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING. IN ADDITION...THIS WEATHER FEATURE WILL BE PACKING VERY STRONG GRADIENT WINDS. A STRONG GRADIENT IS EXPECTED AT THE SURFACE AND AT 700MB. MOS GUIDANCE IS SUGGESTING 30 PLUS WINDS AT MANY TERMINAL SITES. STRONG PREFRONTAL AND FRONTAL WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN THE LANDER FOOTHILLS FOR LATE SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON AS WILL THE EAST SLOPE OF THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS INCLUDING SOUTH PASS WHERE THERE IS A WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT AS A STRONG PACIFIC COLD FRONT PLOWS ACROSS WYOMING. THEN POST FRONTAL MAINLY WEST AND NORTHWEST WINDS WILL ENSUE ACROSS THE WIND RIVER BASIN INCLUDING CROWHEART AND DUBOIS AS WELL AS THE GREEN MOUNTAINS...SWEETWATER COUNTY AND SOUTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY. IN FACT...SOUTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY AND SWEETWATER COUNTY SHOULD EXPERIENCE A STRONG SNOW SQUALL WITH THE FRONT THAT SHOULD LAY DOWN AN INCH OR LESS OF SNOW BEFORE THE STRONGEST WEST WINDS KICK IN TO THOSE AREAS SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE BRUNT OF THE 700MB COLDER AIR NOSING INTO SOUTHERN WYOMING. JOHNSON COUNTY WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE STRONG POST FRONTAL NORTHWEST WINDS AS 8MB TO 9MB 3 HOURLY SURFACE PRESSURE RISES TAKE PLACE BEHIND THE FRONT SUNDAY AFTERNOON ALONG WITH A DRIVING COLD RAIN. A SECONDARY CANADIAN COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTHWEST INTO NORTHEAST WYOMING INCLUDING JOHNSON COUNTY BY LATE SUNDAY BEFORE STALLING. LONG TERM...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY TAIL END OF OUR VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE REGION INTO SUNDAY EVENING WITH SOME LIGHT MOUNTAIN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW AND STRONG WIND...ESPECIALLY IN FAVORED NW FLOW AREAS. INCREASED THE WINDS FROM DUBOIS TO RIVERTON THROUGH 06Z MONDAY AS OUR HIGH WIND WATCH WILL RUN INTO THIS PERIOD. COLD...MODERATELY MOIST NW FLOW WILL PREVAIL IN BETWEEN SYSTEMS WITH SOME LIGHT MOUNTAIN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW CONTINUING AHEAD OF OUR LATE MONDAY...MONDAY NIGHT SYSTEM. MORE STRONG WINDS WITH THIS SYSTEM WITH FAVORED NW FLOW AREAS LIKE DUBOIS TO RIVERTON FLIRTING WITH HIGH WINDS AGAIN. VERY COLD MID MARCH SYSTEM AND HAVE LOWERED TEMPERATURES QUITE A BIT...ESPECIALLY MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. RIDGE DOES BUILD IN LATE TUESDAY BUT SURFACE HIGH WILL LIKELY KEEP COLD FRONT LINGERING IN THE NRN AND ERN ZONES. SOME MODERATION IN HIGHS IN THE SWRN HALF OF THE AREA. TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT BRIEF SHORTWAVE RIDGE TUESDAY NIGHT WEDNESDAY MORNING AHEAD OF OUR NEXT COUPLE SHORTWAVES. THE SRN SYSTEM IS NORTH OF HAWAII WHILE THE COLD SYSTEM IS PASSING EAST OF KAMCHATKA. THE SRN SYSTEM MAY BRING A GLANCING BLOW TO THE SW LATE WEDNESDAY BUT THE COLDER NRN SYSTEM WILL LIKELY BE THE HIGHER IMPACT SYSTEM FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. THE SYSTEM IS LOOKING LIKE IT WILL BE WEAKENING AND SHEARING OVER US BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WILL BE ENOUGH COLD AIR AND INSTABILITY ALONG WITH POTENTIAL MID LEVEL CIRCULATION TO CAUSE WIDESPREAD MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL AND A DECENT SHOT OF SNOW FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS ALONG ITS PATH. BRISK NW FLOW BEHIND THIS SYSTEM THROUGH FRIDAY WITH GRADUALLY BUILDING HEIGHTS...ESPECIALLY LATER FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY WITH MODERATING TEMPERATURES. WILL HAVE TO WATCH ANOTHER POTENTIAL SHORTWAVE IN THE FLOW AROUND FRIDAY NIGHT. AVIATION.../06Z ISSUANCE/ QUICKLY DETERIORATING CONDITIONS ACROSS THE WEST THROUGH 09Z...AS A STRONG STORM SYSTEM BEGINS TO IMPACT THE COWBOY STATE. A QUICK MOVING STORM SYSTEM WILL RESULT IN EXTREMELY WINDY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION SUNDAY...WITH WIDESPREAD MOUNTAIN TURBULENCE ESPECIALLY ON THE LEE SIDE OF MOUNTAIN RANGES. ALSO LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR WILL BE PRESENT...ESPECIALLY SUNDAY MORNING AT KCOD AND KLND...BEFORE THE STRONGER WINDS MIX DOWN. WINDS WILL WEAKEN TONIGHT...BUT STILL REMAIN BREEZY TO WINDY OVERNIGHT. WEST OF THE DIVIDE...A PERIOD OR TWO OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS WEST/NORTHWEST WYOMING BETWEEN 08Z AND 15Z AS THE BAROCLINIC ZONE PUSHES EAST ACROSS WESTERN WYOMING EARLY THIS MORNING. THE MOST WIDESPREAD AND HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED THROUGH ABOUT 15Z...BUT MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS THROUGH THE DAY. MOUNTAIN PASSES SHOULD BE OBSCURED SUNDAY IN LIFR CONDITIONS WITH SNOW...BLOWING SNOW AND LOW CEILINGS. THE MOST IMPACTED TERMINAL WILL ONCE AGAIN BE AT KJAC WITH IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS LIKELY THROUGH AROUND 14Z...WITH MAINLY MVFR CONDITIONS/BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE REST OF TH DAY. FARTHER SOUTH ACROSS THE UPPER GREEN RIVER BASIN AND SWEETWATER COUNTY...A BRIEF HOUR OR TWO OF IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...LOW CEILINGS AND FOG ALONG THE EXTREME EASTERN PORTIONS OF NATRONA AND JOHNSON COUNTIES COULD IMPACT KBYG AND KCPR THROUGH ABOUT 08Z...BEFORE THE FLOW VEERS TO THE SOUTHWEST AND DRIER AIR WORKS INTO THE REGION...AS A LEE TROUGH BEGINS TO DEVELOP IN RESPONSE TO AN APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM. THIS STORM SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE SUNDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE LESS CONCENTRATED THAN WEST OF THE DIVIDE ESPECIALLY IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS FOR THIS SYSTEM...BUT ENOUGH COVERAGE TO WARRANT VCSH ACROSS THE NORTH AND EAST. AN ISOLATED LIGHTNING STRIKE OR TWO IS ALSO POSSIBLE AS THIS SYSTEM PUSHES ACROSS THE REGION. MOUNTAINS PASSES ESPECIALLY ALONG THE DIVIDE WILL BE VERY TURBULENT WITH MAINLY LIFR CONDITIONS IN SNOW...BLOWING SNOW AND LOW CEILINGS. WILL NOT PREVAIL/TEMPO ANY TAF SITE EAST OF THE DIVIDE WITH MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS...BUT BRIEF PERIODS ARE POSSIBLE. PLEASE SEE THE AVIATION WEATHER CENTER FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE LATEST ICING AND TURBULENCE STATEMENTS...ON THIS STRONG STORM SYSTEM. FIRE WEATHER... A SIGNIFICANT SNOW AND WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING IN NORTHWEST WYOMING AND IN THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS. VERY STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE LANDER FOOTHILLS LATE SUNDAY MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. VERY STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN SOUTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY...SWEETWATER COUNTY...THE WIND RIVER BASIN INCLUDING DUBOIS...THE GREEN MOUNTAINS AND NORTHERN JOHNSON COUNTY SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LESS WINDY BUT STILL WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ELSEWHERE SUNDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER SUNDAY. THE MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL ONLY BE IN THE LOW TEENS TO THE LEE OF THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WATCH FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING WYZ010-019-027>030. HIGH WIND WATCH FROM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON WYZ018. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM MDT SUNDAY WYZ001-002-012-013. HIGH WIND WATCH FROM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING WYZ016-017. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM MDT SUNDAY WYZ014-015. && UPDATE...WM SHORT TERM...LIPSON LONG TERM...SKRBAC AVIATION...WM FIRE WEATHER...LIPSON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 845 PM MDT SAT MAR 16 2013 WYZ001>020-022>030-171200- 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- 845 PM MDT SAT MAR 16 2013 ...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS FROM MIDNIGHT THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY... ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS FROM MIDNIGHT THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY... ...HIGH WIND WATCH FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL WYOMING SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SNOW AND STRONG WIND WILL DEVELOP OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS LATE TONIGHT AND SPREAD TO THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE FAR WEST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...VERY WINDY ACROSS MUCH OF THE STATE WITH GUSTS OVER 50 MPH POSSIBLE ACROSS MANY LOWER ELEVATION AREAS. EVEN STRONGER WINDS WITH GUSTS OVER 60 MPH ARE QUITE POSSIBLE FROM DUBOIS TO RIVERTON...SOUTH TO LANDER...THE GREEN MOUNTAINS AND RATTLESNAKE RANGE AND ACROSS SWEETWATER COUNTY. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED IN THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN MOUNTAINS WITH A FEW INCHES OF SNOW POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHERN BASINS AND ALONG THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR. TRAVEL COULD BECOME HAZARDOUS...ESPECIALLY OVER HIGHER ELEVATION PASSES INCLUDING SOUTH PASS AND ALONG NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTED ROADWAYS. CHECK THE VARIOUS WINTER WEATHER AND HIGH WIND STATEMENTS FOR FURTHER DETAILS. WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...INCREASING SNOWFALL IN THE WEST WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. TURNING COLDER WITH RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS...AND POSSIBLY A THUNDERSTORM OR TWO...DEVELOPING ACROSS CENTRAL WYOMING ON THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS AND WIND SPEEDS TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. THANK YOU. TEAM RIVERTON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 high wind, 2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds over 50 mph and snow produced white out conditions.
Winds gusts of 63 mph combined with snow produced white-out conditions over South Pass.
Several locations reported wind gusts over 58 mph. These include 69 mph at Fales Rock, 66 mph at Camp Creek and 63 mph at Beaver Rim.
Several wind gusts over 60 mph were reported across the Lander Foothills. Some gusts include 75 mph at the North Fork of the Popo Agie river, and 68 mph at the Lander Airport.
The Casper Airport ASOS reported a wind gust of 58 mph. At Hiland 40 mph sustained winds were reported.
There were multiple reports of wind gusts past 58 mph across eastern Sweetwater County. Some of these include 69 mph at the Rock Springs Airport, 71 mph at Bitter Creek and 65 mph at Tipton.
Winds were sustained at 40-45 mph at Shute Creek.
Sustained winds of 42 mph were reported at Crowheart.
The Buckboard Marina reported a wind gust to 65 mph.
A WYDOT observation station reported sustained winds of 40 to 43 mph at Piney Creek on Interstate 90.
A 58 mph wind gust was reported at Kemmerer.
A WYDOT sensor at Peru Hill on Interstate 80 recorded several wind gusts past 58 mph, including a maximum of 63 mph. In Rock Springs, several trees were downed in Rock Springs, one crushed a police car. A telephone pole was downed and 3 businesses lost their signs.
A wind gust of 58 mph was reported at the National Weather Service in Riverton.
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, March 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: 433253, 433254, 432994, 431375, 431370, 433247, 433250, 431371, 432995, 433248, 432776, 432993, 431372.