Strong winds aloft and a tightening pressure gradient ahead of an upper level low brought strong, gusty west to southwest wind to central Wyoming. The highest winds were recorded in a corridor from southeast Fremont County through eastern Natrona County.
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 RIW wrote it up.
Strong winds aloft and a tightening pressure gradient ahead of an upper level low brought strong, gusty west to southwest wind to central Wyoming. The highest winds were recorded in a corridor from southeast Fremont County through eastern Natrona County. Wind gusts topped out around 65 mph at two RAWS. Also, a mesonet sensor on I-25 north of Casper recorded sustained speeds over 40 mph during the late morning and early afternoon.
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 Nov 15, 10:53 PM MST, 1 hour 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 1053 PM MST FRI NOV 15 2013 .UPDATE...THE HIGH WIND WATCH HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A HIGH WIND WARNING IN ZONES 19 AND 20 FOR SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. NO OTHER CHANGES TO HIGHLIGHTS AT THIS TIME. .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY (ISSUED AT 310 PM MDT) THINGS WILL BECOME ACTIVE AS THE NEXT WINTER WEATHER MAKER MOVES FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST INTO THE WYOMING THROUGH TONIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY. SNOW SHOWERS...SOME HEAVY...HAVE DEVELOPED OVER SWEETWATER COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON WITH A JET STREAK MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN COLORADO. THESE SHOULD END LATER THIS AFTERNOON WITH MOST OF THE AREA SEEING MAINLY DRY WEATHER THROUGH AROUND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. WEST OF THE DIVIDE...THE FIRST WAVE WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN WYOMING AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND SPREAD SNOW FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS SOME OF THE ADJACENT VALLEYS. THERE IS A DECENT AMOUNT OF DYNAMICS WITH THIS SYSTEM SO SNOWFALL RATES WILL LIKELY BECOME MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY AT TIMES. AS A RESULT...WE WILL HOIST WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREAS WEST OF THE DIVIDE WITH A GENERAL 6 TO 10 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS AND 3 TO 6 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS. THERE COULD BE LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE TETONS...BUT THIS SHOULD BE ABOVE PASS LEVEL. NEVERTHELESS...A DIFFICULT TRAVEL DAY ACROSS THE WESTERN WYOMING WITH SNOW AND AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. SNOW WILL CONTINUE OFF AND ON THROUGH THE DAY WITH POSSIBLY A PERIOD OF HEAVY SNOW LATER IN THE AFTERNOON AS THE MAIN TROUGH AXIS PASSES THROUGH WITH THE BEST OMEGA. SNOWFALL RATES SHOULD TAPER OFF AFTER THAT ALTHOUGH UPSLOPE FLOW KEEP SNOW SHOWERS GOING INTO THE EVENING. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...THE CONCERN HERE WILL BE NOT FOR SNOW BUT FOR WIND. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN AS A COLD FRONT WITH THE SYSTEM PRODUCING THE SNOW ACROSS THE WEST MOVES IN. WINDS ALOFT WILL ALSO BE RATHER STRONG WITH THE NAM SHOWING 50 TO 55 KNOTS AT 500 MILLIBARS ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY AS WELL AS MUCH OF NATRONA COUNTY. WITH GOOD MIXING CONDITIONS EXPECTED WE WILL HOIST A HIGH WIND WATCH AS WELL ACROSS NATRONA COUNTY AS WELL AS THE GREEN AND RATTLESNAKE RANGE FROM LATE MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE AS WELL ALTHOUGH NOT AS STRONG. BUT NEVERTHELESS A DAY TO STRAP UP YOUR HAT OR GLUE DOWN YOU TOUPEE. .LONG TERM...SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY CURRENTLY...SAT IMAGERY SHOWING SHOWING UPR SW MOVING THRU LARGE SCALE LW TROF IN PLACE OVR CONUS...CUTTING DIAGONALLY FROM ECNTRL MT THRU SWRN WY AND INTO SRN CA. UPR JET FORCING NOT AN ISSUE ATTM AS BOT SRN AND NRN BRANCHES ARE WELL AWAY FROM THE FA...ONE JUST PLOWING INTO THE NW CONUS/SRN BC...THE OTHER WELL SOUTH THRU BAJA AND SRN STATES. AT SFC...HI PRESS W...LEE TROF E WITH DEVELOPING CYCLONE CURRENTLY FORMING IN BC. SAT NIGHT...STRONGEST UPR LVL SW TROF WILL BE MOVING THRU...EXITING BY SUN MORNING...WITH CANADIAN SFC CYCLONE STARTING TO BEAR DOWN AND REDEVELOP IN THE NRN/CNTRL PLAINS. SNOW WILL STILL REMAIN LIKELY...BUT BECOME LIGHT...ACROSS THE WRN MOUNTAINS OVERNIGHT SAT THRU SUN MORNING...WITH CHCS DECREASING...PERHAPS QUICKER THAN IS CURRENTLY IN THE FCST...THRU THE DAY ON SUNDAY. LOWER ELEVATIONS E OF MOST MOUNTAIN RANGES...WILL LARGE BE DEVOID OF ANY PRECIP/SNOWFALL...OTHER THAN PERHAPS FLURRIES/VERY BRIEF LIGHT SNOW SAT NIGHT. HAVE CUT BACK ON POPS SOMEWHAT IN THESE AREAS. OTHERWISE...WINDS WILL START OUT QUITE STRONG SAT NIGHT...WITH LARGELY UNIDIRECTIONAL FLOW THROUGH THE VERTICAL...QUITE UNSTABLE LAPSE RATES...AND A SFC P GRAD APPROACHING 5-6 MB/100 MI...WITH WRLY GUSTS AT THE LOWER ELEVATIONS IN THE 40 TO 50 MPH RANGE. WINDS WILL DECREASE SOME OVERNIGHT SAT AND INTO SUN MORNING...BUT WILL REINVIGORATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON...ALTHOUGH NOT TO THE SAME EXTENT AS ON SAT. BEYOND SUNDAY...UPR LVLS GO BRIEFLY NWRLY BEFORE TRANSITION TO CONTINUED PROGRESSIVE BUT RATHER FLAT AND NEARLY ZONAL PATTER MONDAY...WITH UPR LVL WAVE RIPPLES MOVING VERY QUICKLY THRU THE PATTERN THRU THE REST OF THE FCST PERIOD. SO WRN MOUNTAINS WILL KEEP LOW END POPS AROUND THRU MOST OF THE REST OF THE FCST...WITH ADJUSTMENTS TO COME FOR SURE...AS INCOMING MOISTURE OSCILLATES OVR TIME AND MAY NOT NECESSARILY MATCH UP WHEN BETTER DYNAMICS MOVE ACROSS. LR MDLS WERE IN FAIR AGREEMENT THRU NEXT THU...BUT THAT WAS BEFORE THE 12Z EURO CAME OUT...SO NOW THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT PHASING DIFFERENCES BY WED OF NEXT WEEK. INTERESTINGLY...BOTH MDLS IN VERY LONG TERM CONTINUE TO TREND TOWARD SIGNIFICANT RIDGING OVR THE WRN CONUS BY THE BEGINNING OF T-GIVING WEEK...WHICH COULD BODE WELL FOR TRAVEL...NOT SO MUCH FOR THE SKI AREAS. && .AVIATION.../06Z ISSUANCE/ EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE... VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY. SOME SNOW WILL OCCUR IN THE BIGHORN MOUNTAINS FROM 18Z UNTIL 06Z SUNDAY...SO EXPECT MVFR CONDITIONS IN THAT LOCATION WITH MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION. IT WILL BE WINDY OVER MOST OF THE REGION FROM 15Z SATURDAY THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY. WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE... SNOW WILL OCCUR IN THE WEST TODAY WITH MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING WITH MOUNTAINS OBSCURED. CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN TO IMPROVE AFTER 00Z IN SOME LOCATIONS. THE KJAC TERMINAL IS EXPECTED TO SEE MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS THROUGH 00Z AND THEN MVFR CONDITIONS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY. THE KRKS TERMINAL WILL SEE WINDY CONDITIONS FOR MUCH OF TODAY AND TONIGHT WITH SHOWERS IN THE VCNTY FROM 16Z UNTIL 01Z. && .FIRE WEATHER... A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL DELIVER SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOWFALL TO THE WESTERN MTNS SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...DOWNSLOPING FLOW WILL LIMIT ANY PRECIPITATION TO FLURRIES. 30 TO 40 MPH WEST SOUTHWEST WINDS WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 MPH WILL BE COMMON FROM THE RED DESERT TO CASPER SATURDAY AS WELL AS ALONG THE EAST SLOPE OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. SUNDAY WILL BE COLDER BEHIND THE EXITING WEATHER SYSTEM. SNOW WILL TAPER OFF LATER SATURDAY NIGHT WITH LIGHT SNOW CONTINUING IN THE NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. EXPECT TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS IN THE BASINS AND VALLEYS. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON WYZ019-020. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 2 AM TO 11 PM MST SATURDAY WYZ002-014-015-023>025. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 PM MST SATURDAY WYZ001-012-013. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 AM TO 11 PM MST SATURDAY WYZ027. && SHORT TERM...HATTINGS LONG TERM...BRAUN AVIATION...AR FIRE WEATHER...HATTINGS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 1021 PM MST FRI NOV 15 2013 WYZ001>020-022>030-161200- 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- 1021 PM MST FRI NOV 15 2013 ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL WYOMING VALID FROM 9 AM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM SATURDAY EVENING... ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MUCH OF WESTERN WYOMING VALID FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 5 AM SUNDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT LATE TONIGHT...A FAST MOVING STORM SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACROSS THE WEST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY MORNING...A CONTINUATION OF POSSIBLE SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACROSS THE WEST. STRONG WINDS POSSIBLE...MAINLY BETWEEN ROCK SPRINGS AND CASPER SATURDAY. PLEASE SEE THE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR MORE DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT. TEAM RIVERTON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gust to 66 mph at Camp Creek RAWS and 65 mph at Fales Rock RAWS.
KTMH 1246MST observation was 45 mph sustained. Fairly continuous sustained speeds 40mph+ from 1020-1300MST. One hour sustained criterion is the reason for 1120 start time to event.
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, November 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: 477656, 477657.