Strong northwest flow behind a cold front and associated trough brought high wind to portions of northern Johnson County. Several wind gusts of 58 to 69 mph were recorded during the evening of Monday, December 22, at the Johnson County Airport in Buffalo.
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 northwest flow behind a cold front and associated trough brought high wind to portions of northern Johnson County. Several wind gusts of 58 to 69 mph were recorded during the evening of Monday, December 22, at the Johnson County Airport in Buffalo. A mesonet station along Interstate 90 north of Buffalo measured sustained wind of 40 to 43 mph into the early morning hours.
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 Dec 22, 2:20 PM MST, 3 hours 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 220 PM MST MON DEC 22 2014 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY AS THE MAIN TROUGH MOVES EAST AND UNDERGOES RAPID CYCLOGENESIS IN THE PLAINS THERE WILL STILL BE A FEW HOURS OF STEEP LAPSE RATES AS THE COLD POOL SETTLES AT THE BACK EDGE OF THE TROUGH...FOLLOWED BY SOME WRAP-AROUND MOISTURE AND SHORT WAVE THAT WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF LIGHT SNOW TO THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT. IT WILL ALSO BE ACCOMPANIED BY SOME STRONG NORTHERLY WIND WITH GUSTS OVER 50 MPH EXPECTED AROUND BUFFALO THIS EVENING...ELSEWHERE EXPECT STEADY 15 TO 25 MPH WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA BETWEEN SUNSET AND MIDNIGHT WITH WIND AND SNOW TAPERING OFF THEREAFTER. ON TUESDAY...HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE WEST WITH ANOTHER SNOW SHOWER OR TWO POSSIBLE ALONG THE I25 CORRIDOR AND IN THE BIGHORNS. ELSEWHERE...CLEARING AND COOL WITH DECREASING WINDS. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY A TRANSIENT RIDGE BUILDS IN FOR TUESDAY NIGHT FOR DRY WEATHER EVERYWHERE. THEN ON WEDNESDAY...THE NEXT UPSTREAM SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL APPROACH THE PACIFIC COAST. AS A RESULT...LIGHT SNOW WILL BREAK OUT IN NORTHWEST WYOMING. AS THE TROUGH APPROACHES...THE GRADIENT WILL RETIGHTEN AND A RESULTANT SURFACE LEE SIDE TROUGH WILL DEVELOP WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS INCREASING FROM THE GREEN MTNS TO CASPER. THE TROUGH WILL THEN DIG OVER THE GREAT BASIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH THE WEST SOUTHWEST DIFLUENT UPSLOPE FLOW INCREASING IN THE FAR WEST OUT AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING TROUGH FOR INCREASING SNOWFALL IN THE FAR WEST. 12Z THURSDAY IS WHERE THE GFS AND THE ECMWF BEGIN TO DIVERGE. THE GFS CLOSES THE TROUGH OVER SOUTHERN IDAHO AND TRACKS IT EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN WYOMING...ROUGHLY ALONG THE NORTHERN SWEETWATER COUNTY BORDER DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. THIS IS A GREAT TRACK FOR WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA CHRISTMAS DAY GIVEN THE FAVORABLE POSITION OF THE LEFT FRONT QUAD OF THE JET ALONG WITH AMPLE Q VECTOR FORCING AND WEAK ISENTROPIC LIFT FROM THE NORTH. THE SFC LOW...AS PROGGED BY THE GFS...WILL FORM OVER SE COLORADO AND PROVIDE THE LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE FLOW AND RESULTANT SNOWFALL WITH THE HELP FROM THE SEEDER FEEDER ACTION FROM THE CLOUDS ABOVE...LINKED TO THE AFOREMENTIONED UPPER AIR DYNAMICS. THIS TRACK IS FARTHER SOUTH THEN THE NORTHERN WYOMING ROUTE OF THE PREVIOUS GFS RUN. THE EURO KEEPS THE TROUGH OPEN AND FOCUSES MOST OF THE ENERGY TO THE SOUTH OVER THE FOUR CORNERS AREA. WILL KEEP LIKELY POPS EVERYWHERE THU FOR NOW. SNOWFALL WILL SLOWLY DECREASE THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE TROUGH MOVES EAST. EXCEPT FOR ISOLATED MTN SNOW SHOWERS ON FRIDAY DUE TO A VORT LOBE IN THE NW FLOW ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE MAIN TROUGH...EXPECT MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS. ON SATURDAY THE FLOW WILL BACK TO WESTERLY AGAIN RESULTING IN INCREASING UPSLOPE SNOWFALL FOR THE FAR WEST IN RESPONSE TO A TROUGH MOVING ONSHORE TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THE SNOWFALL WILL INTENSIFY SATURDAY NIGHT AS THE TROUGH DIGS OVER THE PAC NW. FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY...THE GFS AND THE EURO ARE SURPRISINGLY SIMILAR IN CARVING OUT THE TROUGH OVER THE GREAT BASIN AND ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE IT OFF OVER THE VCNTY OF SLC. THE GFS PLACES THE H7 LOW RIGHT OVER CENTRAL WY SUNDAY. HAVE HIGH CHC POPS OVER THE MUCH OF THE CWA SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL BE A COLDER SYSTEM THAN THE CHRISTMAS STORM WITH -20C H7 TEMPS BEING PULLED SOUTHWEST FROM THE HUDSON BAY AREA BEHIND THE ASCT COLD FRONT SUNDAY NT. TEMPS WILL WARM WED WITH ABOVE FREEZING TEMPS IN MANY AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE AHEAD OF THE SNOW EVENT ON CHRISTMAS EVE. THEN EXPECT SEASONABLY COLD TEMPS THROUGH SUNDAY. BEHIND AND AFTER THE COLD SYSTEM SUNDAY NIGHT...MANY AREAS WILL STRUGGLE TO GET ABOVE THE TEENS MONDAY. && .AVIATION.../00Z ISSUANCE/ EAST OF THE DIVIDE...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL ROUTES AREAS OF GUSTY NORTHWEST WIND WILL REMAIN...ESPECIALLY VCNTY KDUB-KRIW AND KBYG...THROUGH ABOUT 12Z TUE WITH DECREASING WINDS THEREAFTER. -SHSN ACTIVITY WILL REMAIN MOSTLY ISOLD-WDLY SCT WITH MORE NMRS SHSN OBSCURING THE SURROUNDING MTNS THRU 03Z. SOME WRAPAROUND MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO PUSH BACK FROM AN UPPER LOW OVER THE PLAINS INTO EASTERN WYOMING TONIGHT...AND THIS MAY BRING MORE WIDESPREAD MVFR/IFR -SN AS FAR WEST AS THE BIGHORN RANGE TO VCNTY KCPR...IN ADDITION TO THE GUSTY 15 TO 30KT WINDS...GUSTS OVER 45KT EXPECTED NEAR BYG...COULD ALSO RESULT IN AREAS OF BLSN. WEST OF THE DIVIDE...KBPI/KJAC/KPNA/KRKS ROUTES AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL DIVE SOUTH ALONG THE DIVIDE EARLY IN THE PERIOD...EXITING SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 THIS EVENING. SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL EVENTUALLY WANE...IMPROVING CONDITIONS FOLLOWING THE DISTURBANCE THIS EVENING. CLEARING CONDITIONS AND DIMINISHING WIND WILL FOLLOW OVERNIGHT WITH MOST AREAS EXPECTED TO REMAIN FOG FREE DUE TO THE CONTINUED NORTHWEST BREEZES...HOWEVER CONDITIONS WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME CALM ENOUGH IN THE FAR WESTERN VALLEYS FOR SOME PATCHY FOG...ESPECIALLY NEAR KJAC. && .FIRE WEATHER... GUSTY WIND WILL REMAIN ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA...WITH WIND WEAKENING DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO COOL TUESDAY BEFORE EXPERIENCING A SLIGHT WARMING ON WEDNESDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF AFTER SUNSET WITH A PERIOD OF SNOW LINGERING ACROSS CASEPR DISPATCH PAST MIDNIGHT. THE NEXT APPROACHING TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWESTERN WYOMING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND WILL SPREAD EAST THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS INTO CHRISTMAS DAY. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...ALLEN LONG TERM...LIPSON AVIATION...ALLEN FIRE WEATHER...ALLEN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 400 AM MST MON DEC 22 2014 WYZ001>020-022>030-231300- 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- 400 AM MST MON DEC 22 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT LIGHT SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE TODAY...MOVING INTO EASTERN WYOMING THROUGH THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. TRAVEL MAY BE IMPACTED BY SNOWFALL AND GUSTY WIND. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH CHRISTMAS NIGHT...A NEW STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE REGION. SNOW STARTS IN THE WEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND SPREADS EAST OF THE DIVIDE CHRISTMAS DAY INTO CHRISTMAS NIGHT. BASED ON THE CURRENT TRACK...SNOW AMOUNTS LOOK TO BE LIGHT...BUT ENOUGH TO HAVE TRAVEL IMPACTS. STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES TO THE FORECAST. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. THANK YOU. TEAM RIVERTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 230 PM MST MON DEC 22 2014 WYZ001>020-022>030-231100- 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- 230 PM MST MON DEC 22 2014 ...ARE YOU DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS?... THE ATMOSPHERE IS SHAPING UP FOR A WHITE CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR. A WELL DEVELOPED STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO TRACK EAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ROCKIES WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT... ALTHOUGH THE EXACT TRACK OF THE STORM IS STILL RATHER UNCERTAIN. HOWEVER...CONFIDENCE IS HIGH ENOUGH AT THIS TIME THAT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH ATMOSPHERIC INGREDIENTS WILL COME TOGETHER TO PRODUCE A LIKELIHOOD OF MEASURABLE SNOWFALL ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH THE BULK OF THE SNOWFALL FALLING ON CHRISTMAS DAY. SNOWFALL TOTALS BY FRIDAY MORNING ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 6 TO 12 INCHES IN THE WESTERN WYOMING MOUNTAINS...AROUND 6 INCHES IN THE WESTERN VALLEYS...5 TO 10 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS EAST OF THE DIVIDE AND 2 TO 4 INCHES AT THE LOWER ELEVATIONS EAST OF THE DIVIDE. DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS...THE FINER DETAILS OF THE STORM WILL UNFOLD. IF YOU PLAN ON TRAVELING ON CHRISTMAS EVE OR CHRISTMAS DAY...BE PREPARED FOR SLICK AND SNOW COVERED ROADS AND POOR VISIBILITY. BRING EXTRA FOOD AND WATER ALONG WITH A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT. TRY TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION BEFORE THE SNOW FLIES IF AT ALL POSSIBLE SO THAT YOU CAN ENJOY THE SNOWFALL IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR FRIENDS OR FAMILIES HOME. LIPSON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust to 69 mph was recorded at the Johnson County Airport in Buffalo.
The Piney Creek mesonet station recorded sustained winds of about 40 to 43 mph for approximately 2.5 hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, December 2014
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: 549097, 552497.