Another in a series of very wet Pacific storms brought more heavy snow to areas west of the Continental Divide. New snowfall of 29 inches fell at Hoback Junction in Teton County.
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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.
Another in a series of very wet Pacific storms brought more heavy snow to areas west of the Continental Divide. New snowfall of 29 inches fell at Hoback Junction in Teton County. Some other impressive amounts included 26 inches at Lewis Lake Divide in Yellowstone National Park and up to 2 feet at Alpine. East of the Divide, the story once again was strong winds in favored areas such as the Cody Foothills, the Green and Rattlesnake Range, and the south side of Casper. The maximum wind gust was 85 mph near Clark in the Cody Foothills. Portions of southeast Fremont and southern Natrona counties also reported wind gusts in excess of 60 mph.
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 Feb 11, 10:48 PM MST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 1048 PM MST TUE FEB 11 2014 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY (ISSUED AT 211 PM MST) COMPLEX FORECAST WITH SNOW AND STRONG WINDS OVER THE WEST SPREADING INTO THE BIGHORN MOUNTAINS...AND HIGH WINDS ALONG AND NEAR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS AND THROUGH THE WIND CORRIDOR FROM NORTHWEST SWEETWATER COUNTY...ACROSS SOUTHERN FREMONT COUNTY... NATRONA COUNTY AND INTO SOUTHERN JOHNSON COUNTY. HAVE UPGRADED WINTER STORM WATCH TO A WARNING AND ISSUED WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EAST SLOPES OF WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS AND THE DUBOIS ZONE FROM DUBOIS TO NEAR TOGWOTEE PASS...AND ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF SUBLETTE AND SOUTHERN LINCOLN COUNTIES. SNOWFALL WILL TAPER OFF IN THE WEST THIS EVENING BUT NOT COMPLETELY END IN THE MOUNTAINS AND THEN EARLY IN THE MORNING THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE PACIFIC JET STREAM AND DEEP MOISTURE PLUME WILL BEGIN TO MOVE INTO WESTERN WYOMING. THE JET WILL SUPPORT VERY STRONG WINDS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND LIKELY PRODUCE MOUNTAIN WAVES ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE ABSAROKA... WIND RIVER AND BIGHORN MOUNTAINS. IT APPEARS THAT THE WAVE LENGTH BETWEEN THE ABSAROKA WAVE WILL COME INTO PHASE WITH THE WAVE IN THE LEE OF THE SOUTHERN BIGHORN MOUNTAINS. THIS IS A RATHER RARE OCCURRENCE AND IS ESSENTIAL FOR STRONG WEST DOWNSLOPE WINDS ALONG AND NEAR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE BIGHORN MOUNTAINS. AT LEAST THE HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS HAVE THE WAVES IN PHASE...NOW WE WILL SEE IF IT ACTUALLY HAPPENS. TEMPERATURE WARM UP WILL CONTINUE WITH SOME PESKY COLD POOLS IN THE BIG HORN...WIND RIVER AND GREEN RIVER BASINS. BUT EVEN THESE AREAS WILL MODIFY SOME. SNOWFALL STILL LOOKS GOOD IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS. THE STRONG WINDS WILL HAMPER MEASUREMENT WITH SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING EXPECTED. .MID TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY WINTER STORM WILL BE ONGOING AT THE START OF THIS PERIOD AND CONTINUE AT LEAST INTO THURSDAY MORNING BEFORE POSSIBLY TAPER OFF. TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO QUITE WARM WITH THIS SYSTEM BY THE LATTER STAGES SO THE VALLEYS MAY DEAL WITH A CHANGEOVER OR MIXTURE AT TIMES LIMITING OVERALL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FOR THE LAST THIRD OF THE STORM OR SO. OTHERWISE...IDEA OF A 1 TO 2 FEET IN THE MOUNTAINS LOOKS GOOD WITH 5 TO 10...6 TO 12 INCH RANGE FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS ESPECIALLY WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...WE'LL BE LOOKING AT POTENTIAL HIGH WINDS INTO THE EVENING ACROSS THE WIND CORRIDOR UP INTO SRN JOHNSON. POTENTIAL MOUNTAIN WAVE IN SRN JOHNSON WITH STRONG WINDS WORKING VERY CLOSE TO THE SURFACE. UP IN THE CODY FOOTHILLS...THE MOUNTAIN WAVE SIGNATURE IS LONGER LASTING AND THUS THE WATCH WILL BE EXTENDED THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. LCL WRF STILL SHOWING UPSTREAM INVERSION JUST ABOVE MOUNTAIN TOP ALONG WITH RIGHT FRONT QUAD OF THE JET APPROACHING. THE FROUDE NUMBER IS ALSO RIGHT AROUND ONE INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT...ESPECIALLY OVER THE MAIN ABSAROKA FRONT SO WILL BE INTERESTING TO WATCH HOW THIS EVOLVES. WIND INTO THE BARRIER IS AROUND 45KTS GIVE OR TAKE SO IF WE GET A SIGNIFICANT MOUNTAIN WAVE EPISODE IT WILL LIKELY COME OFF THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS...LIKE ABOVE CLARK. GAP FLOW SIGNATURE IS ALSO MODERATE WITH H7 BARRIER DIFFERENCE OF 10 TO 13C. WINDS WILL ALSO LIKELY BE QUITE STRONG FROM DUBOIS DOWN TO NEAR RIVERTON WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH THREAT FOR HIGH WINDS INCREASING THURSDAY WITH 160KT SEWD MOVING JET ALONG WITH A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH. WILL HAVE TO WATCH THIS CLOSELY FOR A POTENTIAL HIGH WIND EPISODE FROM DUBOIS DOWN TO RIVERTON. THE EAST SLOPE OF THE WINDS AND LANDER FOOTHILLS WILL ALSO BE CLOSE WITH ONLY THE WNW FLOW HAMPERING IT SOME. TEMPERATURES WILL DEFINITELY BE WARMING UP WITH MIXED ATMOSPHERE AND FAIRLY MILD MID LEVEL TEMPERATURES. NOT GOING WITH THE SOARING MAV GUIDANCE BUT CLOSER TO THE MET/ECE WITH 40S AND SOME 50S EAST OF THE DIVIDE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. ON FRIDAY...WE GET ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE LOOKING ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE SIGNATURE WITH ACTIVE JET STREAM AND GOOD OROGRAPHIC POTENTIAL. WARM MID LEVEL TEMPERATURES AGAIN MAKING THE VALLEYS TRICKY FOR RAIN/SNOW LINE BUT MOUNTAINS SHOULD SEE ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT SNOW STORM STARTING FRIDAY AND CONTINUING INTO THE MEDIUM RANGE PERIOD. MORE WIND EAST OF THE DIVIDE WITH SOME HIGH WINDS POSSIBLE IN THE CODY FOOTHILLS...WIND CORRIDOR AND DUBOIS TO RIVERTON AREA WITH BORDERLINE HIGH WINDS ALONG THE EAST SLOPE OF THE WINDS AND LANDER FOOTHILLS. ACTIVE PERIOD TO SAY THE LEAST! .LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY SOUTHWEST FLOW CONTINUES TO DRAW WARM MOIST AIR UP INTO MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA FRIDAY EVENING AS SWIFT WESTERLY FLOW PERSISTS ALOFT. SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO PILE UP ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AS A SHORT WAVE CONTINUES TO TRACK EAST...A POSSIBLE RAIN SNOW MIX ACROSS THE WESTERN VALLEYS WILL EVENTUALLY TURN TO ALL SNOW FRIDAY NIGHT. WINDY TO EVEN HIGH WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE KRKS-KCPR WIND CORRIDOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING AS THE LEE TROUGH DEVELOPS WITH 700MB FLOW AROUND 50KT. WARM AND WINDY CONDITIONS EAST OF THE DIVIDE WILL EVENTUALLY GIVE WAY TO COOLER NORTHERLY FLOW AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTH EAST OF THE DIVIDE...SOME SNOW WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE FRONT WITH SOME ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE IN FAVORED UPSLOPE AREAS. ALTHOUGH PRECIPITATION IS LIKELY OVER THE WEST SATURDAY...THERE WILL BE PROBABLY BE A LULL IN THE INTENSITY/COVERAGE OF THE PRECIPITATION...BEFORE MORE WIDESPREAD AND HEAVIER PRECIPITATION AFFECT WESTERN WYOMING SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. AGAIN COULD SEE SIGNIFICANT MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL WHILE THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL PROBABLY SEE RAIN AND SNOW AS ANOTHER PUSH OF VERY MILD AIR ARRIVES WITH A PASSING RIDGE ON SATURDAY. AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE WILL REMAIN MAINLY DRY DUE TO DOWNSLOPING...BUT COULD SEE SOME PRECIPITATION SPILL EAST OF THE DIVIDE LATE SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT AS THE SHORTWAVE AND ASSOCIATED PACIFIC COLD FRONT ZIP EASTWARD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...BREAKING DOWN THE WARM RIDGE. GLOBAL MODELS THEN SHOW MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS WITH ONLY A HINT OF SOME LIGHT SNOWFALL OVER THE NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS MONDAY AND TUESDAY. HOWEVER BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE...FURTHER ENHANCING THE MILD AIRMASS...RISING INTO THE 90TH PERCENTILE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...WELL ABOVE NORMAL...POSSIBLY TRANSLATING TO WIDESPREAD HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S EAST OF THE DIVIDE. && .AVIATION.../06Z ISSUANCE/ EAST OF THE DIVIDE...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL ROUTES VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL OVER THE REGION THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY. WINDY WEATHER WILL OCCUR AT KCOD AND KCPR AFTER 15Z AND CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING. WEST OF THE DIVIDE...KBPI/KJAC/KPNA/KRKS ROUTES SNOW WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE OVER WESTERN WY AFTER 12Z AND CONTINUE THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY. THIS WILL BRING WIDESPREAD MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS TO THE REGION. THE KJAC TERMINAL SITE WILL SEE SNOW AND WIND FOR MUCH OF THE PERIOD. KBPI AND KPNA TERMINAL SITES WILL ALSO HAVE MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS FOR MOST OF THE PERIOD. KRKS TERMINAL SITE WILL SEE WINDY CONDITIONS FOR THE PERIOD WITH SNOW SHOWERS IN THE VCNTY FROM 23Z WED THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY. && .FIRE WEATHER... NO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS THIS WEEK. BASIN INVERSIONS WILL CONTINUE TO ERODE IN THE WIND RIVER AND ABSAROKA FOOTHILLS IN ADDITION TO THE USUAL WIND CORRIDOR FROM KRKS TO KCPR...WITH THE RETURN OF GUSTY WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS BECOMING VERY STRONG BY WEDNESDAY. OTHERWISE...LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS TODAY WILL GIVE WAY TO HEAVY SNOW ON WEDNESDAY...BECOMING QUITE HEAVY AT TIMES THROUGH THURSDAY AS A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVE THROUGH THE REGION. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING WYZ011-019-020. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 AM WEDNESDAY TO 5 PM MST THURSDAY WYZ015-016-026-027. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 AM WEDNESDAY TO 5 PM MST THURSDAY WYZ001-002-012>014-023>025. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT WYZ003. && SHORT TERM...C.BAKER MID TERM...SKRBAC LONG TERM...ALLEN AVIATION...AR FIRE WEATHER...C.BAKER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 1049 PM MST TUE FEB 11 2014 WYZ001>020-022>030-121200- 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- 1049 PM MST TUE FEB 11 2014 ...WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN WYOMING WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON... ...HIGH WIND WARNINGS OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING FROM EARLY WEDNESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS. VERY STRONG WINDS COULD DEVELOP OVER THE CODY FOOTHILLS LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...A MAJOR SNOWSTORM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT MUCH OF WESTERN WYOMING. PLEASE SEE THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR MORE DETAILS. ALSO STRONG TO POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS COULD IMPACT THE CODY FOOTHILLS...AND THE WIND CORRIDOR FROM JEFFREY CITY TO CASPER WEDNESDAY. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...PERIODS OF SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE AT TIMES IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND POSSIBLY VALLEYS. STRONG WEST WINDS WILL BLOW OFF AND ON THROUGH THE PERIOD... ESPECIALLY IN THE WIND CORRIDOR FROM ROCK SPRINGS TO CASPER AND NEAR THE EAST SLOPE OF THE ABSAROKA AND WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS. .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.
6 winter storm, 3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Lewis Lake Divide SNOTEL site reported 26 inches of new snow.
Heavy snow fell across the region. Some of the highest amounts included 23 inches at Grand Targhee, 21 inches at Grassy Lake and 18 inches at Phillips Bench.
Over a foot of snow was reported in several locations around Alpine. 8 inches of snow was reported in Bedford. Across the lower elevations of the valley, the snow mixed with rain and held accumulations down.
Heavy snow fell across the Salt and Wyoming Ranges. The Indian Creek and Blind Bull summits both reported 22 inches of new snow.
Trained spotters reported from 6 to 12 inches of snow across the Jackson Valley.
Snowfall of 9-10 inches fell at Bondurant with only 2-3 inches in Pinedale.
Numerous wind gusts past 58 mph were reported at the weather sensor 5 miles WNW of Clark. The maximum gust reported was 85 mph at 0904 and 1104MST.
There were numerous wind gusts above 58 mph at across the Green and Rattlesnake Range. The maximum gusts included 77 mph at Camp Creek and 76 mph at Fales Rock.
Strong gusts were reported south of Casper. A wind gust to 69 mph was reported on Outer Drive.
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, February 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: 489180, 489188, 489197, 489201, 489191, 504014, 489210, 489211, 489879.