A complex winter weather system in the southwest United States combined with arctic air dropping south from Montana to produce widespread heavy snow across a good portion of western Wyoming. Most mountain locations received 12 to 18 inches of snow with isolated totals up to around 2 feet.
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 RIW wrote it up.
A complex winter weather system in the southwest United States combined with arctic air dropping south from Montana to produce widespread heavy snow across a good portion of western Wyoming. Most mountain locations received 12 to 18 inches of snow with isolated totals up to around 2 feet. Snowfall in Jackson Hole and the Bondurant Valley ranged from 10 to 20 inches. Totals in and near the city of Casper topped out around 6 inches. Much colder air, in some cases record setting, moved into northern and central Wyoming in the wake of this system. More information regarding the conclusion of this winter storm can be found in the March 2014 Storm Data publication.
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 27, 10:38 PM MST, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 1038 PM MST THU FEB 27 2014 .UPDATE... HAVE UPGRADED ALL OF THE WATCHES TO WARNINGS AT THIS TIME. .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY (ISSUED AT 156 PM MST) ELEMENTS STILL COMING TOGETHER FOR A MAJOR WINTER STORM FOR MOST OF THE AREA OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS. THE FIRST SYSTEM IS ALREADY BRINGING SNOW TO THE SOUTHWEST. THE SYSTEM WILL ONLY LAST INTO THE EVENING FOR THE FAR SOUTHWEST AND THUS THE WINTER STORM WATCH FOR SRN LINCOLN COUNTY HAS BEEN TRIMMED BACK TO JUST FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. THEY WILL STILL GET A QUICK 1 TO 3 INCHES INTO THIS EVENING BUT THEN A BREAK BEFORE HEAVY SNOW RETURNS FRIDAY NIGHT. FURTHER NORTH...IT LOOKS LIKE THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT AND EVEN INTO FRIDAY WITH VERY LITTLE BREAK BETWEEN THE 'MAIN' EVENT FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. GENTLE ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE WITH SOME WEAK QG AND JET SUPPORT TONIGHT AND MID LEVEL TROUGH WILL STILL PROVIDE SOME PRETTY DECENT SNOW WITH TETON COUNTY SEEMING TO TAKE THE BRUNT. AT THE SAME TIME...THE ARCTIC FRONT WILL DROP INTO THE NRN ZONES WITH SNOW STARTING WITHIN A FEW HOURS. UPGRADING THE NRN ZONES TO A WARNING BEGINNING AT 06Z THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY. IT MAY TAKE A WHILE FOR THE SRN PARTS OF THE WARNING TO START GETTING SNOW BUT IT'LL WORK IT'S WAY SOUTH OVERNIGHT. FURTHER SOUTH...THE WINTER STORM WATCHES STILL LOOK GOOD AND WILL STAND FOR NOW WITH A DECENT EXPECTATION THAT THEY WILL NEED UPGRADING EVENTUALLY. THIS ARCTIC COLD FRONT SHOULD HAVE A GOOD PUNCH WITH STRONG 3-6HR PRESSURE RISES FORECAST. BUMPED UP WINDS OVER WHAT GUIDANCE WAS GIVING ME. THE COMBINATION OF THE WIND AND FALLING TEMPERATURES WILL DROP THE WIND CHILLS IN THE -25 TO -35 RANGE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. THE DEEPEST ARCTIC AIR WILL PROBABLY STAY IN THE NORTH HALF BUT SOME OF IT WILL FORGE INTO THE CENTRAL ZONES...ESPECIALLY IN NATRONA COUNTY BUT IT'LL STILL BE A PRETTY COLD SYSTEM FOR ALL AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE WITH A PERIOD OF BITTER COLD WIND TO GO WITH THE SNOW. THE MOIST SYSTEM MOVING IN FROM THE WEST WILL PROVIDE NOT ONLY MOISTURE BUT PLENTY OF UPGLIDE...STRENGTHENING QG FORCING AND PERIODS OF JET STREAK DYNAMICS WITH TWO ACTIVE JETS TO MONITOR. STRONG CYCLOGENESIS IS STILL FORECAST TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM LATE FRIDAY OVER SRN IDAHO AND THEN TRACK INTO SWRN WYO ON SATURDAY. THE GFS GRADIENT BETWEEN THIS SURFACE LOW AND ARCTIC HIGH OVER SRN CANADA IS STILL SHOWING NEARLY 45MB OF GRADIENT BETWEEN THE SWRN CORNER OF WYOMING AND THE NERN CORNER. THIS GRADIENT WILL SET THE STAGE FOR A PERIOD OF STRONG AND MOIST ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE FOR ALL AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE WITH THE PEAK PERIOD OF FORCING BEING 06Z SATURDAY TO 18Z SATURDAY IN THE CENTRAL ZONES WITH A LONGER PERIOD OF UPGLIDE AND EARLIER JET SUPPORT IN THE NORTH HALF. THE WEST LOOKS TO BE HIT HARD WITH STORM NUMBER TWO SO ANY BREAK OR LETUP WILL BE FORGOTTEN WHEN THE SNOW COMES DOWN WITH A VENGEANCE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. IN GENERAL...EXPECT 5 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH 1 TO 2 FEET IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS QUITE POSSIBLE IN THE TETONS. STORM INTENSITY WILL LIKELY START DECREASING SATURDAY NIGHT BUT BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES...LIGHT SNOW AND SOME BITTER WINDS WARRANTS THE WINTER STORM WATCH FOR NOW THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT EVEN THOUGH NEW SNOW AMOUNTS WILL PROBABLY BE LIGHT EAST OF THE DIVIDE. THE NOW WILL PROBABLY DECREASE OUT WEST ALSO SATURDAY NIGHT BUT STILL ACCUMULATE AT A LIGHT TO MODERATE AMOUNT AT TIMES. LIGHT TO POTENTIALLY MODERATE SNOW WILL EVEN CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY IN THE MOIST...WESTERLY FLOW. .LONG TERM...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY ZONAL FLOW SETS UP SUNDAY NIGHT AND THE EXTENDED MODELS KEEPS THE ZONAL FLOW IN PLACE THROUGH THURSDAY WITH A SERIES OF FAST MOVING SHORT WAVE TROUGHS IN THE FLOW. MODELS KEEP A STREAM OF PACIFIC MOISTURE IN THE WESTERLY FLOW WITH AREAS OF GENERALLY LIGHT SNOW OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS...WIDESPREAD AT TIMES OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS. THIS FLOW WILL PRODUCE DOWNSLOPE WARMING WINDS ALONG AND NEAR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS. THE AMOUNT AND TIMING OF THE WARMING IS PROBABLY THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST. THE WARMING WILL LIKELY BE HIGHLY MODIFIED BY THE AMOUNT AND LOCATION OF SNOW COVER FROM LEFT FROM THE WEEKEND STORM. THE WARMING IN THE WEST AND SOUTH IS MOST ROBUST WHILE THE NORTH AND EAST HAVE THE LEAST WARMING...AT LEAST UNTIL THE SOUTHWEST WINDS DEVELOP WITH A DEEPENING LEE SIDE TROUGH EAST OF THE ROCKIES FROM CENTRAL MONTANA SOUTH THROUGH EASTERN WYOMING. WITH THIS FLOW PATTERN STRONGER WINDS MAY OCCUR EAST OF THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS AND THROUGH THE WIND CORRIDOR FROM EASTERN SWEETWATER COUNTY THROUGH NATRONA COUNTY INCLUDING THE CASPER AREA. .AVIATION.../06Z ISSUANCE/ EAST OF THE DIVIDE...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL ROUTES SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHERN PART OF WY AFTER 08Z AND SPREAD SOUTH THROUGH 12Z. THEN SNOW WILL OCCUR FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. EXPECT MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS TO OCCUR BY 12Z AND CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS ALSO INCLUDES THE EAST SLOPES OF THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS AND THE BIGHORN MOUNTAINS. FOR THE CENTRAL PARTS...LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER NATRONA COUNTY AFTER 13Z AND CONTINUE THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY. EXPECT MVFR AND IFR CONDITIONS. FOR KLND AND KRIW...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH 01Z SATURDAY...THEN LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP AND CONDITIONS WILL BECOME MVFR AND IFR BY 03Z SATURDAY. THE EAST SLOPES OF THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS WILL ALSO BE IMPACTED FROM 00Z TO 06Z SATURDAY. WEST OF THE DIVIDE...KBPI/KJAC/KPNA/KRKS ROUTES SCATTERED LIGHT SNOW WILL OCCUR UNTIL 15Z OVER THE AREA WITH MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS. THEN A BREAK WILL OCCUR FROM 15Z THROUGH 21Z. THEN SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL MOVE BACK INTO THE WEST AFTER 21Z WITH SOME MVFR CONDITIONS. THEN THE NEXT BATCH OF SNOW WILL MOVE INTO THE WEST AFTER 01Z WITH WIDESPREAD SNOW BY 04Z SATURDAY. EXPECT MVFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS BY 04Z SATURDAY. .FIRE WEATHER... THE WEATHER WILL BE DOMINATED BY A MAJOR WINTER STORM FOR MOST AREAS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS. THE WEST WILL BE HIT BY THE SNOW AND WIND BEGINNING TONIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. THE NORTH CENTRAL AREAS WILL HAVE THE ARCTIC COLD FRONT DROP DOWN LATER TONIGHT WITH SNOW BEGINNING AND CONTINUING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. THE CENTRAL ZONES WILL SEE THE SAME ARCTIC FRONT ARRIVE DURING THE DAY FRIDAY WITH SNOW DEVELOPING IN NATRONA COUNTY IN THE MORNING AND IN FREMONT COUNTY FRIDAY NIGHT...CONTINUING THROUGH AT LEAST SATURDAY EVENING. THE I80 CORRIDOR WILL SEE SIGNIFICANT WIND AT TIMES WITH RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS...ESPECIALLY FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 PM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH 5 AM SUNDAY WYZ016>020-022-027. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST SUNDAY WYZ001-012>015-023>025. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 AM MST SUNDAY WYZ002>004-008>011. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH 5AM SUNDAY WYZ005>007. && UPDATE...HATTINGS SHORT TERM...SKRBAC LONG TERM...C.BAKER AVIATION...AR FIRE WEATHER...SKRBAC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 942 PM MST THU FEB 27 2014 WYZ001>020-022>030-281300- 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- 942 PM MST THU FEB 27 2014 ...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR MOST OF WESTERN AND NORTHERN WYOMING TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT... ...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL WYOMING FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE OVER WESTERN AND NORTHERN WYOMING OVERNIGHT. A RAIN SNOW MIX AND GUSTY WESTERLY WIND COULD IMPACT TRAVEL ALONG INTERSTATE 80 TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY FRIDAY...OCCASIONAL SNOW OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS THE NORTH AND NORTHEASTERN ZONES. FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...THE NEXT ROUND OF SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL BEGINS AS A MAJOR WINTER STORM IMPACTS THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA. ALSO...EXPECT WELL BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES NORTH AND EAST. PLEASE SEE WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS AND FORECASTS FOR DETAILS. EXPECT TRAVEL TO BE SEVERELY IMPACTED. MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...MODERATE SNOW ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AGAIN. TRAVEL OVER TOGWOTEE AND TETON PASS MAY BE IMPACTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE URGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. THANK YOU. TEAM RIVERTON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Over two feet of snow fell by the end of the month at the Grand Targhee and Grassy Lake SNOTELS. The storm continued into March as well.
Trained spotters reported 7 inches of snow was reported near Moose by sunrise on the 28th. The storm continued into March.
Heavy snow began falling on the 28th. The snow continued into March when the heaviest snow fell.
Snow began falling in the western Bighorn range in the early morning of February 28. The snow continued into March 1.
Over a foot of snow was reported at the Two Ocean and Lewis Lake Divide SNOTELS. The snow continued into March.
Heavy snow fell in the Absarokas. 12 inches of snow fell at Evening Star by the end of February 28. The snow continued into March.
Snow began falling in Natrona county on the morning of the 28th. Snow continued into March 1.
Snow began to accumulate in the higher elevations of the zone on February 27. The snow continued into February.
The public and a COOP observer totaled 16-17 of snow in Bondurant.
Heavy snow began falling on the evening of February 28th. Snow continued into March 1st.
Heavy snow began falling on the evening of the 28th. The heaviest snow fell in March.
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: 496762, 496769, 496778, 496781, 496760, 496780, 496784, 496773, 504440, 496783, 496779.