A long lived winter storm brought significant snow to much of western and northern Wyoming. The highest totals were across the Salt River and Wyoming ranges where snowfall totals of two to nearly four feet were estimated.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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 long lived winter storm brought significant snow to much of western and northern Wyoming. The highest totals were across the Salt River and Wyoming ranges where snowfall totals of two to nearly four feet were estimated. Many other areas across the western mountains received an estimated one to two feet. Across the lower elevations, snowfall in the basins and valleys ranged from 6 to 16 inches. These reports included 22 inches at Alpine, 17 inches at Cokeville, 15 inches in Kemmerer, 8 to 12 inches in Jackson Hole, and 7 to 11 inches around Cody.
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 6, 11:07 PM MST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 1107 PM MST THU FEB 6 2014 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY TONIGHT AND FRIDAY WILL SEE A MAJOR CHANGE IN THE WEATHER AS A PATTERN CHANGE OCCURS WITH THE BEGINNING OF A WARM UP WITH INCREASED MOIST WEST FLOW ALOFT STARTING A LONG DURATION SNOW EVENT ACROSS THE WEST. WEST WINDS WILL BECOME STRONG ALONG AND NEAR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS AND ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST BRINGING CHINOOK WINDS WITH SIGNIFICANT WARMING. IN THE WEST PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED. IN THE EAST THE WINDY AREAS WILL BE GENERALLY DRY WITH SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS POSSIBLE AT TIMES. .LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY THE MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE IN THE WEST THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY AS THE PACIFIC FEED CONTINUES. THE CIRCULATION NOW JUST OFF THE PACIFIC COAST WILL SEND A SHORTWAVE TROUGH EAST SOUTHEAST TO WYOMING HELPING TO ENHANCE SNOWFALL FRIDAY EVENING ALONG WITH SOME ISENTROPIC LIFT AS WELL AS LEFT FRONT QUAD DYNAMICS. EXTENDED THE WINTER STORM WATCH FOR WESTERN WYOMING THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY AS SUNDAY SHOULD BE THE LAST HURRAH FOR THE EVENT WITH MORE WIDESPREAD ISENTROPIC LIFT...A JET COUPLET AND STEEP LAPSE RATES ALL COMING TOGETHER 12Z-18Z SUNDAY. DECIDED TO EXTEND THE WATCH NORTH INTO YELLOWSTONE PARK... ALTHOUGH THERE SHOULD BE QUITE A SNOW GRADIENT ACROSS THE PARK FROM SOUTH TO NORTH WITH A STRONG SURFACE HIGH NOSING INTO MONTANA FROM THE NORTH BEHIND A STRONG DECELERATING BACK DOOR COLD FRONT. COULD SEE A COUPLE OF FEET OF SNOW IN SOME OF THE FAR WESTERN MTNS BY 18Z SUNDAY. THE BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHWEST INTO JOHNSON COUNTY FRIDAY NIGHT AND PORTIONS OF THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS WITH HIGH TEMPERATURE DROPPING ABOUT 10 DEGREES BY SATURDAY WITH HIGHS REMAINING IN THE TEENS IN JOHNSON COUNTY SATURDAY AFTER STALLING OUT WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES RECOVERING ONCE AGAIN SUNDAY AFTER THE FRONT RETREATS. EVEN AFTER THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL OCCURS...LIGHTER SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE IN THE FAR WEST THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT WITH THE PACIFIC MOISTURE FEED CONTINUING. THERE WILL BE SOME SPILLOVER OF SNOWFALL TO AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. SWEETWATER COUNTY WILL SEE AN INCREASE IN SNOWFALL SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. AREAS OF LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES WILL CONTINUE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT IN THE FAR WEST. THEN THE NEXT SHORTWAVE IN THE FAST WEST NORTHWEST FLOW WILL DELIVER MORE SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY TO THE FAR WEST WITH THE STRONGEST ISENTROPIC LIFT AND CORRESPONDING HEAVIEST SNOWFALL EXPECTED THURSDAY. AS FOR WIND...THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND THE SOUTHERN WIND CORRIDOR FROM RKS TO CPR SHOULD EXPERIENCE WEST SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH AT TIMES SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THE MET MOS GUIDANCE WAS INDICATING 31 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS FOR EARLY SATURDAY EVENING AS THE SURFACE GRADIENT TIGHTENS AHEAD OF THE AFOREMENTIONED BACK DOOR COLD FRONT AND NORTHEAST OF THE APPROACHING SURFACE LOW PROGGED TO TRACK ACROSS SOUTHERN WY SUNDAY. A 16MB SURFACE GRADIENT BETWEEN GCC AND LND IS EXPECTED SUNDAY ACDG TO THE GFS. THIS AND THE STRONG FLOW ALOFT SURFACING TO THE GROUND WILL RESULT IN THE EXPECTED WINDY CONDITIONS. && .AVIATION.../06Z ISSUANCE/ EAST OF THE DIVIDE...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL ROUTES A DISTURBANCE IN THE WESTERLY FLOW WILL PUSH ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. SNOWFALL IS LIKELY TO BE ONGOING ACROSS MUCH OF THE MOUNTAINS ALONG THE DIVIDE. HOWEVER...THE WESTERLY DOWNSLOPING WILL KEEP MUCH OF THE SNOWFALL CONFINED TO THE MOUNTAINS...WITH MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS AND CONSIDERABLE MID/HIGH LEVEL CLOUDINESS IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. THE BEST SHOT AT SOME SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY WOULD BE PROBABLY BE AT THE KCPR TERMINAL THIS AFTERNOON. ALSO...THIS DOWNSLOPING WILL RESULT IN SOME WIND SHEAR/TURBULENCE DEVELOPING ESPECIALLY ON THE LEE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN RANGES AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS BY MIDDAY TODAY. ALSO WINDY CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP THIS MORNING IN THE WIND CORRIDOR FROM SOUTH PASS TO CASPER. MOUNTAINS WILL BE OBSCURED MUCH OF THE TIME...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE DIVIDE WHERE LIFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED MUCH OF THE TIME. WEST OF THE DIVIDE...KBPI/KJAC/KPNA/KRKS ROUTES IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO BE ONGOING OR DEVELOP BY 14Z ACROSS MUCH OF WEST/SOUTHWEST THIS MORNING...WITH KBPI AND KRKS SEEING LESS OF AN IMPACT...AND LATER AT KRKS. NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION THAT KRKS COULD SEE SOME PATCHY FOG BEFORE THE WEST/SOUTHWEST WIND KICKS IN BY 15Z. SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO DECREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY BETWEEN 20Z FRIDAY AND 02Z SATURDAY...WITH MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS DEVELOPING AT TERMINALS. MOUNTAINS HOWEVER WILL REMAIN OBSCURED. SNOW WITH IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO QUICKLY REDEVELOP BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z SATURDAY. && .FIRE WEATHER... TONIGHT AND FRIDAY WILL SEE A MAJOR CHANGE IN THE WEATHER AS A PATTERN CHANGE OCCURS WITH THE BEGINNING OF A WARM UP WITH INCREASED MOIST WEST FLOW ALOFT STARTING A LONG DURATION SNOW EVENT ACROSS THE WEST. WEST WINDS WILL BECOME STRONG ALONG AND NEAR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS AND ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST BRINGING CHINOOK WINDS WITH SIGNIFICANT WARMING. IN THE WEST MIXING HEIGHTS WILL BE VERY LOW WITH PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL AND POOR SMOKE DISPERSAL. IN THE EAST THE WINDY AREAS WILL HAVE FAIR TO GOOD SMOKE DISPERSAL WITH LESS WINDY AREAS OF THE BASINS HAVING POOR SMOKE DISPERSAL. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING WYZ001-012>014-023>025-027. && SHORT TERM...C.BAKER LONG TERM...LIPSON AVIATION...WM FIRE WEATHER...C.BAKER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 241 PM MST THU FEB 6 2014 WYZ001>020-022>030-071200- 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- 241 PM MST THU FEB 6 2014 ...WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...A CHANCE OF SIGNIFICANT SNOW IN THE WEST WITH INCREASING WIND ACROSS THE STATE. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW MOVES EAST OF THE DIVIDE FRIDAY NIGHT. SEVERAL INCHES TO OVER A FOOT OF NEW SNOW IS POSSIBLE IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS. SUNDAY AND MONDAY...AFTER A BRIEF LETUP IN SNOWFALL ACROSS THE WEST LATER SUNDAY MORNING...SNOW IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE THROUGH THE DAY LATER SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. AREAS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD INTO SOUTHERN WYOMING...ALONG THE INTERSTATE 80 CORRIDOR...SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING. .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.
10 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snow fell across the Teton and Gros Ventre mountains. Some of the highest amounts included 29 inches at the Granite Peak SNOTEL, 28 inches 3 miles SSW of Wilson and 26 inches at the Phillips Bench SNOTEL.
Heavy snow fell across the Jackson Valley. Some amounts included 14 inches at Jackson Dam and 7 to 10 inches around Moose and the town of Jackson.
Heavy snow fell throughout southern Lincoln county. Around Cokeville 15 to 19 inches of snow was reported. A spotter in Kemmerer reported 14 inches of snow.
Heavy snow fell over portions of Yellowstone Park. The heaviest amounts were reported at Two Ocean Plateau and Parker Peak SNOTELS where 22 inches of new snow were reported.
Heavy snow fell in portions of the Absarokas. The highest amount was at the Blackwater SNOTEL where 22 inches of new snow was measured.
Heavy snow fell throughout the Star Valley. Some of the highest amounts included 21 to 23 inches in Alpine and 14 inches on the Star Valley Ranch.
Heavy snow fell across the western Wind River Mountains. Some of the highest amounts were 30 inches at Larson Creek and 25 inches at Pocket Creek.
Very heavy snow fell over 3 days across the Salt and Wyoming Ranges. The highest amount of snow for the entire area was reported here; 46 inches at the Indian Creek SNOTEL. Other impressive amounts included 38 inches at Spring Creek and 35 inches at Blind Bull.
Heavy snow fell across the region. The heaviest snow was near Bondurant where 19 to 21 inches of snow was measured. Around Pinedale amounts ranged from 8 to 17 inches.
Trained spotters reported 7 to 11 inches of snow around Cody. Around 6 inches of snow was reported in Meteteetse.
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: 488791, 488794, 488797, 488774, 488790, 488795, 488792, 488793, 488796, 488761.