A large surface pressure gradient across southeast Wyoming produced a prolonged period of strong and gusty westerly winds through the wind corridors. Frequent gusts of 60 to 70 mph were observed.
Every event with a place to put it; 18 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 CYS wrote it up.
A large surface pressure gradient across southeast Wyoming produced a prolonged period of strong and gusty westerly winds through the wind corridors. Frequent gusts of 60 to 70 mph were observed.
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 Cheyenne, WY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 18, 10:46 PM MST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 1046 PM MST SAT JAN 18 2014 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 300 PM MST SAT JAN 18 2014 THE EARLY AFTERNOON WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTED A PRONOUNCED LARGE SCALE PATTERN ACROSS THE LOWER 48. A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE MIDWEST. A EASTERN PACIFIC TROUGH AND COLD FRONT WERE AFFECTING BRITISH COLUMBIA AND WASHINGTON STATE. A RIDGE EXTENDED FROM THE NORTHERN ROCKIES INTO CALIFORNIA. FAST NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT PERSISTED OVER THE PLAINS WITH 700MB WINDS SLOWLY DECREASING. STRONGEST WINDS HAVE BEEN CONFINED TO THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE TODAY...WITH PEAK GUST OF 57 MPH AT SIDNEY AT MIDDAY. THE GUSTY WINDS CREATED AREAS OF BLOWING DUST REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO A MILE AT TIMES ALONG I-80 FROM KIMBALL TO SIDNEY AND LODGEPOLE. BOTH SUSTAINED AND GUSTS HAVE BEGUN TO SLOWLY DECREASE AND THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AS THE UPPER JET MOVES FURTHER TO THE EAST. SKIES WEER MOSTLY SUNNY TO SUNNY AND TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE 30S AND 40S. FORECAST CHALLENGES FOR THE SHORT TERM WILL FOCUS ON TEMPERATURES AND WINDS. THE 12Z NUMERICAL MODEL GUIDANCE IS CONSISTENT PROGGING A PERSISTENT NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. WINDS ALOFT GRADUALLY DECREASE THROUGH SUNDAY. A WEAK SHORTWAVE OVER WESTERN MONTANA THIS EVENING MOVES QUICKLY SOUTHEAST INTO THE WESTERN GREAT PLAINS SUNDAY MORNING. THIS FEATURE WILL SERVE TO TIGHTEN THE LOW LEVEL PRESSURE GRADIENT RESULTING IN A PERIOD OF GUSTY WEST-NORTHWEST WINDS FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING FROM TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY SUNDAY. SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR THE WIND PRONE AREAS. WINDS SLOWLY DIMINISH SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE NEXT CLIPPER SYSTEM WILL BE DIVING SOUTHEAST FROM SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA INTO THE DAKOTAS AND UPPER MIDWEST BY MONDAY MORNING. THE PLAINS WILL EXPERIENCE A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE WITH THE BRUNT OF THE COLDER AIR STAYING WELL EAST OF THE CWA. POST-FRONTAL PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS ONCE AGAIN PRODUCING GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE. WINDS MAY APPROACH ADVISORY CRITERIA FOR THE WESTERN PANHANDLE MONDAY. FOLLOWED A BLEND OF WEIGHTED/CONSENSUS MODELS FOR TEMPERATURES. EXPECT MILD LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WITH 20S TO MID 30S OUTSIDE THE MOUNTAINS. 700MB TEMPERATURES SUNDAY PEAK NEAR 2C AND DOWNSLOPE WIND FLOW WILL PUSH THE MERCURY WELL INTO THE 50S TO AROUND 60 FOR THE PLAINS. SUNDAY NIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABOUT 5 DEGREES COOLER. 700MB TEMPERATURES FALL TO AROUND -8C MONDAY WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES 10 TO 15 DEGREES COLDER...RANGING FROM THE MID 30S TO MID 40S. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 200 PM MST SAT JAN 18 2014 A DEEP HUDSON BAY LOW WILL KEEP HOLD OF THE EASTERN HALF OF NORTH AMERICAN WITH A HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE PERSISTING ALONG THE WEST COAST. THE ROCKIES WILL BE WEDGED BETWEEN THESE TWO FEATURES THROUGH THE LONG TERM PERIOD...WITH A FEW SHORTWAVE FEATURES ROTATING AROUND THE HUDSON LOW INTO THE PLAINS AND UPPER MIDWEST IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. GENERALLY BREEZY WINDS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA IN THIS PATTERN MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY...THEN A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONGER WAVE MOVING ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES WILL ATTEMPT TO BACK WESTWARD INTO THE CWA ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE 12Z ECMWF IS MUCH STRONGER AND DEEPER WITH THE FRONT AND AVAILABLE MOISTURE PLUME...WITH THE GFS QUITE A BIT WEAKER AND DRIER. DRY AND MILD CONDITIONS WILL ACCOMPANY THE BREEZY PATTERN TO THIS POINT...WITH SOME POTENTIAL FOR PRECIP ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT ROLLS THROUGH. MODEL TRENDS FAVOR THE GFS...SO WILL MAINTAIN A MOSTLY DRY FORECAST FOR NOW. TEMPS WILL COOL ABOUT 5 DEGREES ON WEDNESDAY BEHIND THE FRONT AND WINDS WILL EASE OVERALL. THE FRONT WILL BE SLOW TO PUSH BACK EAST ON THURSDAY SO WILL CONTINUE TO SEE SOMEWHAT COOLER TEMPS ON THURSDAY...WHICH ARE IN REALITY AROUND NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL RETURN ON FRIDAY...WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF MOUNTAIN SHOWERS IN THE MORNING AS THE GFS SHOWS A SHORTWAVE MOVING SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION UNDER STRENGTHENING UPPER LEVEL FLOW. THE WAVE LOOKS QUITE DISORGANIZED WITH MOISTURE LESSENING AS THE WAVE MOVES ACROSS THO...SO WILL LIKELY JUST SEE GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS AND FLURRIES BEHIND THE SURFACE FRONT ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS ON FRIDAY...WITH A FEW MOUNTAINS SNOW SHOWERS OUT WEST. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 1043 PM MST SAT JAN 18 2014 VFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD AS THE DRY PATTERN CONTINUES FOR AREA TERMINALS. MAIN AVIATION IMPACT WILL BE GUSTY SFC WINDS WITH SOUTHWEST AND WEST WINDS GUSTING TO BETWEEN 25 AND 35 KNOTS AT SOUTHEAST WYOMING TERMINALS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PERIOD. WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE SITES WILL ONLY SEE WINDS GUST DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS AND ONLY UP TO AROUND 25 KNOTS. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 200 PM MST SAT JAN 18 2014 NO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ARE FORECAST THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. A DRY NORTHWEST FLOW WILL PREVAIL. GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH THIS AFTERNOON WILL DIMINISH THIS EVENING...BUT INCREASE ONCE AGAIN LATER TONIGHT AND SUNDAY FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING. IT WILL BE UNSEASONABLY MILD SUNDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 50S EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE AND MINIMUM HUMIDITIES OF 20 TO 25 PERCENT. A PLAINS COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE SUNDAY NIGHT WILL LOWER HIGH TEMPERATURES 10 TO 15 DEGREES ON MONDAY AND BRING GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS. && .CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WY...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...JAMSKI LONG TERM...RJM AVIATION...HAHN FIRE WEATHER...JAMSKI
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 933 PM MST SAT JAN 18 2014 NEZ002-003-019>021-054-055-095-096-WYZ101>105-107>109-111>115-118- 119-200445- DAWES-BOX BUTTE-SCOTTS BLUFF-BANNER-MORRILL-KIMBALL-CHEYENNE- NORTH SIOUX-SOUTH SIOUX-CONVERSE COUNTY LOWER ELEVATIONS- NIOBRARA COUNTY-NORTH LARAMIE RANGE- FERRIS/SEMINOE/SHIRLEY MOUNTAINS-SHIRLEY BASIN-EAST PLATTE COUNTY- GOSHEN COUNTY-CENTRAL CARBON COUNTY-SOUTHWEST CARBON COUNTY- SIERRA MADRE RANGE-UPPER NORTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN-SNOWY RANGE- LARAMIE VALLEY-CENTRAL LARAMIE COUNTY-EAST LARAMIE COUNTY- 933 PM MST SAT JAN 18 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...EAST CENTRAL WYOMING...SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT. && THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE WYZ106-110-116-117-200445- CENTRAL LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY- NORTH SNOWY RANGE FOOTHILLS-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE- SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE FOOTHILLS- 933 PM MST SAT JAN 18 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL WYOMING... SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT LOCALLY WINDY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL GUST TO BETWEEN 45 AND 55 MPH NEAR ARLINGTON...OVER THE INTERSTATE 80 SUMMIT AND AT BORDEAUX THROUGH THE REST OF THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE TYPICALLY WINDY AREAS NEAR THE LARAMIE RANGE AND IN THE VICINITY OF ARLINGTON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT. && THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 855 PM MST SAT JAN 18 2014 WYZ106-110-190700- CENTRAL LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY- NORTH SNOWY RANGE FOOTHILLS- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BORDEAUX...ARLINGTON...ELK MOUNTAIN 855 PM MST SAT JAN 18 2014 ...BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS TO CONTINUE IN SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY AND NEAR ARLINGTON TONIGHT... SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS OF UP TO 55 MPH WILL CONTINUE IN SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY AND NEAR ARLINGTON TONIGHT. MOTORISTS TRAVELING IN HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES CAN EXPECT TO ENCOUNTER THESE STRONG CROSSWINDS ALONG THESE STRETCHES OF INTERSTATE 80 AND 25 TONIGHT. THE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ADVISES NO LIGHT TRAILER TRAFFIC DUE TO WIND SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MPH. THESE WINDS MAY CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL OR A BLOW OVER TO HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES TRAVELING EMPTY OR WITH A LIGHT LOAD. DRIVERS OF SUCH VEHICLES ARE ADVISED TO DELAY TRAVEL. HAHN
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
18 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The WYDOT sensor at Arlington measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 59 mph at 19/0006 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Otto measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher.
The WYDOT sensor at Interstate 80 mile marker 353 measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher.
The WYDOT sensor at Bordeaux measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 65 mph at 19/1656 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Wagonhound measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher.
The WYDOT sensor at Bordeaux measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 65 mph at 21/0416 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Arlington measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 60 mph at 21/0511 MST.
The UPR sensor at Emkay measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 70 mph at 21/0930 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Otto measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher.
The WYDOT sensor at Wyoming Hill measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 58 mph at 21/0836 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Buford East measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher.
The WYDOT sensor at Remount measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher.
The WYDOT sensor at Foote Creek measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher.
The WYDOT sensor at Cooper Cove measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 59 mph at 21/0850 MST.
The UPR sensor at Lynch measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 61 mph at 21/1145 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Whitaker measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 59 mph at 21/1316 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Vedauwoo measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher.
The WYDOT sensor at Lone Tree measured sustained winds of 40 mph of higher, with a peak gust of 60 mph at 21/1321 MST.
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, January 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: 498032, 498053, 498052, 497801, 498041, 497802, 498034, 498051, 498054, 498056, 498044, 498049, 498039, 498036, 498046, 498055, 498050, 498048.