A strong cold front swept south across Wyoming on St. Patrick's today inducing high wind both ahead of and behind the front.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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 strong cold front swept south across Wyoming on St. Patrick's today inducing high wind both ahead of and behind the front. The highest gust was 110 mph at a station west of Clark ahead of the cold front. Southwest and central Wyoming experienced gusty west-southwest wind in excess of 60 mph in advance of the cold front. Portions of the Big Horn Basin and Johnson County saw post-frontal northerly wind ranging from 60 to 70 mph. Snowfall behind the front combined with the gusty north wind to cause road closures in northern Wyoming.
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 Mar 17, 4:54 AM MST, 3 hours 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 554 AM MDT MON MAR 17 2014 .UPDATE... STRONG WINDS HAVE NOT MATERIALIZED ACROSS THE CODY FOOTHILLS SO FAR EARLY THIS MORNING. STILL EXPECT WESTERLY WINDS TO INCREASE THIS MORNING...BUT NOT REACH HIGH WIND CRITERIA. THUS HAVE CANCELLED THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE CODY FOOTHILLS. NO OTHER CHANGES WERE MADE. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 328 AM MDT MON MAR 17 2014/ SHORT TERM...MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACTIVE WEATHER ONCE AGAIN WILL OCCUR TODAY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE DIVIDE AS A FAST MOVING PACIFIC SYSTEM SWEEPS THROUGH THE STATE. WITH THE CONTRAST IN WEATHER...WE WILL SPLIT THE DISCUSSION INTO WEST OF THE DIVIDE AND EAST OF THE DIVIDE. WEST OF THE DIVIDE...ALL IS QUIET RIGHT NOW AS THE SYSTEM THAT WILL EFFECT THE AREA IS STILL BACK IN IDAHO. PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD INTO WESTERN WYOMING AROUND MID MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON BEFORE TAPERING OFF LATER IN THE EVENING. THERE IS A DECENT AMOUNT OF FORCING WITH THIS SYSTEM SO SOME LOCALLY HEAVY SNOWFALL IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE. HOWEVER...THE SYSTEM IS A FAIRLY QUICK MOVER SO ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW WILL BE LIMITED DUE TO THIS. ALSO...TEMPERATURES ARE BORDERLINE IN THE VALLEYS SO THERE COULD BE SOME MIXING WITH RAIN INITIALLY BEFORE COLDER AIR PUSHES IN...ESPECIALLY BELOW 6500 FEET. THE CURRENT ADVISORIES LOOK REASONABLE AT THIS POINT AND WE WILL ALLOW THOSE TO RIDE AS IS. THE BIG PROBLEM LOOKS TO BE THE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AS THE COMBINATION OF A VERY TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT AND STRONG 700 MILLIBAR WINDS COULD BRING WIND GUSTS PAST 50 MPH...ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THE HEAVIEST SNOW SHOULD END LATE THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW WILL KEEP SOME SHOWERS GOING THROUGH THE NIGHT AND INTO TUESDAY AS WELL. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE AREA LATER TUESDAY NIGHT AND INTO WEDNESDAY SHOULD BRING MAINLY DRY WEATHER ALONG WITH SOMEWHAT WARMER TEMPERATURES. THE LATEST MODEL RUNS HAVE BACKED OFF THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRECIPITATION A BIT SO WE CUT POPS AND QPF FOR THAT PERIOD. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...THE MAIN CONCERN HERE INITIALLY STILL LOOKS TO BE WIND. MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT DEVELOPING ACROSS THE STATE WITH 24 MILLIBARS FROM WEST TO EAST AROUND 21Z. ALSO...700 MILLIBAR WINDS ARE NOT QUITE AS STRONG AS YESTERDAY BUT CONTINUE TO BE AROUND 50 TO 55 KNOTS WITH GOOD MIXING WITH THE EXPECTED FRONTAL PASSAGE. THE HIGH WIND WARNING STILL LOOKS GOOD SO WE WILL CONTINUE IT. THE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT COVERING THE WIND ELSEWHERE STILL LOOKS GOOD AS WELL. THE WIND SHOULD BEGIN TO SUBSIDE AS THE FLOW TURNS MORE NORTHERLY THIS EVENING. AND THIS LEADS US TO THE SECOND PROBLEM OF THE DAY THAT IS CAUSING MUCH MASHING OF TEETH IN THE HUMBLE RIVERTON WEATHER ABODE THIS MORNING. PRECIPITATION SHOULD BEGIN TO PUSH EAST OF THE DIVIDE IN THE AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...DOWNSLOPING FLOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT MAY KEEP AMOUNTS FAIRLY LOW DURING THE DAY. THE ONE WILD CARD THROUGH IS THERE WILL BE SOME CAPE AND NEGATIVE LIFTED INDICES IN THE AFTERNOON. THIS COULD LEAD TO A COUPLE OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS SO WE ADDED THEM TO THE FORECAST. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE IN THE BIG HORN RANGE WHERE UPSLOPE WILL OCCUR. THEREFORE...WE WILL HOST A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THEM STARTING THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE NIGHT. THINGS MAY GET MORE INTERESTING THIS EVENING HOWEVER. THE MODELS ARE SPLIT THOUGH. THE NEW GFS PUSHES DEEPER MOISTURE FURTHER WEST AND WITH UPSLOPE FLOW GIVES A COUPLE OF INCHES FURTHER WEST TOWARD THE WIND RIVER AND BIG HORN BASINS. MEANWHILE...THE NAM IS DRIER AND KEEPS THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION OVER EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. WE THOUGHT ABOUT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE EASTERN COUNTIES. HOWEVER...WITH THE HIGH WIND WARNING AND THE SNOW NOT EXPECTED TO BEGIN UNTIL THE EVENING...WE WILL LET THE DAY CREW MAKE THAT DECISION. HOWEVER...IT COULD GET NASTY IN SPOTS TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY EAST OF WORLAND AND THE BIG HORN RANGE. THE STEADY SNOW SHOULD END LATE TONIGHT AS THE STORM WINDS UP OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS. HOWEVER...UNSTABLE NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE. AND THAT MAY LEAD TO THOSE THINGS THAT SEEM TO BE THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE...THOSE PAIN IN THE BUTT SNOWBANDS. AGAIN...PINPOINTING THEM IS IMPOSSIBLE THIS FAR OUT BUT THIS WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED. THESE SHOULD WANE AT NIGHT AS HEIGHTS BUILD AND THE ATMOSPHERE BECOMES MORE STABLE. OTHERWISE EXPECT A BRISK AND COOL DAY WITH A MIXTURE OF CLOUDS AND SUNSHINE. SOME RIDGING BUILDING ACROSS THE AREA FOR WEDNESDAY SHOULD BRING A DRY AND SOMEWHAT COOLER DAY. LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY GLOBAL MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH AN INITIAL SHORTWAVE TROUGH SLIDING EAST ACROSS MONTANA THURSDAY...FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER DISTURBANCE IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW DIVING A BIT FARTHER SOUTH IMPACTING THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. A PACIFIC COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED DURING THE DAY THURSDAY...WITH A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLDER AIR/SECONDARY FRONT THURSDAY NIGHT/EARLY FRIDAY. THE BEST CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION...MAINLY SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER THE NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. HOWEVER...MODELS ARE GENERALLY VERY SKIMPY ON PRECIP AMOUNTS. ALSO EXPECT BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS THURSDAY WITH POSSIBLY NEAR HIGH WIND CRITERIA IN THE KRKS-KCPR WIND CORRIDOR. FRIDAY LOOKS TO BE THE COLDEST DAY WITH TEMPERATURES SOME 10-20 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE...ESPECIALLY EAST OF THE DIVIDE. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE IS EXPECTED IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW. THIS SHOULD KEEP A WEAK QUASI-STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN THE AREA...BUT MOISTURE IS LIMITED ONCE AGAIN WITH PRECIP ON THE SCANT SIDE. GLOBAL THEN DIVERGE WITH THE ECMWF SHOWING MORE OF THE SAME...WHILE THE GFS SHOWS A RIDGE WITH WARMER SOLUTION. AVIATION.../12Z ISSUANCE/ WEST OF THE DIVIDE...KJAC/KPNA/KBPI/KRKS ROUTES AREAS OF LLWS WILL INCREASE AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT THROUGH 15Z MONDAY. THIS STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE AREA 15Z-18Z MONDAY WITH NMRS IFR/LIFR SHSN ALONG THE FRONT VCNTY AND NORTH OF A KAFO-KPNA LINE WITH ACTIVITY MORE SCT SOUTH OF THIS LINE OVER THE VALLEYS. RIDGETOP WINDS WILL BECOME NW WITH LLWS REMAINING OVER KJAC INTO THE AFTN BEFORE NW WINDS MIX OUT TO THE SFC. OTHER TERMINALS WILL SEE STRONG W-NW WINDS WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. A MOIST AND UNSTABLE NW FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO BRING NMRS IFR -SHSN INTO THE FAR WEST...VCNTY KJAC-KAFO THROUGH MONDAY EVENING WITH SOME IMPROVEMENT AFTER 06Z TUESDAY. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...KCPR/KCOD/KLND/KRIW/KWRL ROUTES AREAS OF LLWS WILL INCREASE AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. THE FRONT WILL QUICKLY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA LATE MONDAY MORNING/EARLY MONDAY AFTERNOON WITH STRONG W-NW WINDS MIXING DOWN TO THE SFC. SCT-NMRS SHSNRA WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT MAINLY VCNTY AND EAST OF A KPOY-KWRL-KCPR LINE. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT. A BRIEF BREAK IN PCPN MAY OCCUR BEHIND THE INITIAL FRONTAL PASSAGE WITH A SECOND FRONT BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF MVFR/IFR -SN SOUTH...AGAIN MAINLY VCNTY AND EAST OF KPOY-KWRL-KCPR MONDAY EVENING. WHILE SOME IMPROVEMENT MAY OCCUR ACROSS THE NORTH OVERNIGHT...THESE CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY LINGER VCNTY KCPR THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY. FIRE WEATHER... WIND WILL INCREASE TODAY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING PACIFIC TROUGH. MONDAY LOOKS TO BE A WINDY DAY FOR MANY AREAS. SNOW WILL RETURN TO THE WEST DURING THE MORNING AND SPREAD EAST OF THE DIVIDE LATE MONDAY INTO TONIGHT. WITH THE SNOW IN THE WEST...SMOKE DISPERSAL WILL BE POOR MONDAY. WITH THE STRONG WINDS...MIXING WILL BE MUCH BETTER ALONG AND NEAR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS AND FROM THE SOUTHWEST INTO NATRONA COUNTY FOR FAIR TO GOOD SMOKE DISPERSAL MONDAY AFTERNOON. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING WYZ019-020-028-030. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING WYZ001-002-012>014-023-024. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM MDT TUESDAY WYZ008-009. && UPDATE...WM SHORT TERM...HATTINGS LONG TERM...WM AVIATION...AEM FIRE WEATHER...HATTINGS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 549 AM MDT MON MAR 17 2014 WYZ001>020-022>030-181200- 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- 549 AM MDT MON MAR 17 2014 ...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM ROCK SPRINGS TO CASPER THROUGH 9 PM TONIGHT... ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN WYOMING THROUGH THIS EVENING... ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE BIGHORN RANGE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SIGNIFICANT SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ACROSS MUCH OF THE WEST...AND THE BIGHORN MOUNTAINS. STRONG TO POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF SWEETWATER COUNTY...NORTHEAST TO CASPER THROUGH THIS EVENING. PLEASE SEE WARNINGS...ADVISORIES AND FORECASTS FOR MORE DETAILS. LIGHT TO MODERATE AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED EAST OF THE DIVIDE TONIGHT...WITH AREAS AROUND CASPER THE MOST LIKELY AREA TO SEE THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. ALSO STRONG WINDS COULD DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHERN JOHNSON COUNTY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THURSDAY...STRONG WINDS POSSIBLE...MAINLY FROM ROCK SPRINGS TO CASPER. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE URGED TO REPORT STRONG WIND GUSTS OR DAMAGE...AS WELL AS SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. TEAM RIVERTON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind sensor 5 miles west-northwest of Clark recorded several wind gusts of hurricane force, including a maximum gust of 110 mph at 0926MST.
Strong wind gusts were measured at Camp Creek and Fales Rock, with gusts to 62 and 60 mph, respectively.
The ASOS at the Rock Springs airport recorded a wind gusts of 59 mph. Other peak gusts in the area included 63 mph at Snow Springs and 60 mph at Bitter Creek. The mesonet site at Bitter Creek also recorded several hours of sustained wind exceeding 40 mph.
Winds were sustained at over 40 mph at the Casper/Natrona County International Airport.
A mesonet sensor at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge recorded wind gusts to 59 mph with sustained speeds as high as 43 mph.
A second wind event occurred in the Cody Foothills. Winds were sustained at 50 mph with gusts to 70 mph at a sensor on US 120 north of Meeteetse.
The ASOS at the South Big Horn County Airport north of Greybull recorded a wind gust of 64 mph.
The WYDOT sensor at Piney Creek on Interstate 90 registered sustained winds of 40 mph.
Winds were measured at 51 mph sustained with gusts to 63 mph at the WYDOT sensor on Interstate 25 north of Kaycee along Reno Hill.
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, March 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: 497157, 497135, 497143, 497136, 509080, 497158, 497153, 497146, 497150.