A complex winter storm brought wind and snow to portions of western and central Wyoming. West of the Continental Divide, heavy snow fell in a swath of Teton County encompassing the Teton Range and southern Yellowstone National Park.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 storm brought wind and snow to portions of western and central Wyoming. West of the Continental Divide, heavy snow fell in a swath of Teton County encompassing the Teton Range and southern Yellowstone National Park. The highest amounts fell in this region with totals ranging from 12 to around 20 inches. East of the Divide, downslope wind in and near the Absaroka Range gusted from 79 to 89 mph. In Natrona County, wind gusts were clocked at 59 to 68 mph near Casper Mountain and in the Rattlesnake Range.
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 29, 2:29 AM MST, 4 hours 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 329 AM MDT SAT MAR 29 2014 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT SAT IMAGERY SHOWS MODEST RIDGING OVR WY THIS MORNING WITH UPSTREAM SW MOVING THRU WRN WA WITH LOTS OF MOISTURE. GOOD STRONG AMPLIFIED BAROCLINIC LEAF ALSO SHOWING JUST N OF THE WA/ID BORDER. NOE OF JET ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM THROUGH THE NRN W COAST REGION...POINTED UP TO WHERE THE LEAF IS LOCATED. ON OUR WRN DOORSTEP...SOME ISENTROPIC LIFT CURRENTLY IN PROCESS W CLOUDS ONT HE INCREASE AND SOME LIGHT PRECIP FALLING FROM THE TETONS NWD. VERY COMPLEX MESSY SYSTEM OVR THE NEXT FEW DAYS WITH A COUPLE OF AREAS OF CYCLOGENESIS GOING ON. FIRST CYCLONE RAPIDLY DEVELOPS NEAR/FROM THE BAROCLINIC LEAF AREA...MOVING QUICKLY EWD ALONG THE US/CA BORDER REGION DURING THE DAY...BARELY DRAGGING A FRONT THRU THE NERN CWA TONIGHT. THE BULK OF THE PRECIP FALLING ACROSS THE WRN MOUNTAINS TODAY IN THE ADVISORY AREA IS DUE TO INCREASINGLY MOIST SWRLY FLOW INTO THE TERRAIN. ISENTROPIC AND TERRAIN LIFT WILL GET ENHANCED LATER THIS AFTERNOON WITH A FAIR AMOUNT OF QG FORCING LINING UP IN A N/S FASHION AS UPR JET PLOWS OVR THE WRN CWA AND BEGINS TO SPLIT. THEN TONIGHT EXIT REGION OF SRN SPLIT PHASES WITH ENTRANCE REGION OF NRN BRANCH. AS TAIL END OF SFC FRONT SLIDES UNDER THIS REGION...QG FORCING WILL ENHANCE ONCE AGAIN...ESPECIALLY FROM WCNTRL WY TO THE NE FA. ALSO...STRONG MID TO UPR FLOW...RELATIVELY WARM SFC TEMPS...WILL AFFORD CHCS FOR STRONG WINDS AT RIDGE TOPS AND ALSO TO GET DOWN TO THE SFC TODAY...OVR THE CODY FOOTHILLS AND ADJACENT ABSAROKA MNTS...AND ALSO WITHIN THE WIND CORRIDOR FROM ERN SWEETWATER...ERN FREMONT...AND INTO MOST OF NATRONA COUNTIES THIS MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. APPROPRIATE HIGH WIND WARNINGS HAVE BEEN POSTED. BY SUN MORNING...A NEW CYCLONE WILL SPIN UP NEAR THE CO/WY/NE INTERFACE...WITH FRONTOGENESIS PROCEEDING TO THE NW RIGHT ACROSS THE CWA...AND RETURN FLOW STRONGLY WRAPPING INTO THE REGION E OF THE DIVIDE. THIS WILL GIVE NEARLY EVERYONE A SHOT AT MEASURABLE PRECIP...SOME LIQUID AND SOME FROZEN ON SUNDAY. ADDITIONALLY...MID/UPR TEMPS WILL FALL ENOUGH AND SFC TEMP WARM ENOUGH BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON TO BRING IN GOOD CHCS FOR CONVECTIVE PRECIP...INCLUDING AT LEAST ISOLATED TS. IN ADDITION TO CONTINUING THE CURRENT WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY...HAVE ALSO INTRODUCED A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS BEGINNING SUNDAY AT 12Z AND ENDING MONDAY AT 12Z. THIS LARGELY REFLECTS THE INFLUENCE OF THE SECOND PART OF THE STORM SYSTEM UNDER THE SPELL OF STRONG CYCLOGENESIS. ATTM...EXPECTING SOME 12 TO 16 INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS GOOD PORTIONS OF THE BIG HORNS. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY GFS AND ECMWF MODELS CONTINUE TO HAVE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS WITH THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM AS IT MOVES INTO THE WESTERN U.S. TUESDAY. THEY BOTH SEND A PIECE OF THIS SYSTEM TOWARD UTAH TUESDAY. THE GFS TAKES THIS FEATURE ACROSS SOUTHERN WY/NORTHERN COLORADO TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE ECMWF SPINS A FEATURE INTO CENTRAL IDAHO BY 12Z WED. FOR NOW LEANING WITH THE GFS WHICH WOULD LEAD TO INCREASING CHANCE OF RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE SOUTH AND CENTRAL. THE NORTH WOULD SEE LESS PRECIP COVERAGE IT SEEMS BASED ON THE GFS SOLUTION. RAIN SHOULD TURN TO SNOW AT MOST LOWER ELEVATIONS BY MIDNIGHT TUE NIGHT. THE MAIN PART OF THE STORM SYSTEM NOW LOOKS TO PASS WELL SOUTH OF WY WEDNESDAY AND WED NIGHT. THE GFS ALSO HINTS AT A NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE FOR WED INTO WED NIGHT. FOR NOW HAVE LEFT CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW WEDNESDAY IN THE MOUNTAINS. A MIX OF SNOW AND RAIN SCATTERED ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS FOR WEDNESDAY. THE ECMWF ALSO TRACKS THE MAIN STORM SYSTEM SOUTH OF OUR AREA WED/WED NIGHT...BUT IT HAS AN ODD CIRCULATION DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL WY WEDNESDAY PM. NOT SURE IF THIS WILL OCCUR. DECREASING PRECIP CHANCE WED NIGHT PER THE GFS MODEL. THURSDAY LOOKS DRY OVER THE REGION PER THE GFS AND ECMWF MODELS. AGAIN GFS AND ECMWF HAVE DIFFERENT PATTERNS FOR NEXT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. ECMWF HAS A DRY WEATHER FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS IT TAKES THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM WELL TO OUR SOUTHWEST. THE GFS MODEL GOES WITH A CHANCE OF PRECIP IN THE WEST BOTH NEXT FRI AND SATURDAY. FOR NOW A LOW CHANCE OF PRECIP FOR THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS. DRY EAST OF THE DIVIDE NEXT FRI AND SATURDAY. AS FOR TEMPS...COOL HIGHS TUE AND WED AS THE WEATHER SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. THEN A LITTLE WARMER THU AND FRI. NEXT SAT WOULD BE SLIGHTLY COOLER IN THE WEST IF PRECIP OCCURS WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN HIGHS EAST OF THE DIVIDE. && .AVIATION.../12Z ISSUANCE/ WEST OF THE DIVIDE...KJAC/KPNA/KBPI/KRKS ROUTES SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD...MAINLY NORTH AND WEST OF A KAFO-KPNA-30W KCOD LINE. KJAC WILL BE THE TERMINAL MOST IMPACTED BY THIS ACTIVITY AND THE ASSOCIATED MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS. WILL PREVAIL MVFR CONDITIONS FROM 15Z THROUGH THE END OF TAF PERIOD. HOWEVER DUE TO THE SHOWERY NATURE OF THE PRECIP WOULD EXPECT PERIODS OF VFR AND IFR CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH KRKS WILL BE DRY...IT WILL BE QUITE WINDY FROM THE WEST IN THE AFTERNOON. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...KCPR/KCOD/KLND/KRIW/KWRL ROUTES THE MAIN ISSUE TODAY WILL BE THE VERY WINDY CONDITIONS FROM KRKS-KCPR...AS WELL AS THE LEE SIDE OF MOUNTAIN RANGES AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS. LLWS WILL REMAIN A CONCERN THIS MORNING IN THE FOOTHILLS INCLUDING AT KCOD AND KLND. TONIGHT...A COLD FRONT WILL BEGIN TO PUSH SOUTHWARD WITH LOWERING CEILINGS AND A CHANCE FOR SOME SHOWER ACTIVITY. && .FIRE WEATHER... VERY WINDY WEST SOUTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS ZONES 276 AND 286 THROUGH TODAY WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 MPH AND POSSIBLE GUSTS TO 60 MPH OR MORE. ADDITIONALLY...STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL ALSO DEVELOP FROM ROCK SPRINGS TO CASPER THROUGH THIS MORNING...LASTING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. SIGNIFICANT SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED IN WESTERN WYOMING THIS WEEKEND...WITH SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATION EXPECTED IN THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN MOUNTAINS. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO SPILL OVER TO AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE SUNDAY...WITH VERY HEAVY SNOW FALLING OVER THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS BY SUNDAY MORNING...LASTING THROUGH MORNING MORNING. TODAY SHOULD BE THE WARMEST DAY THE PERIOD...WITH SOME LOWER ELEVATIONS EAST OF THE DIVIDE REACHING INTO THE 60S FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING WYZ019-020-030. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM MDT SUNDAY WYZ001-012-014-015. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING WYZ002-003. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT WYZ008-009. && SHORT TERM...BRAUN LONG TERM...AR AVIATION...WM FIRE WEATHER...BRAUN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 400 AM MDT SAT MAR 29 2014 WYZ001>020-022>030-301200- 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- 400 AM MDT SAT MAR 29 2014 ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE CODY FOOTHILLS AND ADJACENT EAST SLOPE OF THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS TODAY... ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE WIND CORRIDOR FROM EAST OF ROCK SPRINGS TO CASPER FROM 9 AM UNTIL 6 PM TODAY... ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE NORTHWEST WYOMING MOUNTAINS AND WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS FOR THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY... ...WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS IN NORTH CENTRAL WYOMING SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT VERY STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED AT TIMES...TODAY ACROSS THE EASTERN ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS...AND ADJACENT CODY FOOTHILLS...IN ADDITION TO THE WIND CORRIDOR BETWEEN FROM EASTERN SWEETWATER COUNTY THROUGH NATRONA COUNTY TO THE NORTHEAST. PLEASE SEE THE HIGH WIND WARNINGS FOR MORE INFORMATION. ALSO...A COUPLE OF SPRING WINTER WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL BRING SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW TO THE NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MORE INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SUNDAY AND MONDAY...A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE COMBINED WITH A COLDER NORTHERLY FLOW BEHIND A SURFACE FRONT WILL BRING AREAS OF SNOW SHOWERS TO CENTRAL WYOMING FROM SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...ANOTHER COMPLEX STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE TOWARD THE AREA. RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW IS LIKELY OVER MUCH OF THE REGION TUESDAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE SOUTH. RAIN IS LIKELY TO CHANGE OVER TO SNOW TUESDAY NIGHT WITH LIGHT SNOW LINGERING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE TRACK OF THIS STORM CONTINUES TO CHANGE...SO CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH... AND ANY SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. THANK YOU. TEAM RIVERTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 217 AM MDT SAT MAR 29 2014 WYZ017-018-291800- LANDER FOOTHILLS-WIND RIVER BASIN- 217 AM MDT SAT MAR 29 2014 SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE THIS MORNING...BECOMING QUITE BLUSTERY THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL GUST 40 TO 50 MPH AT TIMES. MOTORISTS...ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH LIGHTWEIGHT OR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES...WILL BE AT RISK DUE TO THE GUSTY WIND WITH POSSIBLE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. JFB
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind, 2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
The weather sensor at Chief Joseph measured several wind gusts of hurricane force, including a maximum gust of 79 mph. Sustained speeds were commonly in excess of 50 mph with a peak of 59 mph at 1045MST.
The wind sensor 5 miles west-northwest of Clark recorded many wind gusts past 74 mph, including a maximum of 89 mph. In addition, a wind gust of 59 mph and more than one hour of 40+ mph sustained wind were recorded north of Meeteetse along Highway 120.
The weather sensor on Outer Drive south of Casper recorded a wind gust of 51 knots.
Heavy snow fell in Yellowstone National Park. The highest amount recorded was at the Thumb Divide SNOTEL where 22 inches was recorded. Some other amounts included 19 inches at Parker Peak and 18 inches at Lewis Lake.
Heavy snow fell across portions of the Tetons. The highest amount recorded was 19 inches at the Grassy Lake SNOTEL. Other amounts included 18 inches at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and 17 inches at Grand Targhee.
The weather sensor at Fales Rock recorded a wind gust of 68 mph.
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: 499847, 499848, 499850, 499845, 499846, 499849.