A Pacific trough and associated cold front moved across western and central Wyoming and brought heavy snow and strong wind to northwest areas of the state. Temperatures ahead of the front were well above normal with readings around 50F.
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 Pacific trough and associated cold front moved across western and central Wyoming and brought heavy snow and strong wind to northwest areas of the state. Temperatures ahead of the front were well above normal with readings around 50F. Within a few hours of the cold front passing, temperatures had fallen by 40F to 50F. There was a prolonged period of strong winds ahead of the cold frontal passage. The strongest winds occurred in Park County where gusts of 117 mph were recorded near Clark. Wind gusts in Cody reached 82 mph, toppling trees and causing scattered power outages. Wind gusts over 60 mph were also registered in Johnson, Natrona, and Fremont counties. As for snowfall, the western mountains and portions of Yellowstone National Park received around one foot of snow. The heavy snow also impacted Cody in the wake of the cold front. Many areas in and around the town reported 7 to 11 inches of new snow.
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 Nov 27, 2:36 AM MST, 2 hours 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 236 AM MST THU NOV 27 2014 .SHORT TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT A MUCH QUIETER NIGHT ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT THAN LAST NIGHT AS THE SYSTEM THAT BROUGHT THE SNOW HAS EXITED WITH RIDGING OVER THE AREA TODAY. HOWEVER...THIS IS WYOMING IN NOVEMBER SO SOMETHING ALWAYS HAS TO BE GOING ON. FIRST IS THE FOG THAT HAS DEVELOPED IN SOME AREAS WHERE THE MELTING SNOW TODAY AS SATURATED THE ATMOSPHERE. CONTINUITY HAD PATCHY FOG SO WE LEFT IT. THE MAIN CONCERN TODAY IS WIND. THE SENSOR AT CHIEF JOSEPH IS ALREADY REPORTING GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH. THE MODELS SHOW WINDS OVER 50 KNOTS AT 700 MILLIBARS MOST OF THE DAY ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS. I HAVE MY DOUBTS THAT THE CODY FOOTHILLS WOULD BLOW HIGH WIND DURING THE DAY TODAY AS THE WINDS MAY HAVE TROUBLE MIXING DOWN. HOWEVER...WE WILL ISSUE THE UPGRADE THE HIGH WIND WATCH TO A WARNING BUT MENTION THE STRONGEST WINDS WOULD BE LATE TONIGHT. ELSEWHERE...THERE ARE SOME STRONG WINDS ALOFT OVER THE AREA. HOWEVER...WITH HIGH CLOUDS OVER THE AREA MIXING SHOULD BE FAIRLY LIMITED. NOW FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES...IT WILL BE WARMER TODAY ALTHOUGH AREAS THAT RECEIVED A DECENT AMOUNT OF SNOW YESTERDAY WILL BE COOLER. WE DON'T KNOW THE GFS MOS HAS BEEN SMOKING IN THE RIVERTON AND LANDER AREAS. THEY ARE GIVING RIVERTON AND LANDER A HIGH OF 72 DEGREES TODAY. DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH SOME LEE ENHANCED CLOUDS AND NOT A LOT OF MIXING. EVEN IF WE DID FULLY MIX...700 MILLIBAR TEMPERATURES ONLY GIVE A HIGH OF 60. SO...THAT GUIDANCE WAS THROWN IN THE TRASH. OOPS...THIS IS 2014...I MEAN IN THE RECYCLE BIN. AS FOR PRECIPITATION...THE MODELS ARE SHOWING A BIT OF SNOW MAINLY ACROSS YELLOWSTONE LATE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY WITH SOME LEFT FRONT JET ENERGY. HOWEVER...AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT. AS FOR FRIDAY EAST OF THE DIVIDE..EXPECT ANOTHER MILD DAY. THERE WILL BE SOME GUSTY WINDS ONCE AGAIN THOUGH...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN WIND CORRIDOR. AT THIS TIME...WE KEPT WINDS BELOW HIGH WIND CRITERIA BUT IT WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED. THIS MAY BE A WARMER DAY WITH BETTER MIXING BUT ONCE AGAIN...THE NUMBERS IN THE 70S IN THE WIND RIVER BASIN LOOK OVERDONE. THE STRONGEST WINDS ALOFT LOOK TO BE FRIDAY NIGHT BUT THIS MAY LIMIT MIXING. NOW FOR THE NEXT MAIN WEATHER MAKER. ANOTHER WEATHER MAKER WILL APPROACH FROM THE WET AND BRING MORE SNOW TO THE WEST STARTING LATER FRIDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER...THE MAIN EVENT LOOKS TO HOLD OFF UNTIL SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT WHEN THE BEST MOISTURE AND JET DYNAMICS WORK INTO THE AREA. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS IN CONTINUITY LOOKED REASONABLE AT THIS TIME SO WE MADE FEW CHANGES. MEANWHILE...AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE SHOULD SQUEEZE OUT ONE MORE MILD AND DRY DAY ALTHOUGH IT WILL BE BREEZY TO WINDY AND DRY DAY. A COLD FRONT WILL THEN BEGIN DROPPING INTO WYOMING FROM THE NORTH IN THE EVENING AND DROP ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA BY SUNDAY MORNING. THIS WILL USHER IN MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES. IT COULD ALSO BRING A PERIOD OF SNOW TO SOME AREAS. HOWEVER...DETAILS ON HOW MUCH ARE STILL MUDDY AT THIS POINT. STAY TUNED. .LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT SHOULD BE ALONG THE DIVIDE BY 12Z SUNDAY. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE VERY LITTLE SUNDAY...SEPARATING A BITTER COLD AIR MASS EAST...WITH SEASONAL TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPS WEST/SOUTHWEST. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES...AND A STRONG BAROCLINIC ZONE OVER THE FORECAST AREA WILL GIVE A CHANCE OF SNOWFALL ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA SUNDAY...GENERALLY SHIFTING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH DURING THE DAY. LOOKS LIKE THE BEST SNOWFALL CHANCES SHOULD BE BEST IN THE MORNING...BEFORE THE BULK OF ENERGY FROM THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH EXITS INTO THE PLAINS...AND THE BAROCLINIC ZONE OVER THE AREA WEAKENS/SLIDES SOUTH AND EAST. ALSO MODELS ARE SHOWING AT SOME ISENTROPIC LIFT OVER THE ARCTIC AIR MASS SUNDAY MORNING. DURING SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING...MODELS ARE HINTING AT A MOIST SHEAR AXIS REMAINING OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA...TRANSITIONING INTO A MODEST MOIST WESTERLY FLOW DURING SUNDAY NIGHT. ON MONDAY/MONDAY NIGHT...GLOBAL MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH ANOTHER QUICK MOVING SHORTWAVE TROUGH PUSHING ACROSS THE EXTREME NORTHERN ROCKIES INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. AHEAD OF THIS SHORTWAVE TROUGH...A MOIST OROGRAPHIC FLOW SHOULD RESULT IN LIGHT TO PERHAPS MODERATE SNOW OVER THE WEST MONDAY...WHILE A LEE TROUGH DEVELOPS HELPING TO QUICKLY ERODE THE ARCTIC AIR MASS IN PLACE ON SUNDAY. SOME TRAPPED BASINS EAST OF THE DIVIDE...ESPECIALLY THE EASTERN BIGHORN BASIN MIGHT BE HARD PRESSED TO WARM UP...BUT TYPICAL MIXED AREAS SHOULD WARM UP NICELY. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WITH THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO PUSH ACROSS THE AREA LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING...BUT IS NOT NEARLY AS COLD AS THE ARCTIC FRONT SATURDAY NIGHT. AHEAD OF THE FRONT MONDAY NIGHT...ANOTHER HIGH WIND EVENT COULD BE SETTING UP OVER THE ABSAROKA MTS/CODY FOOTHILLS. THE MAIN DYNAMICS AND BAROCLINIC ZONE WITH THIS SYSTEM IS FARTHER NORTH WITH THIS SYSTEM RESULTING IN LESS OF A CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION EAST OF THE DIVIDE...BUT THE NORTHWEST/WESTERN MOUNTAINS SHOULD SEE SOME SNOW THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. THERE COULD BE A SMALL BREAK IN THE ACTION LATE TUESDAY/TUESDAY NIGHT...BEFORE THE FOCUS TURNS TO A CLOSED UPPER LOW OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC. MODELS HAVE BEEN TRENDING TOWARD THIS UPPER LOW MOVING INTO THE WEST COAST TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY...AND BECOMING AN OPEN WAVE IMPACTING THE ROCKIES IN THE WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY TIME FRAME. HOWEVER...THERE REMAINS SOME MODELS THAT SHOW A RIDGE DEVELOPING OVER THE ROCKIES WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...WITH THIS UPPER LOW MAINLY IMPACTING THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST MID WEEK. WITH THIS UNCERTAINTY WILL BROAD BRUSH SLIGHT VALLEY/CHANCE MTN POPS OVER THE WEST/SOUTHWEST WHILE KEEPING AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE DRY FOR NOW. THE PACIFIC NATURE OF THIS SYSTEM OR THE RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE AREA WILL RESULT IN MAINLY ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPS FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. && .AVIATION.../12Z ISSUANCE/ EAST OF THE DIVIDE...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL ROUTES AREAS OF IFR/LIFR FOG OR LIFR CIGS WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE BIGHORN BASIN THROUGH 16Z BEFORE SOME IMPROVEMENT IS EXPECTED. THERE SHOULD BE SOME EROSION OF THE FOG BANK ON THE WEST END...VCNTY AND WEST KCOD...AS STRONGER DOWNSLOPE WINDS PROVIDE BETTER MIXING. OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA WITH MUCH MORE PATCHY FOG PARTIALLY OBSCURING LOWER RIVER VALLEYS THROUGH 18Z. AREAS OF LLWS WILL BE ENCOUNTERED THROUGH THE PERIOD...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE DIVIDE...VCNTY KLND-KCOD...WHERE WINDS IN THE FL080-100 LAYER WILL BE 270/50-60KTS. SOME OF THESE STRONGER WINDS WILL PUSH DOWN THE FOOTHILLS INTO VCNTY KCOD-KDUB BY 00Z FRIDAY. WEST OF THE DIVIDE...KBPI/KJAC/KPNA/KRKS ROUTES WINDS AT MOUNTAIN TOP LEVEL WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 50-60 KTS BY SUNRISE THIS MORNING...RESULTING IN INCREASING TURBULENCE THROUGH THE REST OF THE PERIOD. THIS STRONG WESTERLY FLOW WILL ALSO KEEP SOME HIGHER MTNS OBSCURED IN -SN WITH SOME LCL MVFR CIGS VCNTY KJAC THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .FIRE WEATHER... WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL LINGER OVER THE NORTHWEST TODAY. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM AS WEST WINDS INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA. HIGH WINDS WILL BECOME A THREAT EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...ESPECIALLY IN THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS INTO THE CODY FOOTHILLS. IN THE VALLEYS AND BASINS ALONG RIVERS AND LAKES...AREAS OF FOG WILL REMAIN INTO THIS MORNING BEFORE DISSIPATING. SNOW COVER WILL REMAIN WIDESPREAD OVER MOST OF THE AREA WITH LOW FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS. ANOTHER STORM WILL BRING MORE SNOW TO THE WEST FOR SATURDAY. EXPECT MILD...DRY AND BREEZY TO WINDY WEATHER EAST OF THE DIVIDE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 5 PM MST SATURDAY WYZ002-003. && SHORT TERM...HATTINGS LONG TERM...WM AVIATION...AEM FIRE WEATHER...HATTINGS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 300 AM MST THU NOV 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- 300 AM MST THU NOV 27 2014 ...A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT ACROSS THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS AND CODY FOOTHILLS FROM NOON TODAY THROUGH THE DAY ON SATURDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AREAS OF DENSE FOG WILL OCCUR THROUGH MID MORNING...MAINLY IN PORTIONS OF THE BIGHORN BASIN. STRONG WINDS ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE CODY FOOTHILLS AND ABSAROKAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. IN ADDITION...STRONG WINDS WILL OCCUR ACROSS SWEETWATER COUNTY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...STRONG WINDS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS AND CODY FOOTHILLS. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL POSSIBLE WEST. SNOWFALL POSSIBLE EAST OF THE DIVIDE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. BRISK WINDS ON SATURDAY IN THE ROCK SPRINGS TO CASPER WIND CORRIDOR. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... PLEASE REPORT STRONG WIND GUSTS. TEAM RIVERTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 234 AM MST THU NOV 27 2014 WYZ001-012>015-024-272300- JACKSON HOLE-SALT RIVER AND WYOMING RANGES- TETON AND GROS VENTRE MOUNTAINS-WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS EAST- WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS WEST-YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK- 234 AM MST THU NOV 27 2014 ...ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER SYSTEM TO IMPACT THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS THIS WEEKEND... OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW MAY FALL ACROSS YELLOWSTONE AND THE TETONS THROUGH FRIDAY. HOWEVER...A STRONGER SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. NEW SNOWFALL OF 8 TO 16 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS AND 4 TO 8 INCHES IN THE WESTERN VALLEYS IS POSSIBLE OVER THAT TIME. TEAM RIVERTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 428 AM MST THU NOV 27 2014 WYZ004>006-271500- NORTH BIG HORN BASIN-SOUTHEAST BIG HORN BASIN- SOUTHWEST BIG HORN BASIN- 428 AM MST THU NOV 27 2014 THROUGH 8 AM...AREAS OF FOG WILL BE ENCOUNTERED ACROSS THE BIG HORN BASIN. VISIBILITY WILL BE REDUCED TO UNDER A QUARTER OF A MILE IN SPOTS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO SLOW DOWN...AND USE LOW BEAMS WHEN FOG IS ENCOUNTERED. 21
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 high wind, 2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Gusts of 59 to 68 mph were recorded to the west of Clark.
Numerous wind gusts of hurricane force were recorded at the highway sensor along Chief Joseph Highway. The maximum recorded wind gust was 88 mph.
The wind sensor at the North Fork of the Popo Agie recorded several wind gusts past 58 mph with a maximum of 75 mph.
A prolonged period of high winds occurred over the Cody Foothills. The strongest winds occurred in the vicinity of Clark, where there were numerous wind gusts over 74 mph with a maximum wind gust of 117 mph. In Cody, wind gusts to 82 mph caused scattered power outages and downed trees. One of the trees fell on the visitors center in downtown Cody on Sheridan Avenue.
The Piney Creek weather sensor clocked a peak gust of 65 mph. The ASOS at the Johnson County Airport in Buffalo reported several wind gusts past 58 mph, including a maximum of 64 mph.
Strong winds blew across portions of the Green and Rattlesnake ranges. The maximum wind gust of 68 mph was recorded at Camp Creek.
The Two Ocean Plateau SNOTEL station estimated 12-15 inches of new snow.
A 65 mph wind gust was recorded at the Twenty Mile Hill weather sensor. In addition, an anemometer near Hiland peaked at 60 mph, while a 58 mph wind gust was reported at the Casper Airport ASOS.
Heavy snow fell across portions of Park County. The heaviest snow fell near Clark where 11 inches of snow was measured. Around the city of Cody, 7 to 9.5 inches fell.
The ASOS at the Hunt Field in Lander reported a wind gust to 63 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, November 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: 548852, 548851, 548869, 550017, 548884, 548874, 548847, 548882, 548849, 548871.