A snowmobiler climbing a steep slope near Corral Creek east of Afton triggered an avalanche that carried him down the mountain and buried him. His companions were able to scramble out of the slide's path and then quickly ride to his rescue.
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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 snowmobiler climbing a steep slope near Corral Creek east of Afton triggered an avalanche that carried him down the mountain and buried him. His companions were able to scramble out of the slide's path and then quickly ride to his rescue. A fellow rider captured the slide and subsequent rescue via a helmet-mounted camera. The total depth of the slide was estimated at two to three feet.
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, 2:49 AM MST, 7 hours 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 249 AM MST FRI FEB 6 2015 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT GUSTY WIND REMAINS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING...WITH THE STRONGEST WIND NOTED ACROSS THE ABSAROKA RANGE...CODY FOOTHILLS...AND THE UPPER WIND RIVER BASIN. THESE AREAS REMAIN IN A HIGH WIND WARNING...WHICH REMAINS IN PLACE THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. WIND REMAINS THE PREVAILING WEATHER STORY FOR MUCH OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. IN ADDITION TO ONGOING STRONG WIND ACROSS THE AFOREMENTIONED LOCATIONS...THE WIND CORRIDOR BETWEEN ROCK SPRINGS AND CASPER WILL ALSO SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASED WIND LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. A HIGH WIND WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THESE LOCATIONS. GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA TODAY...WITH SOME MOISTURE BEGINNING TO HEDGE INTO WESTERN WYOMING OVERNIGHT FROM THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF MOISTURE PUSHES. SNOWFALL ASSOCIATED WITH THIS UPCOMING SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN WEST OF THE DIVIDE...AND MILD TEMPERATURES WILL IMPACT HOW MUCH ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE SECOND PUSH OF MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAK WAVE WILL IMPACT WESTERN WYOMING EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...WITH CONDITIONS GENERALLY IMPROVING THROUGH THE DAY. HOWEVER...THE NEXT SYSTEM ARRIVES ON ITS HEELS BY MONDAY MORNING. TEMPERATURES GENERALLY REMAIN MILD THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. .LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT THE TRANSITORY RIDGE WILL BE SHIFTING EASTWARD MONDAY MORNING...AS ANOTHER MAJOR PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM SLAMS ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. IMPACTS FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL BEGIN BY SUNRISE MONDAY ACROSS WESTERN PORTIONS...AS A MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW BRINGS UPSLOPE CONDITIONS TO THIS AREA THROUGH MID MORNING TUESDAY. BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF SHOW THE ENERGY FROM THIS SYSTEM SPLITTING BY 06Z TUESDAY...AS IT MAKES IT WAY OVER THE ID PANHANDLE AND WESTERN MONTANA. ONE HALF WILL GET ABSORBED AND PUSHED EASTWARD BY THE MAIN FLOW OF THE PFJ...AHEAD OF AN ALBERTA CLIPPER. THE OTHER HALF WILL BEGIN TO CLOSE OFF AS IT MIGRATES SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM...WILL MAKES ITS WAY ACROSS WESTERN PORTIONS MONDAY AFTERNOON...AND THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THIS WILL RETURN H7 TEMPS BACK TO MORE SEASONAL NORMALS...RANGING FROM -5 ACROSS SOUTHERN PORTIONS TO -7 ACROSS THE NORTH. PRECIPITATION MONDAY MORNING WILL START OFF AS SNOW ACROSS THE WEST...WITH 1-2 INCHES POSSIBLE BEFORE TURNING OVER TO RAIN THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY. BY MONDAY NIGHT...MOST OF THE WEST WILL CHANGE BACK OVER TO SNOW...WITH SOUTHERN PORTIONS STAYING AS RAIN EARLY IN THE EVENING. SOME AREAS FROM SOUTHERN LINCOLN TO SUBLETTE COUNTIES COULD HAVE A RAIN/SNOW MIX. BOTH AREAS SHOULD TURN OVER TO SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT TUESDAY THROUGH MUSH OF THE MORNING HOURS...BUT COULD MIX AGAIN WITH RAIN DURING TUESDAY AFTERNOON. WESTERN PORTIONS HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR A DECENT AMOUNT OF SNOW...ESPECIALLY FOR THE MOUNTAINS...FROM MONDAY NIGHT TO EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE VALLEYS AND BASINS WILL BE TRICKIER...WITH SOME AREAS STARTING AS FREEZING...THEN THAWING MONDAY...THEN REFREEZING MONDAY NIGHT...AND HOVERING NEAR THE FREEZING MARK DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION EAST OF THE DIVIDE WILL INCREASE TUESDAY...AS THE COLD FRONT FROM THE CLIPPER SYSTEM ENTERS THE AREA. PRECIPITATION WILL BRIEFLY START AS RAIN TUESDAY AFTERNOON...BEFORE TURNING OVER TO SNOW TUESDAY NIGHT. ISOLATED POCKETS OF A RAIN/SNOW MIX WILL BE POSSIBLE. ANY ACCUMULATION EAST OF THE DIVIDE WILL REMAIN LIGHT...AS DRY NORTHERLY WINDS BEGIN TO ERODE THE MOISTURE OVER THE AREA WEDNESDAY MORNING. DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION THAT FALLS DURING THIS TIME...WILL IMPACT WHETHER WE HAVE AREAS OF FOG THROUGH THE REST OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. WINDS WILL BE LIGHT WITH CLEARING SKIES...WHICH WILL BE CONDUCIVE TO FOG FORMATION. AT THIS POINT...IT LOOKS LIKE JACKSON HOLE AND STAR VALLEY WILL BE PRIME CANDIDATES. MODELS CONTINUE TO DEPICT A REX BLOCK FORMING ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS BY THURSDAY...AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE REST OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF SHOW MINOR SYSTEMS WITH RIDING NORTH OVER THE RIDGE...OR SLIDING ONE SOUTHWARD INTO THE COWBOY STATE ALONG THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE RIDGE. BECAUSE MODELS GENERALLY DO NOT DO WELL WITH BLOCKING PATTERNS...WILL HAVE TO SEE STRONG THIS BLOCKING PATTERN WILL EMERGE LATE NEXT WEEK INTO VALENTINES WEEKEND. && .AVIATION.../12Z ISSUANCE/ EAST OF THE DIVIDE...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL ROUTES THE MAIN AVIATION HAZARD DURING THIS PERIOD WILL BE LLWS AND MTN WAVE ACTIVITY...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE DIVIDE...VCNTY KCOD-KDUB-KLND. THERE WILL BE AN OVERALL DECREASE IN WINDS BTWN FL7-10KFT THROUGH 18Z WITH WINDS AT THIS LEVEL THEN GRADUALLY STRENGTHENING FRIDAY AFTN-EVE...ALONG WITH A RETURN OF LLWS AND POSSIBLE MTN WAVE ACTIVITY. SFC SW WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 25-35KT WITH GUSTS OVER 50KT ALONG KRKS-KCPR ROUTE FRIDAY NIGHT. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD. ANY MORNING FOG SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE LOWEST RIVER VALLEYS IN THE CENTRAL BASINS AND NOT AFFECT ANY TAF SITES. WEST OF THE DIVIDE...KBPI/KJAC/KPNA/KRKS ROUTES VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY WITH PATCHY FOG MAINLY CONFINED TO THE UPPER GREEN RIVER BASIN...VCNTY KBPI-KPNA THIS MORNING. THE MAIN AVIATION HAZARD WILL BE AREAS OF LLWS...WITH SW WINDS AT 30-45KT IN AT FL8-10FT. HOWEVER...AN OVERALL DECREASE IN THESE WINDS IS EXPECTED THROUGH 18Z WITH WINDS THEN GRADUALLY INCREASING FRIDAY AFTN-EVE ALONG WITH A RETURN OF MORE SIGNIFICANT LLWS. RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL INCREASE OVER THE WESTERN VALLEYS UP TO THE DIVIDE AFTER 0Z SATURDAY WITH HIGHER MTNS BECOMING INCREASINGLY OBSCURED. AREAS OF MVFR CIGS AND VSBYS IN -SN ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP VCNTY KJAC-KAFO AFTER 06Z SAT. && .FIRE WEATHER... FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WILL BE MINIMAL...THOUGH GUSTY TO STRONG WIND WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH MUCH OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. THESE INCREASED WINDS WILL IMPACT THE CODY FOOTHILLS AREA...ALONG WITH THE WIND CORRIDOR BETWEEN ROCK SPRINGS AND CASPER THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING. SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL BE FOUND WEST OF THE DIVIDE BY EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...WITH SURGES OF MOISTURE BRINGING PERIODS OF ACTIVITY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WATCH FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON WYZ019-020-022. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 AM MST SATURDAY WYZ002-003-016. && SHORT TERM...BRANHAM LONG TERM...LAVOIE AVIATION...AEM FIRE WEATHER...BRANHAM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 310 AM MST FRI FEB 6 2015 WYZ001>020-022>030-071100- 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- 310 AM MST FRI FEB 6 2015 ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE CODY FOOTHILLS...ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS... AND WESTERN WIND RIVER BASIN FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING... ...HIGH WIND WATCH FOR THE GREEN MOUNTAINS AND RATTLE SNAKE RANGE... CASPER MOUNTAIN...AND THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF NATRONA COUNTY FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG TO POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS...ALONG THE CODY FOOTHILLS...AND INTO THE WESTERN WIND RIVER BASIN LATER TODAY AND THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. ADDITIONALLY...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG WIND OVER THE WIND CORRIDOR BETWEEN ROCK SPRINGS AND CASPER THIS EVENING. THESE STRONG WINDS WOULD POTENTIALLY LAST THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON. PATCHY FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN ACROSS THE UPPER GREEN RIVER BASIN FOOTHILLS. ANY FOG DEVELOPMENT SHOULD LIFT BY THE LATE MORNING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SATURDAY...HIGH WINDS AT TIMES IN THE MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS...WITH BREEZY TO STRONG WINDS ALONG THE CORRIDOR FROM SOUTH PASS TO CASPER. SNOWFALL EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS...AND MAY PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATION THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONGER WIND ACROSS THE AREA. MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...SIGNIFICANT SNOW RETURNS TO WESTERN PORTIONS. RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY MONDAY EVENING FOR THE WESTERN VALLEYS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY WIND GUSTS GREATER THAN 40 MPH TODAY. THANK YOU. TEAM RIVERTON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
Dramatic video captured a snowmobiler caught in and eventually buried by an avalanche. Companions quickly came to his rescue and uncovered the man.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, February 2015
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: 553247.