Wyoming, 2015

High Wind in Wyoming, March 28, 2015

March 28, 2015 · NWS BYZ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A strong upper level disturbance and associated cold front moved rapidly across the Northern Rockies on Saturday March 28th. The system produced widespread severe wind, with peak wind gusts around 60 mph, along with critical fire weather conditions.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS BYZ wrote it up.

A strong upper level disturbance and associated cold front moved rapidly across the Northern Rockies on Saturday March 28th. The system produced widespread severe wind, with peak wind gusts around 60 mph, along with critical fire weather conditions. The severe winds hit at the prime time of the day when temperatures were at record levels and humidities were in the teens. The event was preceded by a late winter and early spring of below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures which set up unseasonably dry and dead fuel conditions. The high winds resulted in numerous power outages along with minor home/roof damage and tree damage.

What forecasters said that day

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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 28, 1:32 PM MST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 28, 1:32 PM MST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
232 PM MDT SAT MAR 28 2015

.SHORT TERM...VALID FOR SUN AND MON...

STRONG FRONTAL PASSAGE MOVING ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA THIS
AFTERNOON. CONVECTION HAS BEEN WEAK WITH FRONT IN WEST...BUT SOME
MARGINAL CAPE IN EASTERN SECTIONS MAY BE ENOUGH FOR AN ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORM OR TWO ALONG WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS...PARTICULARLY
ALONG NORTHERN CUSTER AND FALLON COUNTY LINES. CONVECTIVE RELATED
GUSTS COULD HIT 60-70 MPH LOCALLY. OTHERWISE...SUSTAINED 30 TO
NEAR 40 MPH WITH GUSTS 50-60 MPH WILL BE COMMON IN POST FRONTAL
AREAS. SHARP TEMPERATURE DROPS BEHIND FRONT 15-20 DEGREES. WE
WILL TRY TO KEEP UP WITH STRONGER WIND GUSTS REPORTS AS WE GET
THEM...AND SUMMARIZE SOMETHING THIS EVENING AS WELL.

NO CHANGES TO RED FLAG OR HIGH WIND WARNINGS AT THIS TIME. VERY
DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS DUE TO WIND. FIRES NEAR RED
LODGE AND COLUMBUS THIS AFTERNOON. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE
MORE. MEDIA PARTNERS...PLEASE REMIND FOLKS TO USE EXTREME CAUTION.
LIVES AND PROPERTY AT STAKE TODAY AND THIS EVENING.

SYSTEM QUICKLY EXITS REGION...WITH MOST AREAS EXPERIENCING A DROP
IN WINDS BY 03-06Z. WINDS MAY HANG ON LONGER IN THE FAR EAST AS
ADVERTISED BY OUR HIGH WIND WARNING THERE WHICH GOES UNTIL 3 AM.

MODEST RIDGING DEVELOPS OVER OUR REGION BEHIND THE SYSTEM ON
SUNDAY. THERE APPEARS TO BE A WEAK WAVE IN THE WESTERLY FLOW...BUT
IT APPEARS TO BE TOO DRY IN THE LOWER LEVELS TO GENERATE MUCH MORE
THAN SOME CLOUD COVER. LOOK FOR COOLER CONDITIONS SUNDAY WITH
BREEZY CONDITIONS...THOUGH NOTHING LIKE TODAYS. 500MB HEIGHTS
CONTINUE TO BUILD A BIT MONDAY FOR ANOTHER UNSEASONABLY MILD DAY.
BT

.LONG TERM...VALID FOR TUE...WED...THU...FRI...SAT...

NO CHANGES TO THE GOING EXTENDED FORECAST. RIDGE MONDAY LINGERS
INTO TUESDAY WITH ANOTHER STRONG PACIFIC SYSTEM ARRIVING TUESDAY
EVENING. CERTAINLY SOME SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THIS SYSTEM AND THE
CURRENT SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE AREA...THOUGH POTENTIALLY A BIT
MORE PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL AS THE TRAJECTORY IS A BIT FURTHER
SOUTH. WILL HAVE TO MONITOR TUESDAY AS ANOTHER POTENTIAL FIRE
WEATHER DAY OF CONCERN. THE TUESDAY EVENING SYSTEM OPENS THE DOOR
FOR A CHANGE TO A PROGRESSIVE PACIFIC PATTERN. THIS BRINGS IN A
COOLER AND UNSETTLED REGIME THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND WITH SEVERAL
PACIFIC SYSTEMS MOVING THROUGH. CURRENTLY THE BEST CHANCE FOR
WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO BE NEXT SATURDAY/SUNDAY...BUT
A SYSTEM ON THURSDAY IS LOOKING PROMISING FOR AT LEAST SOME
RAIN/MOUNTAIN SNOW. CHAMBERS
&&

.AVIATION...

STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE BEHIND A COLD FRONT
INTO LATE EVENING HOURS BEFORE TRENDING LOWER OVERNIGHT. GUSTS OF
30 TO 45KTS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH LOCALLY HIGHER GUSTS IN THE
VICINITY OF ANY SHOWERS OR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. VFR CONDITIONS
WILL PREVAIL WITH AN OCCASIONAL AREA OF HIGH MVFR TO LOW VFR
CEILINGS. CHAMBERS

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...

    SUN     MON     TUE     WED     THU     FRI     SAT
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 040/066 042/071 045/072 041/055 033/050 030/053 033/058
    10/B    00/B    01/B    32/W    22/W    22/W    21/B
LVM 035/063 038/069 042/068 035/048 026/046 024/049 028/053
    10/U    00/B    02/W    43/W    23/W    32/W    21/B
HDN 037/068 037/073 039/076 040/057 032/052 029/054 032/059
    10/U    00/B    01/B    32/W    23/W    22/W    11/B
MLS 038/065 039/069 041/076 042/057 033/050 030/053 033/060
    20/U    00/B    01/B    22/W    12/W    22/W    11/B
4BQ 037/065 036/070 039/077 040/056 032/050 028/052 029/061
    20/U    00/B    01/B    22/W    22/W    22/W    11/B
BHK 035/060 035/066 038/074 040/054 030/047 026/049 030/057
    30/U    00/B    01/B    22/W    12/W    22/W    11/B
SHR 037/062 034/068 037/075 036/051 028/048 026/050 028/057
    20/U    00/B    01/B    22/W    23/W    22/W    21/B

&&

.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING BELOW
      7000 FEET FOR ZONES 28>42-56>58-63>68.
     HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT FOR
      ZONES 28>30-34-35-38-41-42-57-63.
     HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM MDT SUNDAY FOR ZONES
      31>33-36-37-58.
WY...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING BELOW
      7000 FEET FOR ZONES 98-99.
     HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT FOR
      ZONE 99.

&&

WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 28, 11:16 AM MST, 3 hours 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
1216 PM MDT SAT MAR 28 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1206 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 6 ENE LIVINGSTON        45.70N 110.45W
03/28/2015  M64 MPH          PARK               MT   ASOS

&&

VICKIES
Local storm report, Mar 28, 1:07 PM MST, 1 hour 38 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
207 PM MDT SAT MAR 28 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1241 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 6 E COLUMBUS            45.62N 109.10W
03/28/2015  M61.00 MPH       STILLWATER         MT   MESONET

1246 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 6 E COLUMBUS            45.62N 109.10W
03/28/2015  M64.00 MPH       STILLWATER         MT   MESONET

1251 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 6 E COLUMBUS            45.62N 109.10W
03/28/2015  M64.00 MPH       STILLWATER         MT   MESONET

1257 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 7 E COLUMBUS            45.62N 109.10W
03/28/2015  M65.00 MPH       STILLWATER         MT   COCORAHS

0126 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 6 E COLUMBUS            45.62N 109.10W
03/28/2015  M64.00 MPH       STILLWATER         MT   MESONET

0130 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 7 E COLUMBUS            45.62N 109.10W
03/28/2015  M62.00 MPH       STILLWATER         MT   COCORAHS

0135 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 4 W HARLOWTON           46.45N 109.94W
03/28/2015  M67.00 MPH       WHEATLAND          MT   MESONET

&&
Local storm report, Mar 28, 1:24 PM MST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
224 PM MDT SAT MAR 28 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0131 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 6 E COLUMBUS            45.62N 109.10W
03/28/2015  M64.00 MPH       STILLWATER         MT   MESONET

0134 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 WSW NYE               45.41N 109.87W
03/28/2015  M60.00 MPH       STILLWATER         MT   MESONET

0136 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 6 E COLUMBUS            45.62N 109.10W
03/28/2015  M64.00 MPH       STILLWATER         MT   MESONET

0141 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 6 E COLUMBUS            45.62N 109.10W
03/28/2015  M61.00 MPH       STILLWATER         MT   MESONET

0155 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 NNE LAUREL            45.70N 108.76W
03/28/2015  M62.00 MPH       YELLOWSTONE        MT   AWOS

0200 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 7 E COLUMBUS            45.62N 109.10W
03/28/2015  M70.00 MPH       STILLWATER         MT   COCORAHS

            LOST POWER AND IS SELF-EVACUATING FOR PERSONAL SAFETY DUE
            TO

&&

Event by event

1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Sheridan Foothills

When
March 28, 2:45 PM MST to 6:59 PM MST
Where
Sheridan Foothills forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
ASOS

A gust of 60 mph was recorded at the Sheridan Airport.

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wyoming in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, March 2015

Sources

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: 560812.