Wyoming, 2015

High Wind in Wyoming, October 30 to 31, 2015

October 30 to 31, 2015 · NWS RIW · 2 events in 1 county or zone

Strong northwest flow in the wake of a passing upper-level disturbance along with a breaking mountain wave led to high wind in the Cody Foothills. The highest gusts were recorded to the west of Clark, where gusts of 89 mph and 76 mph were recorded during the evening of October 30.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 RIW wrote it up.

Strong northwest flow in the wake of a passing upper-level disturbance along with a breaking mountain wave led to high wind in the Cody Foothills. The highest gusts were recorded to the west of Clark, where gusts of 89 mph and 76 mph were recorded during the evening of October 30. Frequent gusts of 60 mph to 70 mph were also measured over the same 3-hour evening period. Strong winds also reached Cody on Halloween afternoon, when wind gusts of 58 mph were recorded at the sheriff's office.

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 Riverton, WY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 30, 1:33 PM MST, 5 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 30, 1:33 PM MST, 5 hours 40 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 30, 1:40 PM MST, 5 hours 33 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Cody Foothills

When
October 30, 7:13 PM MST to 10:13 PM MST
Where
Cody Foothills forecast zone
Measured
77 kt (89 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.521, -109.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous wind gusts past 58 mph were recorded near Clark including peak speeds of 76 and 89 mph.

High Wind, Cody Foothills

When
October 31, 2:37 PM MST
Where
Cody Foothills forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
44.521, -109.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds were sustained at over 40 mph with gusts to 58 mph in Cody.

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, October 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 603476, 603477.