The Crooked Creek Fire erupted around 1245MST on Monday, September 28, and quickly grew to over 300 acres by days end. West-northwest winds increased to 25 to 40 mph during the early afternoon and combined with unseasonably warm temperatures and relative humidity around 12% to support fire growth.
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The episode as NWS RIW wrote it up.
The Crooked Creek Fire erupted around 1245MST on Monday, September 28, and quickly grew to over 300 acres by days end. West-northwest winds increased to 25 to 40 mph during the early afternoon and combined with unseasonably warm temperatures and relative humidity around 12% to support fire growth. Over 100 personnel, four air tankers, and a helicopter attacked the fire, which was located about 15 miles west-northwest of Dubois near Sand Butte south of US Highway 26/287. Structure protection was completed at a ranch camp, but the fire did not advance far enough to threaten the buildings. Forest service roads were closed in the area as crews actively fought the fire. Little growth was observed through the end of September with the fire eventually burning about 359 acres.
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 Sep 28, 10:08 AM MST, 2 hours 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 1108 AM MDT MON SEP 28 2015 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH EASTERN WYOMING THIS MORNING. COOLER TEMPERATURES ANTICIPATED TODAY IN RESPONSE TO THE FRONTAL PASSAGE ON SUNDAY. MEANWHILE...ANOTHER PUSH OF MOISTURE IN THE NEAR ZONAL FLOW WILL INTRODUCE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN WYOMING THIS AFTERNOON. GUSTY WINDS MAY BE PRESENT WITH THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. TUESDAY WILL SEE THE FLOW STARTING TO AMPLIFY WITH HIGH PRESSURE NOTED ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AFTERNOON...THOUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE ACTIVITY IS ANTICIPATED TO BE ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHERN WYOMING. TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABLE TO START REBOUNDING TUESDAY. THE FLOW WILL HAVE AMPLIFIED INTO A RIDGE BY WEDNESDAY MORNING...WITH THE AXIS ADVANCING TOWARDS THE STATE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. A WEAK PUSH OF MOISTURE WILL RIDE ALONG THE RIDGE...BRING A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE STATE. THESE SHOWERS WILL BE SHORT LIVED...WITH ACTIVITY CEASING THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. MODELS VARY ON THE TIMING OF THE PASSAGE OF THE RIDGE AXIS...WITH THE NAM STILL PUSHING THE SYSTEM THROUGH QUICKER THAN THE GFS. REGARDLESS...THE AREA WILL REMAIN UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF HIGH PRESSURE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD...THOUGH SOME WEAK MOISTURE MAY BRING A FEW SHOWERS ACROSS NORTHWESTERN WYOMING AT THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. .LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY AN UPPER LOW SPINNING IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC NEAR 36 NORTH...135 WEST WILL BE THE MAIN PLAYER IN THE EXTENDED. 00Z MEDIUM RANGE MODELS HAVE TRENDED SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWER WITH THIS SYSTEM COMPARED TO YESTERDAY'S 00Z RUNS. HOWEVER...MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW THE UPPER LOW TRACKING EASTWARD OVER CENTRAL/SOUTHERN WYOMING. BASED ON CURRENT TIMING...IT APPEARS SOME PRECIPITATION WILL BREAK OUT IN THE DIFFLUENCE AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM THURSDAY...MAINLY OUT WEST. MODELS ARE SHOWING THIS SYSTEM BECOMING BETTER DEFINED...BECOMING MORE CLOSED OFF...THURSDAY NIGHT AS IT PROGRESS ACROSS THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN. THE GFS...AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THE ECMWF IS SHOWING A MOIST SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW/ISENTROPIC LIFT DEVELOPING THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY MORNING DEVELOPING ON THE NORTHEAST QUAD OF THE UPPER LOW...WITH WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION DEVELOPING THURSDAY NIGHT AND LASTING THROUGH THE DAY FRIDAY AS THE UPPER LOW SLOWLY PUSHES EAST ACROSS THE COWBOY STATE. DURING FRIDAY NIGHT...THE SYSTEM SLOWLY PUSHES INTO THE PLAINS WITH BOTH THE ECMWF/GFS SUGGESTING A MOIST NORTHERLY UPSLOPE PATTERN DEVELOPING WHICH COULD KEEP GOOD PRECIPITATION CHANCES ONGOING MAINLY EAST OF THE DIVIDE. 00Z MODELS SHOW THIS PRECIPITATION EAST OF THE DIVIDE LINGERING INTO THE DAY SATURDAY. ALSO MODELS ARE SHOWING SOME SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES BEING DRAWN SOUTHWARD INTO THE SYSTEM FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY. HOWEVER...THE SYSTEM IS RELATIVELY WARM WITH SNOW LEVELS REMAINING ON THE HIGH SIDE. BASED ON 700MB TEMPERATURES...SNOW LEVELS SHOULD LOWER TO AROUND 9500-10000 FEET FRIDAY...AND POSSIBLY DOWN TO AROUND 8000 FEET EAST OF THE DIVIDE FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY. HAVE INCREASED/EXPANDED CHANCE POPS THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA...AND WILL HAVE CHANCE POPS GOING EAST OF THE DIVIDE FRIDAY NIGHT. ELECTED TO KEEP POPS UNDER LIKELY CATEGORY FOR NOW DUE TO LARGE SWINGS IN TIMING OF THIS SYSTEM...BUT THE TRACK OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF NIGHTS SUGGEST A WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION SHIELD FROM THIS SYSTEM. MODELS DIVERGE SIGNIFICANTLY EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH THE GFS SHOWING WEAK RIDGING...WHILE THE ECMWF SENDS ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL LOW ACROSS THE ROCKIES. OVERALL THE MAIN IMPACT FROM THE UPPER LOW WILL OCCUR AFTER MONDAY...AND THUS HAVE GONE MAINLY DRY SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH A SLIGHT WARMING TREND. .AVIATION.../18Z ISSUANCE/ A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH SOUTH ACROSS SOUTHERN WYOMING THIS AFTERNOON. ISOLD-SCT SHRA WILL PUSH INTO THE SW CORNER...VCNTY KRKS-KCPR...AND CONTINUE EASTWARD ALONG THE FRONT MAINLY VCNTY AND SOUTH OF A KRKS-KCPR LINE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP IN THIS AREA. VFR CONDITIONS WITH PREVAILING UNLIMITED CIGS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS NORTHERN WYOMING ON MONDAY. SHOWERS ACROSS THE SOUTH WILL MOSTLY PUSH EAST OF THE AREA BY 06Z TUESDAY. UPSLOPE EASTERLY FLOW THEN MAY RESULT AREAS OF IFR CIGS/FG DEVELOPING VCNTY AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 25 06Z-12Z TUESDAY. .FIRE WEATHER... COOLER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TODAY IN RESPONSE TO THE FRONTAL PASSAGE ON SUNDAY. ADDITIONALLY...A PUSH OF MOISTURE ACROSS THE AREA WILL BRING ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHERN WYOMING. TUESDAY WILL SEE THE BEGINNING OF A BUILDING RIDGE...WITH THE FLOW AMPLIFYING THROUGH WEDNESDAY. OVERALL...FIRE WEATHER BEHAVIOR IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN LOW UNDER THE CURRENT SYSTEM. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...BRANHAM LONG TERM...WM AVIATION...C.BAKER FIRE WEATHER...BRANHAM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 340 AM MDT MON SEP 28 2015 WYZ001>020-022>030-290945- YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK-ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS-CODY FOOTHILLS- NORTH BIG HORN BASIN-SOUTHWEST BIG HORN BASIN- SOUTHEAST BIG HORN BASIN-OWL CREEK AND BRIDGER MOUNTAINS- BIGHORN MOUNTAINS WEST-BIGHORN MOUNTAINS SOUTHEAST- NORTHEAST JOHNSON COUNTY-SOUTHEAST JOHNSON COUNTY- TETON AND GROS VENTRE MOUNTAINS-JACKSON HOLE- WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS WEST-WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS EAST- UPPER WIND RIVER BASIN-WIND RIVER BASIN-LANDER FOOTHILLS- GREEN MOUNTAINS AND RATTLESNAKE RANGE- NATRONA COUNTY LOWER ELEVATIONS-CASPER MOUNTAIN-STAR VALLEY- SALT RIVER AND WYOMING RANGES-UPPER GREEN RIVER BASIN FOOTHILLS- UPPER GREEN RIVER BASIN-SOUTH LINCOLN COUNTY- ROCK SPRINGS AND GREEN RIVER-FLAMING GORGE-EAST SWEETWATER COUNTY- 340 AM MDT MON SEP 28 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE PRESENT TODAY. SOME STORMS MAY CONTAIN GUSTY WIND. THOSE WITH OUTDOOR INTERESTS SHOULD SEEK A STURDY INDOOR SHELTER IF STORMS APPROACH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY TUESDAY...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...SIGNIFICANT MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL POSSIBLE IN SOME AREAS...GENERALLY ABOVE 9000 FEET. THIS INCLUDES MOUNTAINS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA FRIDAY...AND THEN MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE DIVIDE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS GREATER THAN 40 MPH TODAY. THANK YOU. TEAM RIVERTON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The Crooked Creek Wildfire blew up in the early afternoon of Monday, September 28, and consumed 359 acres by the end of September.
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, September 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: 602500.