The passage of a potent Pacific cold front in concert with a favorable jet stream position, strong mid-level winds, and a tightening pressure gradient led to widespread high wind east of the Continental Divide. Some foothill locations experienced the strong wind over an extended period spreading across two days.
Every event with a place to put it; 15 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.
The passage of a potent Pacific cold front in concert with a favorable jet stream position, strong mid-level winds, and a tightening pressure gradient led to widespread high wind east of the Continental Divide. Some foothill locations experienced the strong wind over an extended period spreading across two days. The strongest winds were in the wind prone areas near Clark where a wind gust of 103 mph was recorded on Thursday, February 18. In northern Johnson County, damage was reported in and around the town of Buffalo where wind gusts of 71 to 81 mph were recorded. The damage consisted of three downed light poles, roof damage of varying degrees, and trees toppled. A semitruck was overturned by high winds along Outer Drive on the south side of Casper around 0745MST on Friday. Strong wind on the west side of Cody blew down at least one billboard later that afternoon. Wind gusts near or above hurricane force were also recorded outside of Casper and in the Absaroka Range. The strong westerly flow also brought heavy snow to the Tetons. Snowfall of 15 inches was reported at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
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 17, 10:06 PM MST, 3 hours 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 1006 PM MST WED FEB 17 2016 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY (ISSUED AT 337 PM MST) APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM WILL PACK QUITE THE PUNCH WITH A WIDE POTPOURRI OF WEATHER. SNOW AND WIND IN THE WRN MTNS WITH A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND OR SNOW IN THE WRN VALLEYS. HIGH WINDS DEVELOPING ACROSS MOST OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING BEGINNING AS EARLY AS TONIGHT ALONG THE EAST SLOPE OF THE WIND RIVER MTNS AND GREEN MTNS/RATTLESNAKE RANGE AS MID LEVEL FLOW INCREASES RAPIDLY...SFC PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASES AND RIGHT FRONT QUAD OF APPROACHING JET COMES INTO PLAY. THESE WINDS MAY MIX DOWN INTO THE LANDER FOOTHILLS BY 12Z THURSDAY AND CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY EVENING WITH FROPA. NO CHANGES TO THINKING THERE. OTHER AREAS WILL SEE WIND INCREASING THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS BECOMING HIGH WINDS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN MID MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON FOR THE REST OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING. ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO JUST UPGRADE ALL THE HIGH WIND WATCHES EVEN THE ONES THAT DON'T START UNTIL TOMORROW AFTERNOON OR EVENING. STRONG SIGNATURE REMAINS WITH UPPER JET SUPPORT...RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING GRADIENT AS SFC LOW FORMS TO THE NORTH AND 55-65KT H7 FLOW. OUT WEST...STILL LOOKS LIKE A DECENT COMBO OF SNOW AND WIND FOR THE FAR WEST MTNS WITH THE TETONS OVER THE NRN WIND RIVER RANGE THE HARDEST HIT. LIGHT SNOW WILL BEGIN TONIGHT WITH WEAK ISENTROPIC LIFT AS ALTOSTRATUS DECK LOWERS TO NIMBOSTRATUS. INCREASING SOUTHWEST UPSLOPE FLOW WILL ALSO ENHANCE SNOWFALL. BY THE PRE DAWN HOURS...SNOWFALL WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES ALONG WITH CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ABOVE 8500 FEET OUT WEST AS UPSLOPE DIFLUENT FLOW STRENGTHENS ALONG WITH QG FORCING. EVEN THE WEST SLOPE OF THE WIND RIVER RANGE IS IN A GOOD POSITION TO SEE SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL WITH FAVORABLE MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW. SNOWFALL WILL BECOME MORE SHOWERY IN NATURE THURSDAY AFTERNOON WITH EVEN SOME ISOLD T AS LIFTED INDICES DROP TO BETWEEN -1 AND -2. WILL UPGRADE THE WATCH TO A WARNING AND THROW IN A FEW ADVISORIES SURROUNDING IT FOR THE PARK...SALT/WYOMING RANGE AND WEST SIDE OF THE WIND RIVERS. VALLEYS WILL LIKELY BE TOO WARM FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT SNOW AND IN FACT OVERNIGHT LOWS MAY VERY WELL STAY AT OR ABOVE FREEZING TONIGHT AND WARM A FEW DEGREES DURING THE DAY BEFORE THE FRONT ARRIVES. MAJOR WIND EVENT WILL BE THE MAIN EVENT ALONG AND EAST OF THE DIVIDE WITH ABOVE AVERAGE TO MUCH ABOVE AVERAGE WIND SPEEDS. WILL HIT THE FAVORED AREAS THE HARDEST. MANY AREAS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE WELL OVER 60 MPH AND WILL HIT SOME AREAS IN THE WIND CORRIDOR...CODY FOOTHILLS WITH 70 MPH PLUS AND OF COURSE EVEN MORE IN THE MTNS. OTHER AREAS WILL AT LEAST HAVE 60-65 MPH. SNOW WILL WIND DOWN IN THE WRN MTNS LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AS FLOW BECOME CONFLUENT. STILL SOME WINDY AREAS FRIDAY AHEAD OF YET ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM FOR LATER FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. QUICK SHOT OF SNOW TO THE WEST AND NORTH...ESPECIALLY MTNS BUT EVEN A LITTLE ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. PLENTY OF WIND AGAIN WITH POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WINDS ALONG AND EAST OF THE DIVIDE. WE'LL WORRY MORE ABOUT THAT AFTER THIS EVENT IS OVER BUT ALREADY INCREASED WINDS FOR SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY BE QUITE MILD TOMORROW AHEAD OF THE FRONT BEFORE TEMPS FALL. I80 WILL LIKELY SEE A QUICK SWATH OF RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW WITH FROPA WITH LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS AND POSSIBLY A SHORT PERIOD OF STICKING ON THE INTERSTATE. BUSY...BUSY PERIOD! .LONG TERM...SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY OVERALL GENERALLY SLIGHTLY COOLER...WITH ONE WEATHER MAKER ON MONDAY..EXPECTED FOR THE LONG TERM FORECAST. SATURDAYS FRONT WILL EXIT THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT...WITH LINGERING ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS ENDING ACROSS THE NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS. A BRIEF RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED FOR SUNDAY...WITH SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES ALSO LIKELY BEHIND SATURDAYS FRONT. GUSTY WINDS FROM SATURDAY WILL ALSO DIMINISH BY SUNDAY MORNING...AND CONTINUE TO BE ON THE LESS GUSTY SIDE FOR THE REMAINDER OF SUNDAY. AS MENTIONED THE NEXT WEATHER MAKER LOOKS TO PUSH ACROSS THE REGION ON MONDAY. MODELS HAVE TAKEN A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE TRACK WITH THIS NEXT FRONT AND CLIPPER SYSTEM. THIS TRACK COULD NOW BRING AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE CWA ON MONDAY. PRECIPITATION TYPE LOOKS TO MAINLY REMAIN SNOW ABOVE 6000 TO 6500 FEET ON MONDAY...WITH A RAIN/SNOW MIX OR ALL RAIN POSSIBLE AT TIMES BELOW 6000 FEET. A LITTLE EARLY TO PREDICT SNOW AMOUNTS WITH THE TRACK STILL UNCERTAIN. CURRENT TRACK WOULD AT LEAST CALL FOR LIGHT TO MODERATE ACCUMULATIONS IN THE NORTHWEST...AND LITTLE TO ONLY LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ELSEWHERE. GUSTY WINDS MAY ALSO ACCOMPANY THIS FRONT...MAINLY ACROSS THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN HALF OF WYOMING. THIS CLIPPER SYSTEM AND FRONT MOVES IN THE PLAINS MONDAY NIGHT...AND A LARGE RIDGE BEGINS TO BUILD ACROSS THE REGION. TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WILL SEE WARMING...DRY...AND LESS BREEZY CONDITIONS. HOW MUCH WARMING WILL DEPEND ON HOW MUCH...IF ANY SNOW...ACCUMULATES MONDAY. STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST ON THIS CLIPPER SYSTEM. && .AVIATION.../06Z ISSUANCE/ WEST OF THE DIVIDE...KJAC/KRKS/KPNA/KBPI ROUTES A STORM SYSTEM WILL SPREAD RAIN AND SNOW INTO THE WEST BY 12Z. GUSTY WIND WILL ALSO OCCUR AT MANY TERMINAL SITES. VALLEY RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS WITH MOUNTAIN SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY. CANNOT RULE OUT A THUNDERSTORM OR TWO IN THE WEST FROM 20Z TO 00Z. LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS WILL OCCUR FROM 00Z FRI THROUGH 06Z FRI. EXPECT PERIODS OF MVFR TO IFR IN THE WEST WITH MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST TERMINAL FORECASTS FOR MORE DETAILS. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...KCPR/KCOD/KRIW/KWRL/KLND ROUTES AS A STORMS SYSTEM APPROACHES THE AREA THURSDAY AFTERNOON...STRONG GUSTY WIND WILL OCCUR AT MANY TERMINAL SITES. AS THE COLD FRONT POWERS ITS WAY THROUGH BETWEEN 21Z AND 23Z...WIND GUSTS AT OR ABOVE 50 KNOTS MAY OCCUR ALONG WITH BRIEF RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS. AFTER 00Z FRI THE WIND WILL REMAIN GUSTY AT SOME TERMINAL SITES WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN WIND SPEEDS BY 06Z FRIDAY. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST TERMINAL FORECASTS FOR MORE DETAILS. && .FIRE WEATHER... EXPECT STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW SETTING UP ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE RIDGE TONIGHT...INTENSIFYING THURSDAY. IN ADDITION...THERE COULD ALSO BE SOME THUNDERSTORMS ON THURSDAY WITH VERY STRONG GUSTY WINDS. SNOWFALL WILL EVENTUALLY RETURN...ESPECIALLY WEST OF THE DIVIDE AND ACROSS THE SOUTH LATER TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY...WITH SOME SPILLING EAST OF THE DIVIDE THURSDAY. WIND AND PRECIPITATION WILL WEAKEN THURSDAY NIGHT. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 9 AM TO 11 PM MST THURSDAY FOR WYZ005-011- 020-022-026>030. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 PM MST THURSDAY FOR WYZ015-019. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 5 AM TO 11 PM MST THURSDAY FOR WYZ018. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 2 AM THURSDAY TO 5 AM MST FRIDAY FOR WYZ012. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM NOON THURSDAY TO 10 AM MST FRIDAY FOR WYZ002-003-010. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM NOON TO 11 PM MST THURSDAY FOR WYZ017. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM NOON THURSDAY TO 5 AM MST FRIDAY FOR WYZ016. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 2 AM THURSDAY TO 5 AM MST FRIDAY FOR WYZ001-014-024. && SHORT TERM...SKRBAC/LIPSON LONG TERM...ANGLIN AVIATION...LIPSON FIRE WEATHER...SKRBAC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 104 PM MST WED FEB 17 2016 WYZ001>020-022>030-181400- 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- 104 PM MST WED FEB 17 2016 ...HIGH WIND WARNINGS FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...EXCEPT INTO FRIDAY MORNING ACROSS THE NORTH... ...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE TETONS AND GROS VENTRE RANGES EARLY THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT... ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES FOR THE REST OF THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT TONIGHT...SNOWFALL WILL RETURN TO THE WEST LATE TONIGHT. VERY STRONG WIND WILL DEVELOP IN PARTS OF CENTRAL WYOMING TONIGHT AND SPREAD TO MOST OF THE AREA DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. SEE THE LATEST WINTER AND HIGH WIND STATEMENTS FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS. POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS WESTERN WYOMING...ESPECIALLY AROUND THE TETONS. VERY STRONG WINDS ARE LIKELY IN MANY AREAS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WYOMING. SEE THE LATEST WINTER AND HIGH WIND STATEMENTS FOR DETAILS. SATURDAY...WINDY TO STRONG WESTERLY WIND ARE EXPECTED ESPECIALLY IN THE ROCK SPRINGS TO CASPER WIND CORRIDOR...AS WELL AS THE CODY FOOTHILLS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT WIND GUSTS GREATER THAN 50 MPH AND SNOWFALL. THANK YOU. TEAM RIVERTON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
14 high wind, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Several wind gusts over 58 mph were recorded with peak gusts of 73 mph at the Fales Rock RAWS and 69 mph at the Camp Creek RAWS. A wind gust of 59 mph was recorded at Beaver Rim.
Many locations across Natrona County reported wind gusts over 58 mph. Some of the highest gusts included 79 mph along Outer Drive south of Casper, 73 mph at Twenty Mile Hill, and 66 mph at the airport west of Casper. On Outer Drive, a semitruck was overturned by the wind around 0745MST.
Snowfall at the Raymer Plot at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort totaled 15 inches.
The Red Canyon sensor on Wyoming Highway 28 registered sustained wind over 50 mph between 0515 and 0630MST.
A wind gust of 59 mph was recorded along the North Folk of the Popo Agie River.
Very strong wind gusts occurred across northern Johnson County. Some of these included 81 mph along I-90 north of Buffalo and 71 mph at the airport in Buffalo. Three light poles, several trees, and a baseball field backstop were blown down by the wind in Buffalo. There were numerous reports of shingle and roof damage around town.
There were two wind gusts over 58 mph at the Big Piney-Marbleton airport, including a maximum of 61 mph.
Many locations had wind gusts over 58 mph as a cold front moved through. The strongest of the gusts was 62 mph at the Rock Springs-Sweetwater County airport and a mesonet site near Continental Divide.
The peak wind gust west of Clark was clocked at 103 mph. A sensor south of Clark along State Highway 120 reached a peak of 78 mph.
A mesonet sensor just east of Rock Springs recorded a peak gust of 58 mph.
Several wind gusts of hurricane force were recorded along the Chief Joseph Highway. The maximum gust was 94 mph.
Wind gusts routinely topped 58 mph with a peak early morning gust of 84 mph at the WYDOT I-25 Divide wind sensor.
Peak gusts of 63 and 60 mph were measured at the fire station in Thermopolis.
A peak wind gust of 89 mph was measured at the School House RAWS.
The wind sensor west of Clark topped out at 94 mph. Strong wind on the west side of Cody toppled at least one billboard.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, February 2016
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: 612282, 612291, 612296, 614454, 612283, 612295, 612287, 612284, 612293, 614455, 612292, 612288, 612290, 612294, 614457.