Strong southwest flow ahead of an approaching cold front brought high winds to portions of the wind corridor in central Wyoming. The highest wind gust recorded was 79 mph at Fales Rock.
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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.
Strong southwest flow ahead of an approaching cold front brought high winds to portions of the wind corridor in central Wyoming. The highest wind gust recorded was 79 mph at Fales Rock. An anemometer along Wyoming Boulevard on the south side of Casper recorded several gusts of 58 mph.
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 27, 10:43 AM MST, 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 1043 AM MST SAT FEB 27 2016 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT IMAGERY SHOWS UPR LVL RIDGING ACROSS THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST WITH A SMALL BUT VIGOROUS SW TROF JUST NOW COMING INTO THE NR WCST AND INCREASED EPAC MOISTURE STREAMING OUT AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE. SFC HAS HIGH P ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN AND BUILDING ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION OF WRN WY AND CO. TODAY...AHEAD OF THE NEXT UPPER LVL DISTURBANCE CURRENTLY JUST NOW COMING INTO THE WRN CONUS...WINDS WILL INCREASE OUT OF THE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST AND TEMPERATURES WILL RISE BY ANOTHER FEW DEGREES EAST OF THE DIVIDE...APPROACHING THE MID 60S ACROSS PORTIONS OF JOHNSON COUNTY BY THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...WIND WILL BE THE MAIN STORY ACROSS FA...WITH TIGHTENING P GRADS COMBINING WITH WARMING SFC TEMPS THAT WILL ALLOW WINDS ALOFT TO AID IN PUSHING WIND SPEEDS UP AND BECOMING QUITE GUSTY AND STRONG ACROSS SOME AREAS. HOWEVER...ATTM ONLY ZONES 19 AND 20 LOOK TO POSSIBLY REACH HIGH WIND CRITERIA AS THE HIGHEST PRESSURE TENDENCIES WILL BE TO TO BUILD INTO THE SRN PORTION OF THE FA AND NRN CO...WHILE LOWERING PRESSURE OR LEE SIDE CYCLOGENESIS TAKES PLACES ORN THE NRN/CNTRL PLAINS. A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR ZONES 19 AND 20 CONTINUES TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING REFLECTING THESE CONDITIONS. ADDITIONALLY...BY LATE MORNING...THE FEW EARLY SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE WEST...PRECEDING THE MAIN UPR TROF...WILL GIVE WAY TO SNOW MIXED WITH RAIN OR ALL RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON FOR A SHORT PERIOD BELOW 8000 FT...BEFORE RETURNING TO ALL SNOW BY LATE AFTERNOON...LASTING THROUGH THE EVENING PERIOD BEFORE TAPERING OFF. SNOW TOTALS FOR MOST LOCATIONS LOOK TO REMAIN AOB ADVISORY CRITERIA IN BOTH THE MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS...WITH GENERALLY 2 TO 5 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS AND <= 2 INCHES FOR MOST VALLEYS. HOWEVER...THE CONVECTIVE NATURE OF THIS SNOW COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED AREAS OF UP TO 8 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS AND ISOLATED 3 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS. THEN LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING...THE UPR TROF WILL SPEED THRU THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA...PUSHING A FRONT THRU THE REGION E OF THE DIVIDE...BRINGING CHANCES FOR RAIN OR RAIN MIXED WITH SNOW WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY OF MUCH ACCUMULATION. WHILE THUNDER WILL NOT BE MUCH OF AN ISSUE...THERE WILL EXIST SOME VERY LOW END CHANCES BY MID AFTERNOON...MAINLY ACROSS EITHER/BOTH THE BIGHORN BASIN AND/OR THE WIND RIVER BASIN. OTHERWISE...BEST CHANCES FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW UP TO AN INCH WILL BE FOUND ACROSS PORTIONS OF JOHNSON OR NATRONA COUNTIES LATE TONIGHT. SUNDAY WILL BE POST SW AND FRONT...SLIGHTLY COOLER WITH GUSTY WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF THE FA...ESPECIALLY E OF THE DIVIDE ACROSS THE WIND CORRIDOR AND THE NRN FOOTHILLS AS SFC CONDITIONS RETURN TO HIGH P WEST...AND LOWER P E WITH A MODEST GRAD BETWEEN THE TWO. UPR LVLS WILL SHOW NW FLOW TRANSITIONING TO FLAT RIDGING AHEAD OF ANOTHER APPROACHING SW TROF/JET. PRECIP CHCS WILL INCREASE ONCE AGAIN ACROSS THE WRN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS SUNDAY NIGHT...CONTINUING THRU MONDAY OUT WEST...THEN BREAKING E OF THE DIVIDE BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. THIS SYSTEM CURRENTLY LOOKS TO HAVE A LITTLE BETTER OVERALL ORGANIZATION AND LONGEVITY ALONG WITH A BIT MORE MOISTURE AS IT TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE OPEN DOOR TO THE PAC NW LEFT IN THE WAKE OF TODAY'S SYSTEM. THRU MONDAY NIGHT...SNOW TOTALS WEST WILL RANGE FROM 3 TO 8 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH ANOTHER 1 TO 4 INCHES ACROSS THE VALLEYS. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY TUESDAY LOOKS DRY FOR MOST PLACES. A FEW SNOW SHOWERS MAY FORM IN THE NW MOUNTAINS LATE TUE AFTERNOON. MOISTURE INCREASES IN THE WEST TUE NIGHT AS THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM APPROACHES. THUS A CHANCE OF MOUNTAIN SNOW AND SCATTERED SNOW FAR WEST VALLEYS TUE NIGHT...DRY EAST OF THE DIVIDE. THE WEATHER SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY AND DEPARTS WED NIGHT. MOUNTAIN SNOW WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN OR SNOW FOR PARTS OF THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. HARD TO PINPOINT BEST LOCATIONS FOR PRECIP EAST OF THE DIVIDE THIS FAR OUT. WILL REFINE TONIGHT AS NEEDED. THURSDAY LOOKS DRY FOR THE REGION. MOISTURE IS FORECAST TO RETURN TO THE FAR WEST THURS NIGHT AHEAD OF THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM. WILL BRING IN A GRADUAL INCREASE IN PRECIP THURS NIGHT OUT WEST. DRY ELSEWHERE THURS NIGHT. FRIDAY WILL SEE ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM PASS THROUGH THE AREA. THIS ONE DOES NOT LOOK TOO POTENT AT THIS TIME BUT IS WORTHY OF HAVING SOME LIGHT SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FAR WEST. EAST OF THE DIVIDE WILL HAVE ISOLATED POPS FOR NOW. NEXT SATURDAY LOOKS DRY FOR MOST PLACES. POSSIBLE LINGERING MOISTURE OVER THE NW WY MOUNTAINS NEXT SATURDAY FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW THERE. WITH THE RATHER ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN EXPECTED...BREEZY TO WINDY SPELLS WILL OCCUR OVER THE REGION AS A RESULT. HIGH TEMPS WILL YO-YO AS WELL DURING THIS PERIOD. TUESDAY LOOKS MILD...THEN COOLER WED...WARMING BACK UP THURS...THEN COOLER FRI...REBOUNDING ONCE AGAIN NEXT SATURDAY. && AVIATION.../18Z ISSUANCE/ A STORM APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL INCREASE WINDS ACROSS THE AREA...ESPECIALLY FROM RKS TO CPR AFTER 18Z SAT. A WIND SHIFT TO THE WEST NORTHWEST WILL OCCUR FROM WEST TO EAST AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH BETWEEN 18Z SAT AND 00Z SUN...WINDS WILL ALSO BE GUSTY TO STRONG ALONG AND BEHIND THE FRONT AND WITH ANY SHOWERS THAT FORM SATURDAY AFTERNOON. LOW MVFR TO IFR CIGS DEVELOPING AT KJAC AND KAFO 18Z-21Z...SPREADING EAST TO THE DIVIDE 21Z-00Z. PRECIPITATION WILL BE MORE SHOWERY EAST OF THE DIVIDE WITH OCCASIONAL MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION AND LOW MFVR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGER SHOWERS. A VERY ISOLATED THUNDER SHOWER CANNOT BE RULED OUT...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF THE OWL CREEK RANGE. SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF AFTER 08Z AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES AWAY TO THE EAST. .FIRE WEATHER... FIRE DANGER ELEVATED EAST OF THE DIVIDE TODAY...MODERATE SUNDAY. WINDS WILL INCREASE OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST TODAY IN RESPONSE TO AN APPROACHING WEATHER SYSTEM...BECOMING GUSTY 45 TO 55 MPH NEAR THE CANYON MOUTHS OF THE CODY FOOTHILLS AND 55 TO 65 MPH OVER THE WIND CORRIDOR OF CENTRAL WYOMING. RH VALUES WILL ALSO LOWER INTO THE 20S (PERCENT) FOR MUCH OF JOHNSON COUNTY AND PORTIONS OF NATRONA COUNTY. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS WILL ARRIVE OVER WESTERN WYOMING LATER THIS MORNING...WITH ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS MAKING IT EAST OF THE DIVIDE BY THIS EVENING. HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. OTHERWISE...MOST LATE MORNINGS AND AFTERNOONS ACROSS WYOMING SHOULD SEE GOOD TO VERY GOOD SMOKE DISPERSION. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT FOR WYZ019-020. && SHORT TERM...BRAUN LONG TERM...AR AVIATION...C.BAKER FIRE WEATHER...BRAUN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 330 AM MST SAT FEB 27 2016 WYZ001>020-022>030-281200- 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- 330 AM MST SAT FEB 27 2016 ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL WYOMING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL BRING STRONG WIND TO THE AREA BETWEEN SOUTH PASS AND CASPER. GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO OCCUR ACROSS MUCH OF THE REST OF THE AREA EAST OF THE DIVIDE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ADDITIONALLY...EXPECT MOUNTAIN AND VALLEY SNOW...MIXED WITH RAIN AT TIMES...ACROSS WESTERN WYOMING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...A CHANCE OF MOUNTAIN SNOW. A CHANCE OF RAIN OR SNOW AT THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...A CHANCE OF MOUNTAIN SNOW. A CHANCE OF RAIN OR SNOW AT THE LOWER ELEVATIONS ON WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT WIND GUSTS GREATER THAN 50 MPH AND SNOWFALL. THANK YOU.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The wind sensor along Outer Drive recorded several 58 mph wind gusts.
The RAWS site at Fales Rock recorded a 79 mph wind gust.
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: 613762, 613761.