High pressure building southwest of Wyoming coupled with a developing trough over the eastern plains of Wyoming to produce strong southwest wind gusts across central sections of the state. Wind gusts in excess of 58 mph were common on the downslope side of Casper Mountain along Wyoming Boulevard.
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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.
High pressure building southwest of Wyoming coupled with a developing trough over the eastern plains of Wyoming to produce strong southwest wind gusts across central sections of the state. Wind gusts in excess of 58 mph were common on the downslope side of Casper Mountain along Wyoming Boulevard. The peak gust at a sensor on the south side of Casper was 70 mph. Mid- and upper-level winds also favored strong downsloping wind and mountain wave activity along the Cody foothills in northwest Wyoming. Wind gusts were as high as 79 mph west of Clark, with other gusts between 60 and 66 mph from Cody north along State Highway 120.
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 5, 10:04 PM MST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 1004 PM MST FRI FEB 5 2016 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MOISTURE EMBEDDED IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE LIGHT SNOWFALL OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS TONIGHT. A PACIFIC WAVE WILL THEN APPROACH THE AREA SATURDAY MORNING...SENDING INCREASED MOISTURE OVER WESTERN WYOMING. YELLOWSTONE AND TETON COUNTIES LOOK TO BE THE MOST IMPACTED BY THIS UPCOMING SNOWFALL....THOUGH ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON ARE LOOKING TO GENERALLY BE LESS THAN 3 INCHES OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND LESS THAN AN INCH ACROSS THE VALLEYS. THE BIGGER STORY THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD IS WIND. A NOTICEABLE TEMPERATURES GRADIENT REMAINS OVER THE CODY FOOTHILLS WITHIN THEIR FAVORED FLOW FOR MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT STRONG WIND WILL MAKE IT TO THE SURFACE THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS BEFORE WEAKENING. THEN...A TIGHTENED PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE STATE WILL INCREASE WIND ACROSS THE CORRIDOR BETWEEN ROCK SPRINGS AND CASPER. THE STRONGEST WINDS LOOK TO BE OVER NATRONA AND SOUTHEASTERN FREMONT COUNTIES...THOUGH LOCAL HIGH WIND WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS EASTERN SWEETWATER COUNTY THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. HIGH WIND WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR BOTH LOCATIONS...AND THE STATEMENTS WILL CONTAIN BETTER TIMING AND INTENSITY INFORMATION. .LONG TERM...SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY LIMITED MOISTURE IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL BRING SOME LIGHT SNOW TO THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN MOUNTAINS SATURDAY NIGHT. EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...VARIABLE CLOUDS WITH BREEZY TO WINDY AREAS CAN BE EXPECTED. THE WINDIEST AREAS WILL BE ALONG AND NEAR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS. THE SNOW SHOWERS WILL LINGER OVER THE NORTHWEST SUNDAY MORNING THEN ARE EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE. CLEARING IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTH FROM MONTANA BRINGING SOME COOLING TO MAINLY THE NORTH AND EAST. SOME STRATUS AND FOG WILL LIKELY GET TRAPPED IN THE WESTERN VALLEYS AND CENTRAL BASINS WITH AREAS OF FOG ALONG THE LAKES AND RIVERS. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT OVER THE WESTERN US WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY WITH A PROLONGED DRY PERIOD EXPECTED. OUTSIDE OF SOME VALLEY AND BASIN STRATUS AND FOG AT NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS...MOSTLY CLEAR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. WINDS SHOULD PICK UP WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AND EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM IN THE WINDY AREAS AND LOW TEMPERATURES WILL BE THE MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST. SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS MAY DEVELOP LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY IN THE NORTHWEST...OTHERWISE FRIDAY WILL BE DRY AS WELL...AND SHOULD BE THE WINDIEST DAY OVERALL. && .AVIATION.../06Z ISSUANCE/ WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...KBPI/KJAC/KPNA/KRKS PERIODS OF SNOWFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS....AND INTO THE EXTREME WESTERN VALLEYS THROUGH THE PERIOD. THIS MAY PRODUCE PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOWFALL AND MVFR CONDITIONS AT KJAC. CONDITIONS LOOK MOST FAVORABLE FOR SNOWFALL AFTER 12Z SATURDAY...WHEN SOME IFR CONDITIONS MAY BE REPORTED. ADDITIONALLY...PERIODS OF GUSTY WIND WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER KRKS THROUGH MUCH OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. GUSTY WIND MAY ALSO ACCOMPANY SNOWFALL OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AFTER 12Z SATURDAY...WHICH MAY IMPACT THE WESTERN MOUNTAIN PASSES. MOUNTAIN TOPS WILL LIKELY REMAIN OBSCURED THROUGH MUCH OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL STRONG WIND WILL BE FOUND OVER THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA TONIGHT...WITH GUSTS TO 35 KTS POSSIBLE AT KCOD AFTER 00Z. STRONGER GUSTS TO 50 KTS WILL BE POSSIBLE SOUTH AND NORTH OF KCOD WHICH MAY IMPACT APPROACHES AND DEPARTURES. PERIODS OF GUSTY WIND WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE OVER KCPR...WITH GUSTS TO 35KT POSSIBLE AFTER 08Z THIS EVENING. ANOTHER INCREASE IN WIND OVER THE EASTERN TERMINALS WILL BE EXPECTED AFTER 16Z SATURDAY...WITH SOME GUSTS NEAR 50 KT ANTICIPATED AROUND KCPR. THE STRONGER WIND MAY BE CLOSER TO CASPER MOUNTAIN...WHICH COULD MAKE FOR SOME INCREASED TURBULENCE ON APPROACH OF THE TERMINAL. WIND SHOULD BEGIN TO DECREASE AFTER 02Z SUNDAY. PRECIPITATION WILL GENERALLY REMAIN WEST OF THE DIVIDE WITH VFR CONDITIONS ANTICIPATED. && .FIRE WEATHER... STRONG WIND TO BE THE MAIN CONCERN OVER TONIGHT AND THROUGH SATURDAY. HIGH WIND WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THE CODY FOOTHILLS AND ACROSS THE WIND CORRIDOR BETWEEN ROCK SPRINGS AND CASPER. OTHERWISE...PERIODS OF SNOWFALL ARE ANTICIPATED OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. A BUILDING RIDGE IS THE ANTICIPATED OVER THE AREA THROUGH MUCH OF THE NEXT WEEK. A SLIGHT WARMING TREND IS ANTICIPATED. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 5 AM TO 11 PM MST SATURDAY FOR WYZ019-020. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 AM MST SATURDAY FOR WYZ003. && SHORT TERM...BRANHAM LONG TERM...C.BAKER AVIATION...HATTINGS FIRE WEATHER...BRANHAM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 437 PM MST FRI FEB 5 2016 WYZ001>020-022>030-061200- 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- 437 PM MST FRI FEB 5 2016 ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE CODY FOOTHILLS TONIGHT AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL WYOMING ON SATURDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT STRONG WIND WILL DEVELOP OVER THE CODY FOOTHILLS THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. WIND WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS CROSS WINDS FOR MOTORISTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SATURDAY AND SATURDAY EVENING...BREEZY TO STRONG SOUTHWEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS AND AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WYOMING INCLUDING ALONG INTERSTATES 25 80 AND 90. STRONG WINDS EXPECTED IN THE CODY FOOTHILLS. SNOW SHOWERS SPREADING ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHERN WYOMING DURING THE DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN 50 MPH OR ANY WIND RELATED DAMAGE. THANK YOU. TEAM RIVERTON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The wind sensor 5 miles west-northwest of Clark had many wind gusts over 58 mph, including a maximum of 79 mph. Other strong gusts included 66 mph south of Clark and 60 mph at the Park County Sheriff's office.
There were many gusts over 58 mph along Outer Drive on the south side of Casper, including a maximum of 70 mph.
Wind gusts of 64 mph and 60 mph were recorded at Fales Rock RAWS and Camp Creek RAWS, respectively.
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: 611092, 611094, 611093.