A large surface pressure gradient and vigorous low pressure system moving across Montana and the Dakotas generated high winds through the wind corridors of southeast Wyoming. Frequent gusts of 65 to 75 mph were observed.
Every event with a place to put it; 20 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 CYS wrote it up.
A large surface pressure gradient and vigorous low pressure system moving across Montana and the Dakotas generated high winds through the wind corridors of southeast Wyoming. Frequent gusts of 65 to 75 mph were observed.
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 Cheyenne, WY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 5, 11:19 PM MST, 1 hour 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
1119 PM MST FRI FEB 5 2016
.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY)
ISSUED AT 204 PM MST FRI FEB 5 2016
A VERY WINDY PATTERN WILL EVOLVE ACROSS SOUTHEAST WY AND THE WESTERN
NE PANHANDLE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE INHERITED HIGH WIND WARNING
FOR OUR WIND CORRIDORS ARE IN EXCELLENT SHAPE...SO NO CHANGES APPEAR
TO BE NECESSARY ATTM. A STRONG MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE CURRENTLY LOCATED
OFF THE PACIFIC NW COAST WILL MOVE QUICKLY INTO WESTERN MONTANA THIS
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT...WITH LOW-LEVEL GRADIENTS INCREASING MARKEDLY
AS A RESULT. THE NAM H85 CAG-CPR GRADIENT CLIMBS TO 60 METERS BY 06Z
AND TO NEAR 90 METERS BY 15Z SAT. THIS...COMBINED WITH A BROAD SWATH
OF 55-65 KNOT FLOW AT H7-H8 OVER THE WIND CORRIDORS SHOULD SUPPORT A
FEW WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH. THIS WILL CONTINUE WELL INTO SAT
EVENING AS THE H7 CAG-CPR GRADIENT REMAINS ABOVE 60 METERS UNTIL 06Z
SUN AND THE MID-LEVEL WAVE TRACKS ACROSS NORTHEAST WY. SFC TEMPS ARE
GOING TO BE WARMER ON SATURDAY...SO CRUSTING OF SNOWPACK SHOULD TEND
TO LIMIT THE EXTENT OF BLOWING SNOW. THERE WILL CERTAINLY BE REDUCED
VISIBILITIES AND SLICK ROADS THOUGH...MAINLY ACROSS OUR PRIMARY WIND
CORRIDORS.
THERE IS STILL A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY WITH HOW THIS IS GOING TO EVOLVE
FOR SOME OF THE ADJACENT VALLEYS/HIGH PLAINS. MAV GUIDANCE IS COMING
IN LOWER WITH SUSTAINED WINDS ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH NONE OF THE
SITES IN THE HIGH WIND WATCH EXCEEDING 27 KTS. OUR LOCAL PROBABILITY
GUIDANCE FOR 50 KNOT GUSTS AT CYS HAS TRENDED MUCH LOWER TOO. BUFKIT
SOUNDINGS FROM THE NAM AND GFS DO NOT SUGGEST EXCELLENT MIXING...BUT
STEEP ENOUGH LAPSE RATES FOR DOWNWARD MOMENTUM TRANSFER. BELIEVE THE
BEST DECISION IS TO LEAVE THE WATCH AS-IS AND LET THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT
RE-EVALUATE. WARNING-CRITERIA GUSTS ARE A POSSIBILITY WITH 55-65 KTS
UPSTAIRS...BUT OUR CONFIDENCE IN THIS SCENARIO IS LOW. BETTER CHANCE
FOR HIGH WINDS OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS MAY COME ON SUN WITH 55-65 KT
H75 FLOW OVERSPREADING ALL AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE
INCLUDING THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. THE LATEST MAV GUIDANCE FOR SIDNEY
SHOWS 37 KNOT SUSTAINED WINDS...SO LATER SHIFTS MAY NEED TO CONSIDER
A HIGH WIND WATCH FARTHER EAST.
.LONG TERM...(SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 204 PM MST FRI FEB 5 2016
PRETTY QUIET WEATHER PATTERN IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD WITH AN UPPER
RIDGE ENTRENCHED ACROSS THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST. NORTH TO
NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL PREVAIL. IT WILL BE BREEZY TO WINDY
FROM SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY ESPECIALLY TO THE EAST OF THE
LARAMIE RANGE WHERE THE MODELS SHOW 700 MB WINDS OF 40-55 KTS. THE
STRONGEST WINDS COULD ACTUALLY OCCUR SUNDAY NIGHT OVER THE
PANHANDLE WITH AROUND 60 KTS JUST A FEW THOUSAND FEET OFF THE SFC.
THE WINDS WOULD BE HIGHER IF THE LLVL LAPSE RATES WERE BETTER.
STILL...20-30 KTS OF SFC WIND WILL BE COMMON MUCH OF THE TIME
THROUGH TUESDAY. BY WED AND INTO THURS THE MID LEVEL JET WILL
SHIFT WELL EASTWARD INTO MINNESOTA/IOWA. TEMPS WILL WARM THROUGH
THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK WITH HIGHS 10-15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL BY
THURS. PRECIP CHANCES ARE SLIM WITH THE UPPER RIDGE NEARBY.
&&
.AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 1119 PM MST FRI FEB 5 2016
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT MOST SITES THROUGH THE PERIOD. THE
EXCEPTION WILL BE AT KRWL TONIGHT WHERE MVFR STRATUS DEVELOPED
THIS EVENING AND SHOULD PERSIST OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS BASED ON
CURRENT SATELLITE TRENDS. OTHERWISE...MAINLY HIGH CLOUDS WILL
STREAM OVERHEAD FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH SATURDAY. GUSTY WEST TO
SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL PREVAIL AT THE WYOMING TERMINALS
TONIGHT...INCREASING AND SPREADING TO THE EASTERN PLAINS SITES BY
LATE SATURDAY MORNING. GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 KT ARE LIKELY AT THE
KCYS...KLAR...AND KRWL SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH 20 TO 30 KTS
ELSEWHERE.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
ISSUED AT 204 PM MST FRI FEB 5 2016
STRONG WINDS RETURN TO SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND ARE LIKELY TO BECOME
WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE AREA SATURDAY. HIGH WIND WARNINGS HAVE BEEN
POSTED FOR THE WIND PRONE AREAS OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING FOR WIND
GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH WITH HIGH WIND WATCHES FOR MANY OF THE
LOWER AREAS SATURDAY. THESE WINDS WILL SPREAD OUT INTO THE
NEBRASKA PANHANDLE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY AND WIND HEADLINES
WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED OUT THERE AS WELL. WITH AN ABUNDANT SNOW
PACK THOUGH...FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS SHOULD BE MINIMAL.
&&
.CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WY...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MST SATURDAY FOR WYZ106-110-116-
117.
HIGH WIND WATCH FROM 8 AM MST SATURDAY THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING
FOR WYZ101-104-105-107-109-115.
NE...NONE.
&&
SHORT TERM...CLH
LONG TERM...ZAF
AVIATION...RJM
FIRE WEATHER...CLHHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 740 PM MST FRI FEB 5 2016 WYZ101>119-061200- CONVERSE COUNTY LOWER ELEVATIONS-NIOBRARA COUNTY- NORTH LARAMIE RANGE-FERRIS/SEMINOE/SHIRLEY MOUNTAINS-SHIRLEY BASIN- CENTRAL LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY-EAST PLATTE COUNTY- GOSHEN COUNTY-CENTRAL CARBON COUNTY-NORTH SNOWY RANGE FOOTHILLS- SOUTHWEST CARBON COUNTY-SIERRA MADRE RANGE-UPPER NORTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN-SNOWY RANGE-LARAMIE VALLEY-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE FOOTHILLS-CENTRAL LARAMIE COUNTY-EAST LARAMIE COUNTY- 740 PM MST FRI FEB 5 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL WYOMING...SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP THROUGH THE WIND PRONE AREAS OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING TONIGHT. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ARLINGTON AND ELK MOUNTAIN...SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY INCLUDING BORDEAUX...THE SOUTHERN LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHERN LARAMIE RANGE FOOTHILLS INCLUDING THE INTERSTATE 80 SUMMIT. WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 75 MPH ARE FORECAST. ELSEWHERE...WINDS WILL GUST FROM 45 TO 55 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A HIGH WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM SATURDAY TO 11 PM SATURDAY FOR DOUGLAS...GLENDO...WHEATLAND...CHUGWATER...GUERNSEY...RAWLINS... AND LARAMIE. EXPECT WEST WINDS 40 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...HOWEVER HIGH WIND REPORTS WILL BE APPRECIATED. NEZ002-003-019>021-054-055-095-096-061200- DAWES-BOX BUTTE-SCOTTS BLUFF-BANNER-MORRILL-KIMBALL-CHEYENNE-NORTH SIOUX-SOUTH SIOUX- 740 PM MST FRI FEB 5 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH FRIDAY STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. HIGH WIND WATCHES AND WARNINGS MAY BE ISSUED WITH LATER FORECAST UPDATES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
20 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The WYDOT sensor at Halleck Ridge measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 60 mph at 06/0450 MST.
Ther WYDOT sensor at Foote Creek measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 60 mph at 06/0100 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Arlington measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 62 mph at 06/1030 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Bordeaux measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 74 mph at 06/1410 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Otto Road measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 65 mph at 06/1105 MST.
The UPR sensor at Emkay measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 73 mph at 06/2045 MST.
The UPR sensor at Buford measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 64 mph at 06/1925 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Buford East measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 65 mph at 06/1820 MST.
The UPR sensor at Lynch measured wind gusts of 58 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 75 mph at 06/2155 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at County Road 402 measured peak wind gusts of 62 mph.
The WYDOT sensor at Interstate 80 mile post 353 measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher.
The WYDOT sensor at Arlington East measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 61 mph at 06/0850 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Cooler Cove measured peak wind gusts of 60 mph.
The WYDOT sensor at Vedauwoo measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher.
The WYDOT sensor at Wyoming Hill measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher.
The UPR sensor at Dale Creek measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 64 mph at 06/1155 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Wagonhound measured peak wind gusts of 59 mph.
The WYDOT sensor at Lone Tree measured sustained winds of 40 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 61 mph at 06/1400 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Wildcat Trail wind gusts of 58 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 71 mph at 06/2000 MST.
The WYDOT sensor at Otto Road measured wind gusts of 58 mph or higher, with a peak gust of 68 mph at 06/2020 MST.
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: 635860, 635858, 635854, 635835, 635873, 635871, 635865, 635864, 635868, 635857, 635872, 635853, 635855, 635869, 635875, 635866, 635862, 635867, 635870, 635874.