An approaching cold front and strong mid-level flow produced high wind in the favored areas around Clark and Casper. Several gusts in excess of hurricane force were recorded at both a station west of Clark and on the south side of Casper.
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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.
An approaching cold front and strong mid-level flow produced high wind in the favored areas around Clark and Casper. Several gusts in excess of hurricane force were recorded at both a station west of Clark and on the south side of Casper. Mountain wave activity was responsible for an extreme gust of 92 mph near Clark. A tight surface pressure gradient produced several wind gusts past 58 mph on the south side of Casper, including a peak gust of 77 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 Jan 13, 10:35 AM MST, 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 1035 AM MST WED JAN 13 2016 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT IMAGERY SHOWS LW TROF E OF THE ROCKIES TO THE E CST...WITH BROADENING RIDGE ACROSS THE WEST OVR TOP OF RELATIVELY WEAK CLOSED LOW ABOVE NWRN MEXICO. WEAK EMBEDDED UPR DISTURBANCE CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS NWRN WY. FURTHER UPSTREAM AND OFFSHORE OF THE NRN WCST...A STRONGER SW TROF MOVING QUICKLY EWD...WILL ARRIVE NEAR WY WED NIGHT/THURSDAY. SFC HAS LOW P TROF/WEAK COLD FRONT ACROSS THE PLAINS...WITH STRENGTHENING HIGH P OVR THE GREAT BASIN INTO THE CNTRL ROCKIES. TIGHTENING P GRAD IN BETWEEN THESE TWO P FIELDS ACROSS THE WRN HALF OF WY WITH BREEZY/GUSTY WINDS BLOWING OVR/THRU THE WIND CORRIDOR AND IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT LEE SIDE FOOTHILLS OF THE MOUNTAINS. THRU THIS MORNING...WY REMAINS UNDER NW FLOW ALOFT WITH A WEAK STATIONARY FRONT BACKED INTO THE DIVIDE. RIDGING FOLLOWS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH TROF AND TRANSITION TO UPR SW/W FLOW BEGINNING TO INFILTRATE WRN WY. MODEST P AND T GRAD AND STABLE MID LVLS WILL PROVIDE THE MEANS FOR OCCASIONALLY STRONG GUSTY WINDS ACROSS THE CODY FOOTHILLS THIS MORNING. MORNING PATCHY FOG ACROSS A FEW BASINS. BREEZY WINDS ACROSS THE WIND CORRIDOR. LIGHT SNOW/FLURRIES CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OCCASIONALLY OVR THE WRN/NWRN MOUNTAINS TODAY...AS WEAK MOISTURE/CLOUDS AND THE WEAK UPR DISTURBANCE QUICKLY MOVES THRU THE UPR/MID LVL FLOW. TONIGHT THRU FRIDAY...STRONGER BUT SPLITTING SW TROF RUSHES INTO WRN WY AND THRU THE FCST AREA. AN INCREASE IN EPAC MOISTURE ACCOMPANYING THIS WAVE WILL ALLOW FOR INCREASED SNOW CHANCES ACROSS THE WRN MOUNTAINS TONIGHT THRU THURSDAY. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OUT WEST WITH THIS SYSTEM LOOK TO RANGE FROM 2 TO 6 INCHES ACROSS THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS AND PASSES TO 0.5 TO 3 INCHES OVER THE VALLEYS. MEANWHILE...THIS SYSTEM WILL SPARK SFC CYCLO/FRONTO-GENESIS OVR MT...WITH THE FRONT PUSHING THRU THE FA BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON... ALLOWING FOR SOME LIGHT SNOWFALL E OF THE DIVIDE...WITH STRONGEST FRONTAL FORCING ACROSS THE ERN FA AND JOHNSON AND NATRONA COUNTIES. ATTM...ALL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS E OF THE DIVIDE LOOK TO REMAIN WELL BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS FOR THE MOST PART...WITH A TRACE TO AN INCH OR TWO AT BEST. A LULL IN THE ACTION CAN BE EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING...WITH ONLY LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS OR FLURRIES REMAINING...MAINLY OVR THE MOUNTAINS. FRIDAY...THE NEXT QUICK MOVING UPR SW/JET STREAK WILL RACE THRU THE REGION...MAINLY SOUTH OF WY. HOWEVER...WITH A MODEST INCREASE IN LOW TO MID LVL MOISTURE ACROSS THE CNTRL AND SRN CWA...SNOWFALL CHANCES WILL ALSO BE ON THE INCREASE. FRI THRU SAT MORNING...EXPECT ANOTHER 2 TO 4 INCHES IN THE WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS...WITH 0.5 TO 1.5 INCHES ACROSS THE WRN VALLEYS...CENTRAL/SOUTHERN BASINS AND SWEETWATER COUNTY. .LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A COUPLE OF WEATHER SYSTEMS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE FORECAST AREA THIS WEEKEND. A STRONG...COLD UPPER LOW OVER SOUTH CENTRAL MANITOBA IS EXPECTED TO PUSH SOUTHEAST INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES AREA SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. THE ASSOCIATED ARCTIC COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH INTO THE FAR NORTHEAST/EASTERN SECTIONS OF FORECAST AREA LATE SATURDAY/SATURDAY NIGHT...BEFORE RETREATING SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT. THE SECOND SYSTEM THAT WILL IMPACT THE FORECAST AREA THIS WEEKEND WILL BE OFF THE WEST COAST SATURDAY MORNING...BUT WILL QUICKLY PUSH EAST THROUGH A WEAK RIDGE OVER THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST SATURDAY AND ACROSS THE NORTHERN/CENTRAL ROCKIES SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY. THE LATTER SYSTEM WILL GIVE ANOTHER DECENT SHOT OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOWFALL ACROSS THE WEST SATURDAY NIGHT...POSSIBLY BEGINNING ON SATURDAY...BUT THINK MODELS ARE OVERDOING THE PRECIPITATION IN A MEAN RIDGE AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM DURING THE DAY SATURDAY. AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE COULD SEE SOME LIGHT SNOW DEVELOP BEHIND THE ARCTIC COLD FRONT SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...AND POSSIBLY OTHER AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHORTWAVE PUSHING ACROSS THE AREA. IMPROVING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY AFTERNOON...WITH A MAINLY DRY NIGH EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL PROBABLY BE SHORT LIVED AS YET ANOTHER QUICK MOVING PACIFIC SYSTEM COULD IMPACT THE AREA MONDAY AND TUESDAY...WITH MOST OF THE IMPACT WEST OF THE DIVIDE. THE ECMWF SHOWS THE ACTIVITY COULD LINGER INTO WEDNESDAY...WHILE THE GFS IS MAINLY DRY IN WAKE OF THE ACTIVITY MONDAY AND TUESDAY. TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE EXTENDED WILL GENERALLY BE SEASONALLY COLD FOR MID JANUARY. && .AVIATION.../18Z ISSUANCE/ WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...KBPI/KJAC/KPNA/KRKS LINGERING FOG RESULTING IN LIMITED VISIBILITY CONTINUES OVER THE JACKSON VALLEY THIS MORNING...BRINGING LIFR CONDITIONS TO KJAC. THIS FOG SHOULD LIFT BY THE LATE MORNING HOURS. GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS ANTICIPATED THROUGH THE DAYTIME HOURS WITH A PERIOD OF DRYING OVER THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. HOWEVER...SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE OVER THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION WILL ALSO CONTINUE WITH LOWERED CEILINGS OVER THE AREA. SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AFTER 05Z THIS EVENING...WITH PERIODS OF IFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL WIDESPREAD VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...GUSTY TO STRONG WIND WILL BE POSSIBLE AT FAVORED TERMINALS INCLUDING KCPR THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST PERIOD. SNOWFALL WILL MOVE EASTWARD TONIGHT...WITH SOME TERMINALS SEEING AT LEAST VCSH AFTER 12Z THURSDAY. CONDITIONS MAY DETERIORATE THROUGH THE LATE MORNING HOURS...WITH LOWERING CEILINGS. MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION IS EXPECTED. ADDITIONALLY PERIODS OF LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR WILL BE POSSIBLE AT FAVORED TERMINALS...ESPECIALLY KLND AND KCOD. && .FIRE WEATHER... FIRE DANGER REMAINS LOW ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE WORK WEEK...WITH LIGHT TO BREEZY WINDS...COLD TEMPERATURES...AND SNOW COVERING MOST SURFACES. LIGHT SNOW/FLURRIES WILL CONTINUE OCCASIONALLY ACROSS SOME OF THE WESTERN FORECAST AREA THROUGH TONIGHT. THEN NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...A COUPLE OF RELATIVELY WEAK WINTER WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL PUSH THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA...WITH LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE AT TIMES ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION...INCLUDING THE BASINS. OTHERWISE...STRONG LOW LEVEL INVERSIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS... KEEPING MIXING LEVELS LOW AND SMOKE DISPERSION RATED POOR. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL NOON MST TODAY FOR WYZ003. && SHORT TERM...BRAUN LONG TERM...WM AVIATION...BRANHAM FIRE WEATHER...BRAUN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 213 AM MST WED JAN 13 2016 WYZ001>020-022>030-141200- 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- 213 AM MST WED JAN 13 2016 ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE CODY FOOTHILLS THROUGH NOON TODAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG WEST WINDS DOWNWIND OF THE CANYONS ACROSS THE CODY FOOTHILLS THROUGH NOON TODAY. LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW TONIGHT ACROSS THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...PERIODS OF LIGHT TO OCCASIONALLY MODERATE SNOW ACROSS THE WEST. SOME LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE EAST OF THE DIVIDE AT TIMES. SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...A PERIOD OF LIGHT TO PERHAPS MODERATE SNOWFALL ACROSS THE WEST...WITH SOME LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE EAST OF THE DIVIDE AT TIMES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. THANK YOU.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 535 AM MST WED JAN 13 2016 WYZ013-023-025-026-131600- JACKSON HOLE-STAR VALLEY-UPPER GREEN RIVER BASIN FOOTHILLS- UPPER GREEN RIVER BASIN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...JACKSON...AFTON...ALPINE... STAR VALLEY RANCH...THAYNE...PINEDALE...LA BARGE...BIG PINEY... FARSON 535 AM MST WED JAN 13 2016 THROUGH 9 AM...PATCHY FOG WILL BE ENCOUNTERED ACROSS THE WESTERN VALLEYS AND BASINS OF WESTERN WYOMING. VISIBILITY IN FOG WILL BE REDUCED TO A QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO SLOW DOWN AND USE YOUR LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WHEN FOG IS ENCOUNTERED. 21
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 many wind gusts over 58 mph, including a maximum gust of 77 mph.
Several wind gusts of hurricane force were recorded west of Clark, including a maximum of 92 mph. The strongest winds were during the early morning hours.
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, January 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: 608271, 608270.