A 30-year-old snowboarder riding alone on the Pyramid was killed when a three-foot-deep avalanche buried him. A witness reported the slide shortly before 1200MST and helicopter search and rescue operations were initiated.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
A 30-year-old snowboarder riding alone on the Pyramid was killed when a three-foot-deep avalanche buried him. A witness reported the slide shortly before 1200MST and helicopter search and rescue operations were initiated. The volunteers spotted the snowboard and two volunteers were flown to the site where they found the deceased. The victim was carried approximately 1200 feet down the steep east-facing slope.
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 19, 12:23 PM MST, 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 1223 PM MST TUE JAN 19 2016 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY WESTERN WYOMING TO GET ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING... A FAST MOVING PACIFIC TROUGH MOVING INLAND ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN OREGON WILL MOVE CLOSE ENOUGH TO WESTERN WYOMING THIS EVENING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF WIDESPREAD SNOW IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS. THE SYSTEM SWEEPS THROUGH THE AREA WEDNESDAY WITH SNOW TAPERING OFF WEDNESDAY EVENING. HAVE DECIDED TO GO WITH A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 03Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH 03Z THURSDAY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. LOCAL AREAS AROUND THE SKI AREAS IN THE TETONS MAY EXCEED 12 INCHES OF SNOW WITH THIS SYSTEM BUT MORE WIDESPREAD AMOUNTS WILL BE IN THE 5 TO 10 INCH RANGE. THIS SYSTEM LOOKS WINDIER THAN THE LAST ONE SO EXPECT MORE BLOWING AND DRIFTING. JACKSON HOLE AND STAR VALLEY EXPECTED TO SEE 3 TO 6 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO 8 INCHES AROUND STAR VALLEY RANCH AND THROUGH HOBACK CANYON TO BONDURANT. LOWER AMOUNTS IN THE WYOMING AND SALT RIVER RANGES BUT WITH PLENTY OF WIND. MAINLY 4 TO 8 INCHES THERE AND IN THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS..ALSO ACROSS SOUTHERN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. INCLUDED EAST SLOPES OF THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS WHERE 3 TO 7 INCHES POSSIBLE BUT THIS AREA SHOULD EXPERIENCE THE STRONGEST WIND IMPACTING SOUTH PASS EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE DOWN TO 7000 FEET ON HIGHWAY 28 ABOVE RED CANYON. SOME SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO BIGHORN MOUNTAINS ON WEDNESDAY BUT MOST OF THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL BE DRY UNTIL WEDNESDAY EVENING WHEN WIND GOES NORTHWEST. TEMPERATURES WILL BE MODERATED WITH CLOUDS...PRECIPITATION AND WIND WITH GOOD MIXING. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY WEST OF THE DIVIDE...THE CHANCE OF SNOW WILL BE ON A DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY AS THE ENERGY FROM THE SHORTWAVE EXITS TO THE EAST OF THE AREA. AREAS FAVORED BY NORTHWEST FLOW WOULD LIKELY SEE SNOW FOR A BIT LONGER...BUT THE HEAVIEST SHOULD BE OVER BY THEN. JUST ABOUT ALL SNOW OTHER THAN SOME INCONSEQUENTIAL FLURRIES SHOULD BE THE RULE BY 12Z. FOLLOWING THAT...A SHORTWAVE RIDGE SHOULD BUILD ACROSS THE AREA AND BRING TRANQUIL WEATHER FROM THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. THE MODELS CONTINUE TO SLOW THE NEXT APPROACHING SHORTWAVE FOR THE WEEKEND SO WE REMOVED POPS DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY. WE CAN NOT RULE OUT A FLURRY OR LIGHT SNOW SHOWER FRIDAY...BUT COVERAGE SHOULD BE SO SMALL AND IMPACTS SMALL ENOUGH WE KEPT IT DRY. THE AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE THEN CREEPS INTO THE AREA LATER FRIDAY NIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY. AND LIKE MANY PREVIOUS RUNS...THE MODELS HAVE DIFFERENCES IN TIMING. THE GFS REMAINS MORE PROGRESSIVE IN MOVING STEADY PRECIPITATION IN BY SUNRISE. MEANWHILE...THE EUROPEAN HAS ONLY LIGHT AMOUNTS IN THE EXTREME WEST THROUGH THE DAY ON SATURDAY. FOR NOW...WE LEFT CONTINUITY ALONE UNTIL MORE AGREEMENT IS REACHED. THERE IS MORE AGREEMENT FOR SUNDAY HOWEVER WITH ANOTHER SHORTWAVE MOVING THROUGH WITH THE NORTHWEST FLOW SO WE INCREASED POPS IN THAT TIMEFRAME. AFTER SUNDAY NIGHT...THERE SHOULD BE A DRYING TREND AS RIDGING BUILDS FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. THE EUROPEAN SHOWS ANOTHER WAVE APPROACHING FOR TUESDAY WHILE THE GFS IS AROUND 18 HOURS SLOWER. AGAIN...WE SPLIT THE MIDDLE WITH SLIGHT POPS TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...SOME SNOW SHOULD BE ONGOING ACROSS EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA AS THE TROUGH WORKS ITS WAY ACROSS THE AREA. THE MOST FAVORABLE AREAS FOR ACCUMULATION LOOK SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS COUPLE OF SHORTWAVES WITH NORTHWEST FLOW...MAINLY THE BIGHORN RANGE AS WELL AS JOHNSON AND NATRONA COUNTIES. CONTINUITY HAD THIS REFLECTED FAIRLY WELL SO TO QUOTE A WISE MAN...IF IT AINT BROKE DONT FIX IT. SO...WE MADE FEW CHANGES. AFTER THAT...EXPECT SETTLED WEATHER FROM THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING AS SHORTWAVE RIDGING BUILDS ACROSS THE AREA. WE CAN NOT RULE OUT A LINGERING FLURRY THURSDAY MORNING BUT AGAIN...MOST AREAS WILL NOT SEE ANY SO WE LEFT IT OUT. WITH INCREASING SOUTHWEST FLOW...THERE IS A CHANCE SOME OF THE BASINS COULD MIX OUT SOMEWHAT. FOR NOW...WE KEPT TEMPERATURES COOLER SINCE IF IT WARMS UP...MOST PEOPLE WILL BE HAPPY. WINDS COULD BECOME QUITE GUSTY ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN WIND CORRIDOR FROM FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS. THE GFS IS SHOWING SOME 50 KNOT WINDS AT 700 MILLIBARS ON SATURDAY SO IT COULD GET QUITE WINDY IF THERE IS ENOUGH MIXING. THE AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE THEN CREEPS INTO THE AREA LATER FRIDAY NIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY. AND LIKE MANY PREVIOUS RUNS...THE MODELS HAVE DIFFERENCES IN TIMING. THE GFS IS MORE BULLISH WITH THE PRECIPITATION WITH A BAND OF OVERRUNNING PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE NORTH. MEANWHILE...THE EUROPEAN NOW HAS ALMOST NOTHING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. WITH THE DIFFERENCES...FEW CHANGES WERE MADE. THERE IS MORE CONFIDENCE IN SUNDAY WITH ANOTHER SHORTWAVE DROPPING SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA WITH SOME LIGHT SNOW. AS A RESULT...WE RAISED POPS AND INCREASED SKY COVER SOMEWHAT. MORE TRANQUIL WEATHER IS THEN EXPECTED FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK AS RIDGING BUILDS BACK OVER THE AREA. && .AVIATION.../00Z ISSUANCE/ WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...KBPI/KJAC/KPNA/KRKS VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT THE AIRPORTS ACROSS WESTERN WYOMING THROUGH 03Z. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS WITH LOCAL MVFR TO IFR CEILINGS ABOVE 9000 FT OBSCURING THE PEAKS. FROM 00Z TO 03Z SNOW WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD OVER THE MOUNTAINS WITH OBSCURATIONS BECOMING WIDESPREAD. 03Z TO 06Z SNOW WILL LOWER INTO THE WESTERN VALLEYS AND SPREAD EAST TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. MOST AREAS WILL HAVE MVFR TO IFR CEILINGS WITH VISIBILITY REDUCED IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. BY 09Z SNOW EXPECTED TO SPREAD ACROSS GREEN RIVER BASIN AND SWEETWATER COUNTY IMPACTING ALL AIRPORTS WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT THE AIRPORTS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY. OVER THE MOUNTAINS ALONG AND EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS WITH LOCAL MVFR TO IFR CEILINGS ABOVE 9000 FT OBSCURING THE PEAKS. FROM 03Z TO 06Z SNOW WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD OVER THE MOUNTAINS WITH OBSCURATIONS BECOMING WIDESPREAD. 06Z TO 09Z SNOW WILL LOWER TO 7500 FEET EAST TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. MOST MOUNTAINS AREAS WILL HAVE MVFR TO IFR CEILINGS WITH VISIBILITY REDUCED IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. BETWEEN 15Z AND 18Z SNOW EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE BIGHORN MOUNTAINS OBSCURING CLOUD PEAK AT TIMES. && .FIRE WEATHER... A FAST MOVING PACIFIC TROUGH MOVING INLAND ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN OREGON WILL MOVE CLOSE ENOUGH TO WESTERN WYOMING THIS EVENING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF WIDESPREAD SNOW IN THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS. THE SYSTEM SWEEPS THROUGH THE AREA WEDNESDAY WITH SNOW TAPERING OFF WEDNESDAY EVENING. HAVE DECIDED TO GO WITH A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 03Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH 03Z THURSDAY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. LOCAL AREAS AROUND THE SKI AREAS IN THE TETONS MAY EXCEED 12 INCHES OF SNOW WITH THIS SYSTEM BUT MORE WIDESPREAD AMOUNTS WILL BE IN THE 5 TO 10 INCH RANGE. THIS SYSTEM LOOKS WINDIER THAN THE LAST ONE SO EXPECT MORE BLOWING AND DRIFTING. JACKSON HOLE AND STAR VALLEY EXPECTED TO SEE 3 TO 6 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO 8 INCHES AROUND STAR VALLEY RANCH AND THROUGH HOBACK CANYON TO BONDURANT. LOWER AMOUNTS IN THE WYOMING AND SALT RIVER RANGES BUT WITH PLENTY OF WIND. MAINLY 4 TO 8 INCHES THERE AND IN THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS..ALSO ACROSS SOUTHERN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. INCLUDED EAST SLOPES OF THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS WHERE 3 TO 7 INCHES POSSIBLE BUT THIS AREA SHOULD EXPERIENCE THE STRONGEST WIND IMPACTING SOUTH PASS EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE DOWN TO 7000 FEET ON HIGHWAY 28 ABOVE RED CANYON. SOME SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO BIGHORN MOUNTAINS ON WEDNESDAY BUT MOST OF THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL BE DRY UNTIL WEDNESDAY EVENING WHEN WIND GOES NORTHWEST. TEMPERATURES WILL BE MODERATED WITH CLOUDS...PRECIPITATION AND WIND WITH GOOD MIXING. RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL BE QUITE ELEVATED WITH LOW MIXING HEIGHTS AND OVERALL POOR SMOKE DISPERSAL. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR WYZ001-012>015-023>025-027. && SHORT TERM...C.BAKER LONG TERM...HATTINGS AVIATION...C.BAKER FIRE WEATHER...C.BAKER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON WY 411 AM MST TUE JAN 19 2016 WYZ001>020-022>030-201300- 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- 411 AM MST TUE JAN 19 2016 ...WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE TETONS AND THE NORTHERN STAR VALLEY FOR LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST AND CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE WEST WITH MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL BEGINNING TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THE WEST WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL THROUGH THIS EVENING. SOME LIGHT SNOW WILL ALSO LIKELY SPREAD ACROSS SWEETWATER COUNTY AND ACROSS AREAS EAST OF THE DIVIDE WEDNESDAY. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...A STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT SNOW TO THE WEST WITH A LITTLE SNOW POSSIBLY SPILLING EAST OF THE DIVIDE SATURDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. THANK YOU. TEAM RIVERTON
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
A 30-year-old snowboarder was killed by an avalanche on the Pyramid.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche, Teton & Gros Ventre Mountains | 2016-01-19 | 30 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
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: 608721.