An approaching cold front mixed strong down strong mid level winds and brought high winds to portions of the Absaroka Mountains. At the wind sensor along the Chief Joseph Highway, there were several wind gusts over 74 mph, including a maximum gust of 82 mph.
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The episode as NWS RIW wrote it up.
An approaching cold front mixed strong down strong mid level winds and brought high winds to portions of the Absaroka Mountains. At the wind sensor along the Chief Joseph Highway, there were several wind gusts over 74 mph, including a maximum gust of 82 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 Mar 11, 2:54 PM MST, 6 hours 46 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Riverton WY 254 PM MST Sat Mar 11 2017 .Short Term...Tonight Through Tuesday A fast moving Pacific low pressure trough will bring snow to the western mountains tonight and Sunday with brisk west to southwest winds. High winds will be possible overnight in the Absaroka mountains and Cody Foothills of Park County. Some snow will spill over the mountains into northern areas then spread south across eastern Johnson and Natrona counties Sunday. Then high pressure will build into the area Sunday night and Monday with dry conditions continuing through Tuesday. Slight cooling will occur most noticeable in the north. Low level snow melt will continue to cause areas of flooding in the southwest with flooding on the Blacks Fork river and small streams and low lying areas in Sweetwater county around Rock Springs. Snow melt will continue with above freezing temperatures in the lower elevations and increasing wind tonight and Sunday. .Long Term...Tuesday Night Through Saturday Some light precipitation over the northwest WY mountains and the Northern Bighorn mountains Tuesday night, ending by daybreak Wed. Dry Wednesday over the region with breezy to windy areas. Moisture returns to the far west late Wed night into Thursday as a weather system moves through the region Thursday. East of the divide, scattered rain and snow showers Thursday over the north with showers ending late Thursday night. Breezy to windy with this weather system and weak cold front. Next Fri and Saturday look dry. May see some rain and snow showers in NW WY next Saturday night. Temps will be very mild on Wed, then slightly colder Thursday and Friday, then warming back up next Saturday. Low elevation snowmelt in southwest WY will continue which may cause some flooding issues. && .Aviation.../00Z Issuance/ WEST OF THE DIVIDE...KBPI/KJAC/KPNA/KRKS ROUTES VFR conditions will prevail through 06Z. A weather system will move through the area between 06Z and 15Z. Mountain snow showers will occur and frequent mountain obscuration will occur mainly along and north of a KAFO-KPNA line. Scattered rain and snow showers will occur around KJAC and KPNA with snow levels around 6000 to 7000 feet MSL. Strong ridge top wind will result in areas of LLWS tonight into Sunday morning at some of the terminal sites. VFR conditions will occur at KRKS through the period. A gusty wind will occur at all the terminal sites Sunday. EAST OF THE DIVIDE...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL ROUTES VFR conditions to prevail through Sunday. Ridge top west wind will increase tonight with areas of LLWS developing vicinity KCOD-KDUB-KLND and continuing through 15Z Sunday. A cold front will push across the area from 10Z to 16Z with scattered rain and snow showers mainly along and north of a KCOD to KCPR line. Areas of MVFR conditions may occur at times in these areas. The rain and snow showers will be ending between 16Z and 19Z. A gusty west to northwest wind will occur with the frontal passage and this gusty wind will continue through Sunday afternoon at the terminal sites. && .Fire Weather... A fast moving Pacific low pressure trough will bring snow to the western mountains tonight and Sunday with brisk west to southwest winds. High winds will be possible overnight in the Absaroka mountains and Cody Foothills of Park County. Some snow will spill over the mountains into northern areas then spread south across eastern Johnson and Natrona counties Sunday. Then high pressure will build into the area Sunday night and Monday with dry conditions continuing through Tuesday. Slight cooling will occur most noticeable in the north. Low level snow melt will continue to cause areas of flooding in the southwest with flooding on the Blacks Fork river and small streams and low lying areas in Sweetwater county around Rock Springs. Snow melt will continue with above freezing temperatures in the lower elevations and increasing wind tonight and Sunday. Smoke dispersal will be poor in the western valleys with inversions in place. The windy areas along and east of the Continental Divide and across the southwest will have fair to good smoke dispersal in the afternoons. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning from 8 PM MST this evening to 6 AM MDT Sunday for WYZ002-003. && SHORT TERM...C.Baker LONG TERM...AR AVIATION...AR FIRE WEATHER...C.Baker
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Riverton WY 320 PM MST Sat Mar 11 2017 WYZ001>020-022>030-122230- 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- 320 PM MST Sat Mar 11 2017 ...High Wind Warning tonight for the Absaroka Mountains and Cody Foothills... ...Flood warning on the Blacks Fork river in western Sweetwater County through Sunday... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Western and Central Wyoming. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight High winds are possible tonight in the Lee of the Absarokas and Cody Foothills. Light to moderate snow returning to western mountains tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are requested to report snowfall amounts, wind gusts past 50 mph, and flooding. Thank you.
Special Weather Statement...UPDATED National Weather Service Riverton WY 908 PM MST Sat Mar 11 2017 WYZ023-026>030-121600- Star Valley-Upper Green River Basin-South Lincoln County- Rock Springs and Green River-Flaming Gorge-East Sweetwater County- Including the cities of Afton, Alpine, Star Valley Ranch, Thayne, La Barge, Big Piney, Farson, Kemmerer, Cokeville, Rock Springs, Green River, and Wamsutter 908 PM MST Sat Mar 11 2017 Snowmelt runoff will continue to keep small streams, creeks, and drainage ditches running high and fast through tonight. Southern Lincoln county and Sweetwater county have experienced some low land flooding due to the rapid snowmelt on Friday. As of 9 PM Saturday, Highway 372 near La Barge was closed between mile markers 40 and 48 due to flooding. On Sunday morning, ar cold front will move through these areas. This will keep high temperatures in the mid 30s to mid 40s on Sunday. Thus snowmelt runoff will be less Sunday. Some rural and secondary roads will continue to be affected with high water through Sunday morning, especially over low lying portions of the roads. If traveling along rural and secondary roads, be prepared to turn around if high high water is encountered. Please check the latest road conditions for the latest information on road closures due to flooding.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The wind sensor along the Chief Joseph Highway reported several wind gusts past 74 mph including a maximum gust of 82 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, March 2017
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: 681225.