An approaching cold front increased southwest flow across portions of the southwestern wind corridor in central Wyoming. Strong mid level winds mixed to the surface and brought high winds to portions of Fremont and Natrona Counties.
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The episode as NWS RIW wrote it up.
An approaching cold front increased southwest flow across portions of the southwestern wind corridor in central Wyoming. Strong mid level winds mixed to the surface and brought high winds to portions of Fremont and Natrona Counties. Some of the highest wind gusts included 74 mph at Camp Creek and 68 mph along Wyoming Boulevard south of Casper.
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 23, 2:39 PM MST, 4 hours 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Riverton WY 239 PM MST Tue Jan 23 2018 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Friday) Issued at 235 PM MST Tue Jan 23 2018 Shortwave ridge move in over the next 24-36 hours with steepening low level inversions for the basins/valleys and increasing foothill/mtn temps tonight and Wednesday. Weak ripple with associated upglide in the nw corner this evening will bring a brief bout of light snow/flurries, otherwise, I dry and quiet period through Wednesday night. Besides the inversions, we'll have to worry about increasing wind potential. The Cody Foothills are starting to show a gap flow potential tonight with potential for some 45-55 mph winds in the favored gap flow areas south of Clark along the highway and just south of Cody. Added in some wind in these areas and will likely issue an sps for gusty cross-wind potential. The wind corridor will also see increasing wind later tonight into Wednesday morning. The winds really get going then as the H7 winds back to sw and increase to 50kts or so later Wednesday evening through much of the day Thursday. Will issue a high wind watch for the two wind corridor zones form Jeffrey City to Casper from 06z Thursday through 00z Friday. The approaching trough arrives in the west Thursday with the front pushing east across the area through the day. This front will help mix the basins out and bring a bout of strong west wind with fropa (and potentially ahead of it). A quick shot of snow will spread into the west Thursday morning and all but end by Thursday evening. Amounts look to be sub-advisory for most if not the entire area. Could be some 3-4 inch or so amounts around the favored Star Valley locations but overall looks like a 1 to 3 inch type event for most areas. The mountains will get a quick shot of 2 to 5 inches. As the cold front blasts across the I80 corridor Thursday afternoon and early evening, there will likely be a quick shot of snow to go with the strong to high winds which may cause a few hours of travel issues. Another system follows right behind this one with another round of snow out west on Friday (and into the medium range period but more on that below). Snowfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches in the mountains and 1 to 3 inches across the lower elevations are a reasonable expectation during the day Friday with more into the weekend. .LONG TERM...(Friday night through Tuesday) Issued at 235 PM MST Tue Jan 23 2018 We could see some heavy snow showers with the Pacific cold front early Friday evening, especially in the far northwest where negative lifted indices are progged. Once we are in the cooler air, steadier snowfall will occur in the far west later Saturday night once isentropic lift gets underway. The troughpa will occur around 12Z Saturday. The Euro is the outlier and the fastest model with the troughpa occurring in the Great Plains at 12Z Sat. The Canadian is the most amplified with timing somewhat similar to the GFS, although the GFS brings the trough through in pieces. In any event, this trough should blanket the far west with substantial snowfall totals by Saturday evening given the broad area of isentropic lift expected there after the fropa. The GFS has bulls eyes of an inch and a third of precip in some areas with this weather system in the far west. Areas east of the divide will remain mainly dry. Behind the exiting trough, periods of light snow will continue over the far west through Sunday morning as a direct feed off the Pacific from the west northwest continues behind the trough axis. Then by Sunday afternoon, warming and drying will take place as the next ridge builds in from the west along with the jet stream shifting to the north of the area. Sunday should also turn out to be quite windy along the east slope of the Divide as well as along the southern wind wind corridor with h7 winds increasing to 50 knots out of the west. These winds will help usher in milder air. Temperatures will warm up to the 40s east of the divide in areas that mix out Monday and Tuesday. The next upstream Pacific trough will deliver more snowfall to the far west later Monday night into Tuesday with the Canadian, again, the most amplified with this trough. With the low attempting to close off over the Southern Great Basin, we could see another major snow over the CWA. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Wednesday afternoon) Issued at 235 PM MST Tue Jan 23 2018 VFR conditions will occur through the period. West winds will increase significantly tonight in the Cody Foothills, especially north of KCOD. Southwest winds will increase from South Pass to Casper during the day Wednesday. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued AT 235 PM MST Tue Jan 23 2018 Winds will be on the increase across the Jeffrey City to Casper area later tonight and continue quite windy the next couple days. The mountains and foothill areas will see warming temperatures and the potential of gusty winds at times. The basin/valley inversions will hold into Thursday morning before weakening as a cold front blasts across the area Thursday. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Watch from Wednesday evening through Thursday afternoon for WYZ019-020. && SHORT TERM...Skrbac LONG TERM...Lipson AVIATION...Lipson FIRE WEATHER...Skrbac
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Riverton WY 1218 PM MST Tue Jan 23 2018 WYZ001>020-022>030-241200- 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- 1218 PM MST Tue Jan 23 2018 ...High Wind Watch for the Wind Corridor from Jeffrey City to Casper late Wednesday night through Thursday Afternoon... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Western and Central Wyoming. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Light snow will continue over the northwest mountains and Yellowstone through the day today. Light snow will gradually end tonight over Yellowstone. Snow amounts will range between 1 to 2 inches. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Wednesday Night and Thursday...Very strong winds and areas of blowing snow expected across the area between Jeffrey City and Casper. Strong winds will also blow across Sweetwater County on Thursday with a short period of snow and blowing snow. Thursday...A brief period of snowfall out west. Friday through Sunday...Periods of snow out west with significant accumulation quite possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High winds occurred in the higher elevations of the Green Mountains. Some of the strongest gusts included 74 mph at Camp Creek and 68 mph at Fales Rock.
Multiple gusts over 58 mph were reported along Wyoming Boulevard along Outer Drive. The maximum gust reported was 68 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, January 2018
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: 730702, 730703.