A cold front moving across Wyoming mixed strong mid level winds to the surface and brought high winds to portions of central Wyoming. Some of the highest wind gusts included 80 mph at Chief Joseph and 76 mph at Camp Creek.
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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.
A cold front moving across Wyoming mixed strong mid level winds to the surface and brought high winds to portions of central Wyoming. Some of the highest wind gusts included 80 mph at Chief Joseph and 76 mph at Camp Creek.
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 Nov 2, 10:15 AM MST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Riverton WY 1115 AM MDT Fri Nov 2 2018 .SHORT TERM...Today through Sunday night Issued at 210 AM MDT Fri Nov 2 2018 A much stronger system will move in quickly today from the northwest and race southeast across the area this afternoon and evening. The northwest mountains will likely see 3 to 8 inches from this storm with the southwest mountains more in the 2 to 6 inch range. Very strong mountain top flow, rapidly falling pressures in eastern WY and front causing rapid rises in eastern ID will set the stage for strong to possibly high winds across much of the area. The Cody Foothills and east slope of the Absarokas could see a mountain wave event with 35-40kt into the barrier and upstream sounding showing a mountain top inversion (around H7). Models currently look like the waves will be close to breaking but not reflecting at the surface. Still, I don't see anything to stop the higher winds aloft from mixing down so nearby showers could easily bring high winds down to the surface. The Dubois area also looks quite windy. A High Wind Warning has been issued for these areas from 9 AM through midnight. Strongest winds will probably be mid-day through early evening. Eastern Sweetwater up to the Green Mountains area will also see high winds. Strong pressure gradient and 50kt H7 winds will mix down and cause high winds. So, a High Wind Warning has been issued for today from noon until midnight. There will probably be a few rain showers east of the divide with trough passage Friday evening. Another southward moving upper low will move across far western SD late Friday night into Saturday morning with strong north wind developing around BYG. With a tight post-frontal gradient out of a favorable direction Saturday morning we thought a High Wind Watch was warranted. A period of rain showers will likely drop southward ahead of this system and with frontal passage. Temps will be mild Friday (mid 50s to lower 60s) so it'll take quite a drop to change any showers over to snow but there could be some transition trying early Saturday before snow chances increase by sunrise Saturday. The showers look to taper off in most areas Saturday morning with gusty winds continuing until mid afternoon. The next and possibly strongest system yet approaches Sunday with snow rapidly developing in the northwest in the early morning and spreading south east through noon. There will likely be some solid advisory amounts from this storm with the potential for some warning amounts due to steep lapse rates setting up to work on favorable jet streak dynamics, qg forcing and very favorable dendritic growth zone temps by Sunday evening. Many areas will be windy again with this system. Many of the areas east of the divide will be rain during the day Sunday but will quickly change over to snow after sunset. .LONG TERM...Monday through Friday Issued at 210 AM MDT Fri Nov 2 2018 Snow lingers over the mountains on Monday. Some snow to occur east of the divide Monday morning before ending in the afternoon. Minor snowfall accumulation is expected at this time. Cold day expected on Monday. The unsettled weather pattern continues Monday night through Wednesday in a moist NW flow aloft. Periods of snow for the mountains with some valley snow at times in the west. As for precipitation east of the divide, most places will be dry, but some rain or snow showers could occur in the north Wednesday into Wed evening. Brisk wind at times over the region Tue through Wed. Precipitation decreases and ends later Wed night. Thursday looks dry and cold for the area. Next Friday the models differ with the GFS showing yet another weather system impacting the west. The ECMWF model is dry next Friday in the west until late in the day. Will go with isolated mountain snow showers for now and see how things look in future model runs. && .AVIATION...For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Saturday morning Issued at 210 AM MDT Fri Nov 2 2018 West of the Continental Divide...(KJAC, KRKS, KPNA, KBPI) Another wave of mountain snow/valley rain pull across the area in the afternoon into the overnight hours. Although the best shot for precip will once again occur over the far west, there will be a chance for some shower activity impacting the entire area. The heaviest and most widespread precip is expected to impact the area between between 21Z Friday and 03Z Saturday. MVFR conditions are likely at times at KJAC terminal especially in the 21Z and 03Z time frame. Very windy and/or low-level wind shear is expected for much of the TAF period before lessening by around 12Z Saturday. East of the Continental Divide...(KCPR, KCOD, KRIW, KLND, KWRL) The main concern will be very windy westerly wind and/or low-level wind shear developing over much of the area and lasting through the night in some places. Scattered mountain snow/valley rain showers are expected to redevelop by mid to late afternoon, and spread southeast across the area. These showers will aid in mixing some very strong winds down to the surface. Although showers will decrease by late evening, some areas especially over the east could see some activity continue through the night. Mainly dry conditions are expected for most of Saturday with less wind. Please see the Aviation Weather Center and/or CWSU ZDV and ZLC for the latest information on icing and turbulence forecasts. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued AT 210 AM MDT Fri Nov 2 2018 Today will once again see snow in the western mountains with strong to very strong winds developing across many areas. The strongest winds will likely extend from the Cody Foothills south to Dubois and in the wind corridor from Eastern Sweetwater County through the Green Mountains. Temperatures and minimum RHs will increase from yesterday in most areas. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning from 9 AM this morning to midnight MDT tonight for WYZ002-003-016. High Wind Warning from noon today to midnight MDT tonight for WYZ019-030. High Wind Watch from late tonight through Saturday afternoon for WYZ010. && SHORT TERM...Hulme/Skrbac LONG TERM...AR AVIATION...Hattings FIRE WEATHER...Hulme
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Riverton WY 321 AM MDT Fri Nov 2 2018 WYZ001>020-022>030-031100- 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- 321 AM MDT Fri Nov 2 2018 ...High Wind Warning for parts of North, Central, and South- central Wyoming this Morning through Midnight... ...High Wind Watch for Northern Johnson County from Midnight Tonight through Saturday Afternoon... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Western and Central Wyoming. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Strong to potential high winds for parts of North, Central, and South-Central Wyoming. Strong wind possible in Northern Johnson County late tonight. Snow is expected to increase across the western mountains this evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday Saturday...Snow is expected to continue across the western mountains Saturday morning. Very windy conditions are possible in Northern Johnson County Saturday. Sunday and Sunday night...Snow likely in the western mountains. A chance of rain and snow western valleys. A chance of rain and snow east of the divide Sunday night into Monday morning. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are urged to report snowfall amounts. Thank you.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The weather sensor along the Chief Joseph highway had winds sustained over 50 mph for several hours. The maximum wind gust recorded was 80 mph.
The Camp Creek RAWS recorded several high wind gusts, including a maximum gust of 76 mph.
A wind gust of 59 mph was recorded at the Rock Springs airport.
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, November 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: 788351, 788353, 788352.