Wyoming, 2019

High Wind in Wyoming, October 22, 2019

October 22, 2019 · NWS BYZ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A very strong cold front and jet stream moved across south central and southeast Montana and northern Wyoming during the afternoon and early evening hours of the 22nd. This, combined with very strong subsidence behind the front, resulted in high wind gusts across most of the Billings Forecast Area.

Where it happened

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.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS BYZ wrote it up.

A very strong cold front and jet stream moved across south central and southeast Montana and northern Wyoming during the afternoon and early evening hours of the 22nd. This, combined with very strong subsidence behind the front, resulted in high wind gusts across most of the Billings Forecast Area.

What forecasters said that day

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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 22, 1:41 PM MST, 5 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 22, 1:41 PM MST, 5 hours 17 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 22, 2:13 AM MST, 16 hours 45 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 22, 2:19 PM MST, 4 hours 39 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 22, 3:23 PM MST, 3 hours 35 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 22, 3:55 PM MST, 3 hours 3 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Oct 22, 4:30 PM MST, 2 hours 28 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Oct 22, 4:47 PM MST, 2 hours 11 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Oct 22, 4:51 PM MST, 2 hours 7 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Sheridan Foothills

When
October 22, 6:58 PM MST to 8:09 PM MST
Where
Sheridan Foothills forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
44.790, -106.879 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winds gusted 59-63 mph in Ranchester.

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wyoming in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, October 2019

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 857857.