A strong cold front moved across Wyoming and brought strong winds to portions of central Wyoming. Wind gusts past 58 mph were reported in Sweetwater, Big Horn and Johnson Counties, with a maximum wind gust of 66 mph at the Greybull airport.
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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 strong cold front moved across Wyoming and brought strong winds to portions of central Wyoming. Wind gusts past 58 mph were reported in Sweetwater, Big Horn and Johnson Counties, with a maximum wind gust of 66 mph at the Greybull airport.
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 17, 10:55 AM MST, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Riverton WY 1055 AM MST Fri Jan 17 2020 .SHORT TERM...This afternoon through Saturday night Light snow continues to fall this morning over areas of the far west, as a cold front continues to progress eastward. Isolated snow showers have also moved across southern portions, associated with a lead shortwave. Gusty southwest to west winds are now in place, with most places gusting 25 to 35 mph. The strongest winds so far remain in the mountains and Red Canyon, with gusts of 45 to 50 mph. Winds are expected to increase this afternoon, in the wake of the cold front. Winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts of 55 to 60 mph will occur for a few hours this afternoon across portions of Sweetwater and Johnson counties. This, coupled with periods of light snow, will lead to blowing snow and reduced visibilities and slick roads. Gusty winds, but not as strong, will also occur across the Bighorn Basin and Fremont and Natrona counties. Snow will end from west to east through the afternoon, with winds subsiding across much of the area after sunset. Gusty west winds will continue across Sweetwater County through midnight. Light snow will remain possible tonight into Saturday over northwest portions. Northwest flow will be in place in the wake of the storm system and a ridge building over the Northern Great Basin and Northern Rockies. Gusty southwest winds will return over the Wind Corridor by sunrise Saturday morning and continue through Saturday night. Otherwise, conditions will remain dry and cold across much of the area Saturday. Temperatures will be near seasonal, with the Upper Green River Basin becoming trapped under an inversion again. Highs will struggle to reach 20 degrees near Big Piney and Farson once again. .LONG TERM...Saturday night through Thursday Issued at 230 AM MST Fri Jan 17 2020 Upper level ridging will keep the forecast area dry Sunday and Monday. 700mb temperatures are progged to warm to around 0C by 00Z Tuesday. Typical mixed areas will benefit from this warm air, while trapped basins will remain chilly, but not bad for January. The next storm system is expected to push into the Pacific Northwest Tuesday. Ahead of this trough, weak energy and some diffluent flow could result in some precipitation over the west Tuesday. The 00Z deterministic models differ significantly in the track of this trough. The GFS shows the system pushing southeast and becoming an upper low around the triple point of WY/UT/CO by 00Z Thursday while the ECMWF is flatter and tracks east across Montana. The GFS track gives some significant snowfall across the forecast area while the ECMWF has very little snow. Ensemble members are also have a large range of solutions with little forecast confidence Wednesday and beyond. Will broad brush PoPs across much of the area Wednesday. && .AVIATION...For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Saturday West of the Divide...KBPI/KJAC/KPNA/KRKS Terminals Most terminals will improve to VFR early this afternoon, but periods of MVFR with snow showers are still possible. KJAC and KRKS are the most likely to see MVFR into mid afternoon. The main hazard in the afternoon will be the strong west to northwest winds in wake of a quick moving cold front. The exception will be at KJAC which will have breezy south to southwest wind. The wind will relax quite a bit around 01Z at all terminals with KRKS remaining breezy. For tonight, the main concern will be some snow showers trying to impact the KJAC terminal toward 10Z Saturday, but this should only last until around 15Z. All other terminals will be VFR and dry for Saturday. East of the Divide...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL Terminals A cold front will pull into N. Wyoming this afternoon, and sweep southward across much of the area east of the Divide by 00Z. Strong north to northwest winds will occur in wake of this front across the Bighorn Basin, and Johnson County. There will be isolated to scattered snow showers associated with the front pulling southward. Although there could be a period of MVFR ceilings in wake of the cold front, and/or MVFR(brief IFR) in snow showers, there is not enough confidence to insert those conditions in area terminals at the moment. The snow showers will end from northwest to southeast with this activity expected to push away from the area by 02/03Z. Also the strong winds associated with the cold front will weaken between 00Z and 03Z. After 03Z, VFR conditions are expected. && .FIRE WEATHER... A cold front will move across the area today, bringing snow to the far west. Gusty winds will also occur, with the strongest winds occurring over zones 279 and 280. Very light snow will occur with the front as well. Snow will end from west to east through the afternoon, with winds subsiding after sunset this evening. Gusty winds will continue over zone 279 through midnight, shifting to the Wind Corridor afterward. Gusty winds will continue over this area through Saturday night. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST this afternoon for WYZ001- 012-013-023-024-027. High Wind Warning until 8 PM MST this evening for WYZ030. Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST this afternoon for WYZ014. && SHORT TERM...LaVoie LONG TERM...Murrell AVIATION...Hulme FIRE WEATHER...LaVoie
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Riverton WY 317 AM MST Fri Jan 17 2020 WYZ001>020-022>030-181330- 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- 317 AM MST Fri Jan 17 2020 ...A Winter Weather Advisory for parts of Western Wyoming until 5 PM Today... ...High Wind Warning for Eastern Sweetwater this Afternoon and Evening... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Western and Central Wyoming. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Significant snow and, or blowing snow across the west. Please see the winter weather advisory statement for more details. Strong to high wind is expected across Sweetwater County this afternoon and evening. Strong northerly winds are expected this afternoon across the Bighorn Basin and Johnson County. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions, according to standard operating procedures. Team Riverton
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds occurred at the Greybull airport, with a maximum wind gust of 66 mph.
A wind gust of 59 mph was reported at Bitter Creek along Interstate 80. The Sweetwater County airport east of Rock Springs, Wyoming, had a 58 mph gust.
A 58 mph wind gust was reported at the Buffalo airport.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, January 2020
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: 868891, 868890, 868892.