Localized, short-lived high winds developed across the South Laramie Range and the North Snowy Range Foothills for a few hours on Jan 22nd.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 CYS wrote it up.
Localized, short-lived high winds developed across the South Laramie Range and the North Snowy Range Foothills for a few hours on Jan 22nd.
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 Cheyenne, WY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 22, 4:38 AM MST, 5 hours 52 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Cheyenne WY 438 AM MST Wed Jan 22 2020 .SHORT TERM...(Today through Thursday) Issued at 315 AM MST Wed Jan 22 2020 The overnight WV/IR imagery animation revealed a upper low off the northeast coast of FL, upper ridge from the western Great Lakes to the lower MS Valley, a shortwave trough over KS/OK, and active zonal flow over the Intermountain West. A couple of weak surface troughs were positioned along and west of the WY/CO/NM Front Range. Weak radar reflectivity returns were detected across southern and southeast WY, with some light snow showers over the higher terrain. Gusty west- southwest winds of 25 to 35 mph were observed at Rawlins, with gusts to around 40 mph at Bordeaux. Temperatures ranged from the lower 20s to middle 30s. An active northwest flow aloft will continue with weak embedded shortwave energy combined with Pacific moisture and orographic lift for occasional snow showers over the higher terrain of south central WY through Thursday. Total snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches are expected over the Sierra Madre Range, mainly above 8000 feet, with 3 to 6 inches over the Snowy Range. Gusty westerly winds up to 35 mph will create blowing snow and poor visibility. Extended the Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST Thursday for the Sierra Madre Range. Scattered snow showers are also expected to develop this afternoon and evening across east central WY and northern NE Panhandle with less than an inch expected. Snow will taper off Thursday afternoon following the passage of a Pacific front. After highs in the 30s and 40s today, it will be about 5 degrees cooler Thursday, along with gusty northwest winds. .LONG TERM...(Thursday night through Tuesday) Issued at 315 AM MST Wed Jan 22 2020 A upper ridge along the Pacific coast will translate east through the Intermountain West and Rockies through Friday, followed by a shortwave trough passage Friday night/Saturday. This trough will increase lift for higher terrain snow showers, with the remainder of the CWA dry. Temperatures moderate to above normal this weekend due to the influence of a upper ridge. A return to cooler and showery weather occurs early next week as a deepening upper trough takes residence over the Rockies and High Plains. There are some model differences, with the ECMWF developing a closed upper low over southeast CO by Tuesday morning. The higher terrain is favored for more orographic snowfall, with isolated to scattered snow showers for the lower elevations. There will be breezy to windy periods each day, mainly south central and southeast WY. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Thursday morning) Issued at 426 AM MST Wed Jan 22 2020 VFR conditions are anticipated at terminals in SE WY and the Panhandle this morning through early afternoon, with the exception of RWL. RWL may fluctuate between VFR and MVFR this morning due to nearby snow showers in the higher terrain of Carbon County. Recent observations at RWL have fluctuated between SKC and BKN100 because of the clouds nearby, making the TAF tricky. Decided against a TEMPO group at this time. Strong winds at the WY and southern Panhandle terminals will also be an issue today with wind gusts up to 25-35 knots at times. CDR and AIA will be the outliers with wind gusts up to 20-25 knots this afternoon. Later discussions will likely detail the chance for snow showers in the northern Panhandle this afternoon for CDR and AIA. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 240 AM MST Wed Jan 22 2020 No fire weather concerns are anticipated. Periods of light to moderate snowfall will continue over the southern Wyoming mountains through Thursday, with scattered snow showers across east central Wyoming and the northern Nebraska Panhandle this afternoon and evening. It will be seasonably cool with gusty westerly winds through Thursday. Breezy, warmer and drier weather is expected Friday through Sunday. && .CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WY...Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST Thursday for WYZ112. NE...None. && SHORT TERM...MAJ LONG TERM...MAJ AVIATION...BW FIRE WEATHER...MAJ
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Cheyenne WY 330 AM MST Wed Jan 22 2020 NEZ002-003-019>021-054-055-095-096-WYZ101>111-113-115>119-231030- Dawes-Box Butte-Scotts Bluff-Banner-Morrill-Kimball-Cheyenne- North Sioux-South Sioux-Converse County Lower Elevations- Niobrara County-North Laramie Range- Ferris/Seminoe/Shirley Mountains-Shirley Basin- Central Laramie Range and Southwest Platte County- East Platte County-Goshen County-Central Carbon County- North Snowy Range Foothills-Southwest Carbon County- Upper North Platte River Basin-Laramie Valley-South Laramie Range- South Laramie Range Foothills-Central Laramie County- East Laramie County- 330 AM MST Wed Jan 22 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of western Nebraska...east central Wyoming...south central Wyoming and southeast Wyoming. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT Scattered snow showers will develop across east central Wyoming and the northern Nebraska Panhandle this afternoon and evening. Snow accumulations will be light, mostly less than an inch. Gusty westerly winds of 35 to 45 mph are expected for wind prone areas like Arlington and Bordeaux. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .Spotter information statement... Spotter activation will not be required. WYZ112-114-231030- Sierra Madre Range-Snowy Range- 330 AM MST Wed Jan 22 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of south central Wyoming. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT Occasional snow showers will continue over the higher elevations of south central Wyoming through tonight. Gusty westerly winds up to 35 mph will create blowing snow. The Winter Weather Advisory has been extended for the Sierra Madre Range until 5 PM MST Thursday. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY Occasional snow showers will continue Thursday, tapering off late in the day. Gusty westerly winds up to 35 mph will create blowing snow. Total snow accumulations will range from 6 to 12 inches for the Sierra Madre Range, to 3 to 6 inches for the Snowy Range. The Winter Weather Advisory will remain in effect for the Sierra Madre Range until 5 PM MST Thursday. .Spotter information statement... Spotter activation will not be required. Please send your snowfall reports to the Cheyenne National Weather Service on Facebook or Twitter, or contact our office at 3 0 7 7 7 2 2 4 6 8.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Wyoming Department of Transportation sensor along Interstate 80 at Cooper Cove or seven miles east-southeast of Arlington measured the reported wind gust.
WYDOT mesonet stations along I-80 between Cheyenne and Laramie (Lone Tree and Buford East) and Union Pacific Railroad mesonet stations (BUFORW and DALEWS) reported wind gusts for nearly a 2 hour period on the afternoon of the 22nd.
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: 868866, 866178.