High winds developed in the lee of the Absaroka Range ahead of an advancing cold front. The highest wind gust of 95 mph occurred along Chief Joseph Highway.
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The episode as NWS RIW wrote it up.
High winds developed in the lee of the Absaroka Range ahead of an advancing cold front. The highest wind gust of 95 mph occurred along Chief Joseph Highway. In the Cody Foothills, a peak gust of 64 mph was recorded along Wyoming Highway 120 near Meeteetse.
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 Feb 19, 9:45 AM MST, 5 hours 27 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Riverton WY 945 AM MST Sat Feb 19 2022 .SHORT TERM...Today through Monday night We have a lot of talk about this morning, including a pattern change that given the mild winter we have had so far will hit a lot of people like an uppercut from Mike Tyson. Things looks fairly quiet in the precipitation department for the first 24 hours or so with the exception of some snow showers in the northwest. The first concern will be wind. A subtle shortwave will move through the area today. In addition, an Arctic Front will begin to drop southward out of Canada and into Montana. This will tighten up the pressure gradient across the area and bring strong winds to much of the area. The strongest winds will be across the north, where models show 700 millibar winds approaching 65 knots by late today and tonight. With this, we will continue the high wind warning for the Cody Foothills. Winds past 50 mph have already been reported along the Chief Joseph Highway, so we will add the Absarokas to the warning as well. The strongest winds would likely be late today and tonight, when they usually occur though. Windy conditions are also likely in other wind prone areas. We thought about a high wind warning for Natrona County and the Green Mountains but decided against it. There may be a few high wind gusts in the wind prone areas south of Casper but it does not look widespread. There could be a few in the Green Mountains as well but only at the highest elevations where impacts would be zero. We will continue the Special Weather Statement for now. The wind alignment does not look ideal for the Upper Wind River Basin, so we will stick with a statement there as well. There could be some strong winds in Johnson County as well, but these would be later tonight and again, should remain below high wind thresholds. Temperatures should be above normal for most areas. The aforementioned Arctic Boundary will begin to slide into the area Sunday morning, but should remain north of the area through at least early afternoon. This should bring a breezy to windy and mild day for most. The effects will begin to be felt in the north late, but other areas, any precipitation should hold off until after dark. As for amounts, this is an Arctic airmass and does not hold a lot of moisture. The dendritic growth layer is not optimal either. However, this will be a high ratio snow with the very cold air coming in behind it. As for highlights, it is still a bit too early but widespread advisories look to be the most likely solution. Snow will spread southward Sunday night and continue into Monday and possibly Monday night through the area. A lot of the snow will be driven by jet dynamics as well and this leads to the quandary we have had with many systems this winter. That is that the snow will be banded and the models, including the high resolution models, have a difficult time nailing these down; especially this far out. Adding to this is a bit of energy coming around the base of the trough Monday into Monday evening that could bring enhanced snowfall to central and southern Wyoming. This will likely be a narrow band and a 50 mile spread can make a big difference. So for now, we have made few changes to the snowfall amounts. Regardless of amounts, the dry powdery snow will blow around with breezy conditions and bring difficult travel conditions. Now on to temperatures. Cold air will drop in Sunday night and into Monday and bring the coldest day for quite a while. Many areas may have steady or slowly falling temperatures on Monday so many if the highs in the forecast may be morning highs. A few spots may see record low maximum temperatures on Monday, especially in the north. Monday night will be very cold as well but with cyclonic curvature lingering over the area cloud cover may linger and keep things from getting super cold. The coldest time will likely be Tuesday. My partner will have more on that in the long range discussion. Also, with it being late February and not early January, somewhat shorter nights and a higher sun angle may keep things from getting as cold as they would earlier in the winter. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Friday) Issued at 226 AM MST Sat Feb 19 2022 On Tuesday, a positively tilted trough will be across the western U.S. to Hudson Bay. A shortwave pulling across the forecast area will continue a chance of light snow mainly in the morning. Strong energy on the backside of the overall longwave trough looks to dive southward into California on Wednesday. This energy then pulls eastward across the southern and central Rockies Wednesday night and Thursday. At the same time, Wednesday and Thursday, there will be weaker energy pulling east across the northern Rockies. The best chance of any snowfall looks to be over southern areas of the forecast area. The main issue will be the bitter cold temperatures. On Tuesday, 700mb temperatures should be 20 below to 25 below zero, warming to 15 below to 20 below zero on Wednesday. This will result in bitterly cold temperatures. Record coldest highs look likely to be set Tuesday and/or Wednesday. Some record lows are possible, but not as dramatic as how cold the highs will be both days. On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning a 1045mb surface high will be over the northern High Plains, before weakening a bit and pulling away from the area Wednesday night. The 00Z deterministic GFS shows clearing especially north and central areas Tuesday night which could result in the coldest lows of this winter season. However there is more confidence in mostly clear skies Wednesday night. Also the winds look to be lighter on Wednesday night than Tuesday night. So a few variables out there to decide which one will end up bing the coldest morning of the two. In wake of the trough, a strong northwest flow is expected Thursday and Friday. A quick moving shortwave trough in the flow could impact the area with chances of snow on Friday mainly in the mountains. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Sunday afternoon) Issued at 943 AM MST Sat Feb 19 2022 Weather conditions remain mostly quiet through the period with prevailing VFR across the area. Winds will be increasing ahead of the next system today and tomorrow. Gusts this afternoon will generally range from 20 to 30 knots, but higher gusts up to 45 knots are possible at KCPR and up to 50 knots possible at KCOD. It stays windy tonight, but gusts should not be as prevalent. Clear skies this afternoon give way to Scattered high clouds this evening. ceilings will gradually go from scattered to broken and lower tonight into Sunday, but will stay VFR. VCSH are likely from KJAC to KPNA and KBPI Sunday morning. Please see the Aviation Weather Center and/or CWSU ZDV and ZLC for the latest information on icing and turbulence forecasts. && .FIRE WEATHER... Other then some snow showers in northwestern Wyoming, it will be a dry and mild day across most of the area. Strong to high winds will be likely in the wind prone areas, especially in the lee of the Absarokas and from east of Rock Springs through Casper. Many areas will have breezy conditions through. Relative humidity will remain above critical level. Mixing and smoke dispersal will range from poor in the basins to good in the normally windier locations. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning until 5 AM MST Sunday for WYZ002-003. && SHORT TERM...Hattings LONG TERM...Murrell AVIATION...Rowe FIRE WEATHER...Hattings
Hazardous Weather Outlook...Retransmitted National Weather Service Riverton WY 245 PM MST Sat Feb 19 2022 WYZ001>020-022>030-202145- 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- 245 PM MST Sat Feb 19 2022 ...High Wind Warning through Sunday morning for the Cody Foothills and Absarokas... ...Winter Weather Advisories Sunday morning through Monday night for Yellowstone Park and the Northwestern Mountains... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Western and Central Wyoming. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. Strong and gusty southwest and west winds likely in the Cody Foothills, Absarokas, and from Muddy Gap to Casper. Please see High Wind Warning and Special Weather Statements for Details. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Sunday through Tuesday...Much colder with a good chance of snow across the entire area. The most significant snow should occur Sunday night through Monday evening, but placement and amounts remain uncertain at this time. Monday through Wednesday...Bitter cold temperatures. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report snowfall amounts and any wind damage.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High wind blew for several hours along Chief Joseph Highway with a maximum wind gust of 95 mph.
Wind gusts over 60 mph were reported in the Cody Foothills, with a maximum gust of 64 mph along Wyoming Highway 120 over Meeteetse Rim north of Meeteetse.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, February 2022
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: 1006460, 1006461.