High winds were observed across a large portion of southeast Wyoming from November 27th into the very early morning hours on the 28th, particularly along and west of Interstate 25. Wind gusts of 65 to 75 MPH were common, with the highest gusts over the southeast Wyoming wind corridors of Arlington (I-80 between Laramie and Rawlins) and Bordeaux (I-25 between Chugwater and Wheatland).
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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.
High winds were observed across a large portion of southeast Wyoming from November 27th into the very early morning hours on the 28th, particularly along and west of Interstate 25. Wind gusts of 65 to 75 MPH were common, with the highest gusts over the southeast Wyoming wind corridors of Arlington (I-80 between Laramie and Rawlins) and Bordeaux (I-25 between Chugwater and Wheatland).
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 Nov 27, 10:50 AM MST, 0 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Cheyenne WY
1050 AM MST Sun Nov 27 2022
.SHORT TERM...(Today - Monday)
Issued at 311 AM MST Sun Nov 27 2022
Winter weather impacts are expected to continue to decrease during
the next few hours as a persistent area of light to moderate snow-
fall slowly diminishes in coverage & intensity. WYDOT webcams have
shown periods of snow covered roads & very low visibilities across
the Winter Weather Advisory area through the night, along w/ quite
a few reports of accidents indicating considerable impacts to area
travel. Snow should end by sunrise or shortly thereafter as strong
subsidence begins to work into the region behind the culprit short
wave disturbance. As such, the Winter Weather Advisory will likely
be allowed to expire on schedule at 5 AM MST. Improving conditions
can be expected through the morning.
High winds continue to be the main focus over the next 24 hours w/
a fairly potent parameter space setting up for widespread strong &
locally extreme wind gusts across a large portion of southeast Wyo
later today through Monday morning. An intense mid and upper-level
short wave is crashing in the Pacific Northwest early this AM with
500 millibar flow approaching 95-100 knots across British Columbia
into extreme northwestern Washington State. Ahead of this feature,
significant pressure falls will spread across eastern Montana into
the western Dakotas as an associated sub-995-mb surface low tracks
eastward along the International Border. Resulting 700/850 mb CAG-
CPR gradients will climb to 65-75 meters after 15z, along with 55+
knots of 700 to 800 millibar flow over Arlington which will remain
intact well into the morning hours on Monday. The area of enhanced
low-level flow becomes a bit more widespread during the afternoon,
which will likely lead to winds spreading outside of immediate gap
area around ARL w/ the help of steep low-level lapse rates. Models
suggest 50+ knot flow at 0.5 km AGL across much of central Carbon/
Albany counties between 21z and 00z, along with 7-8 deg C/km lapse
rates & appreciable downward omega within that layer. Ongoing High
Wind Warnings look to be in excellent shape. Also upgraded central
Carbon County (including Rawlins) to a High Wind Warning. In-house
probabilistic guidance for Arlington continues to suggest an 85 to
90 percent probability of exceeding 40 MPH sustained winds or wind
gusts to 58 MPH. Furthermore, latest parameter space analogs match
multiple past cases with wind gusts exceeding 70 MPH. Strong gusts
may eventually bleed into the Laramie Valley later this afternoon/
evening as mountain wave activity quickly increases along the east
slopes of the Snowys. As such, also added the Laramie Valley & the
city of Laramie to the Warning.
A potentially more significant event could evolve along the entire
extent of the Laramie Range into the I-25 corridor later today and
tonight. A very tight west-east oriented MSLP gradient is expected
to evolve between 21z and 00z, possibly on the order of 5 to 7 hpa
with a broad swath of 60+ knot 750 mb flow likely to remain intact
through the night, peaking at 75 knots near BRX across the central
Laramie Range between 03z and 06z which may very well be the prime
time for more significant gusts. Extreme subsidence is expected to
become focused along the Laramie Range from Casper to the Colorado
State Line during that time. Models continue to show an impressive
+/- omega couplet, with a significant mountain top inversion still
appearing on vertical cross sections. This signal, combined with a
significant kink to the H5 height fields, strongly suggests severe
mountain wave potential. Wind gusts may very well exceed 80 MPH at
Bordeaux/Coleman later this evening. The 75th %ile of the NBM v4.1
shows fairly widespread 60+ knot gusts along the I-25 corridor for
this scenario. The million dollar question is whether the mountain
waves break into Cheyenne proper. Forecast soundings from both the
GFS and NAM suggest very favorable lapse rates and omega fields w/
cross sections suggesting enhanced subsidence sneaking east & down
slope into KCYS between 03z and 09z, while flow aloft increases to
60+ knots at the top of the mixed layer beneath the inversion near
mountain top. It's going to be very close, but 70+ mph gusts could
definitely occur even in Cheyenne in this scenario. Models do seem
to have a bit of a tendency to hold the subsidence a bit too far W
over the higher terrain, so have decided to add central Laramie Co
including the city of Cheyenne to a High Wind Warning.
Extreme wind gusts should quickly diminish after sunrise on Monday
morning as low-level gradients finally relax, but still looking at
a windy day ahead of the next cold front expected to track from NW
to SE across the CWA through the afternoon. Expect increasing snow
showers through the day, but the majority of impacts are likely to
hold off until Monday night and the beginning of the extended fcst
period.
.LONG TERM...(Monday Night - Saturday)
Issued at 311 AM MST Sun Nov 27 2022
KEY MESSAGES:
1) Snow chances with much colder temperatures beginning Monday
night, continuing through Tuesday as a strong cold front pushes
through southeast Wyoming and the Nebraska panhandle.
2) Increased chances for gusty to high wind gusts through Wednesday
afternoon with a return to near-normal temperatures Thursday through
Saturday.
DISCUSSION: The long term forecast period remains active beginning
with a strong cold front Monday, followed by High Wind chances
Wednesday through Friday. The GFS and ECMWF deterministic models
have come back into agreement showing a faster progressive trough
ejecting northeastward by Tuesday night. Due to this being a strong,
but shallow cold front, and the positioning of the trough, it is
seemingly an upslope and/or favorable wind direction for the
majority of the CWA to receive topographically enhanced snowfall.
Therefore, overall trended snowfall totals upward from yesterday's
forecast. In addition, guidance is beginning to show the potential
for a band of higher snowfall totals than what is currently forecast
developing and stalling between far southeast Wyoming and central to
southern Nebraska panhandle. Wherever this band develops will
experience higher impacts than surrounding areas.
Strong northwest flow aloft will keep temperatures below average
Wednesday. However, as the trough aloft pushes northeastward and
ridging moves back in over the CWA, a pressure gradient develops,
and surface winds will turn back west to southwest, resulting in a
decent potential for High Winds. The greatest likelihood is in wind
prone areas of southeast Wyoming.
Then, beginning Friday night, long range models are showing a
disturbance making its way into Wyoming. The details concerning this
disturbance varies between long range models at the moment. There is
little confidence in the snowfall, impacts, timing, and location
details due to the vast differences between long range models.
&&
.AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Monday afternoon)
Issued at 1037 AM MST Sun Nov 27 2022
The main concern with this TAF issuance is the wind speeds.
Latest IR Satellite loop was showing lots of cirrus starting to
spread into the area from the northwest. This cirrus shield is in
response to an upper level disturbance digging into the Pacific
northwest. This disturbance is also bringing strong jet energy
into the Pacific northwest which will translate to Wyoming during
the next 12 to 24hrs. The strongest winds will take place across
KRWL this afternoon due to good mixing. However, the stronger
winds will start to spreading into the KLAR/KCYS late this evening
and overnight. Wind shear will also be evident at KCYS and some
of the Nebraska Panhandle sites overnight as the stronger winds
starting building in aloft. Mountain wave activity looks like a
good bet at KCYS/KLAR as well overnight which may induce some
gusts over 50kts at times.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 311 AM MST Sun Nov 27 2022
No fire weather concerns over the next several days w/ much colder
temperatures and increasing chances for widespread measurable snow
across southeast Wyoming and the western Nebraska Panhandle Monday
night and Tuesday.
&&
.CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WY...High Wind Warning until 5 AM MST Monday for WYZ101-104>107-109-
115>118.
High Wind Warning until 2 PM MST Monday for WYZ110.
Winter Storm Watch from Monday evening through Tuesday evening
for WYZ112-114.
NE...None.
&&
SHORT TERM...CLH
LONG TERM...LK
AVIATION...REC
FIRE WEATHER...CLHThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A peak wind gust to 66 MPH was recorded near Muddy Gap at the Camp Creek RAWS station (CAMW4) at 7:50 PM MST on 11/27/22.
Numerous wind gusts 65-75 MPH were observed at multiple sensors. A peak wind gust to 78 MPH was recorded at the WY24 (Cooper Cove) WYDOT sensor, 7 miles ESE of Arlington, at 4:02 PM MST on 11/27/22.
Numerous wind gusts to 65+ MPH were observed. A peak wind gust to 75 MPH was recorded at the KBRX (Bordeaux) WYDOT sensor at 6:26 PM MST on 11/27/22.
Numerous wind gusts 60+ MPH were observed. A peak wind gust of 71 MPH was observed at the WY48 (Wildcat Trail) WYDOT sensor, 7 miles NE of Buford, at 11:58 PM MST on 11/27/22.
A peak wind gust to 58 MPH was observed at the WY1 (Coleman) WYDOT sensor, 13 miles south of Glendo, at 9:44 PM MST on 11/27/22.
A peak wind gust to 62 MPH was observed at the KWYH (Wyo Hill) WYDOT sensor, 10 miles SW of Cheyenne, at 10:48 PM MST on 11/27/22.
A peak wind gust to 58 MPH was observed 5 miles west-southwest of Douglas at 10:39 PM MST on 11/27/22.
A peak wind gust to 68 MPH was observed at the KCYS (Cheyenne) ASOS at 11:27 PM MST on 11/27/22.
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, November 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: 1060591, 1060594, 1060592, 1060595, 1060593, 1060596, 1060590, 1060597.