Strong mid level winds mixed to the surface behind a cold front and brought high wind to portions of Natrona and Park Counties. The strongest wind occurred in the wind prone areas to the south and east of Casper.
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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.
Strong mid level winds mixed to the surface behind a cold front and brought high wind to portions of Natrona and Park Counties. The strongest wind occurred in the wind prone areas to the south and east of Casper. A weather station along Scenic Drive registered wind gusts as high as 82 mph with other locations having wind gusts over 58 mph. Wind gusts as high as 61 mph occurred in the lee of the Absarokas near Cody.
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 Sep 17, 11:50 PM MST, 2 hours 38 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Riverton WY 1250 AM MDT Wed Sep 18 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Strong winds off the east slopes of the Absarokas and Bighorns through midday. - Widely scattered rain showers (snow for higher terrain) for the northern half of the CWA off and on all day Wednesday. - Dry conditions Thursday with cooler temperatures and sporadic precipitation chances Friday and over the weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 1234 AM MDT Wed Sep 18 2024 IR currently depicts a classic comma cloud signature from the high plains to the northern Rockies with much of the colder cloud tops out of the state. Radar shows some lingering rain showers and light snow for the higher terrain across northern parts of the CWA that will continue to wrap around off and on throughout Wednesday. The cold front is now well to the east with ample CAA pushing into the state reinforcing the gusty westerly winds through the morning hours. Boundary layer winds have 50 plus knots that could mix to the surface under the ample cloud cover not capped aloft. The main focus areas for any high winds will be off the east slopes of the Absarokas funneling through the Cody foothills, as well as across the Rattlesnakes to Natrona County. Winds will finally start diminishing towards noon Wednesday and into the afternoon hours as the gradient weakens in wake of the occluded front exiting to the east with the main upper level low. Behind it will be induced ridging for Thursday that will dry out the state but continue with the cooler, more seasonable temperatures to end the work week and over the weekend for the long term. Next up will be another upper level low making its way down the west coast towards the Four Corner Region. Models are now indicating more alignment with one another pushing it further south with less of an impact to the CWA. Cooler temperatures will still be had with breezy winds Friday and into the weekend, but precipitation chances look to be more minimal as the shortwaves spin around the aforementioned low. Higher terrain look to be most impacted with some weak mountain snow as well as some rain showers for south central Wyoming as the low tracks east across the southern states. The main jet will be cut off to the north keeping the more potent lows with much colder air near the Canadian border and into Canada. Longer term forecasts have much model disagreement with some interesting weather patterns to come by mid next week all dependent on some trough/low tracks coming down from the GOA through the Pacific northwest. Time will tell, so stay updated in the coming days. All in all, once this current upper level low track eastward later today, expect calmer yet somewhat unsettled weather to come keeping the cooler temperatures going forward. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 1002 PM MDT Tue Sep 17 2024 An upper low is currently moving across northwestern Wyoming. This will keep shower chances going at KCOD, KJAC, and KWRL through the night. KJAC is favored to see prevailing MVFR ceilings through Wednesday morning. Most terminals across central and northern Wyoming will see a gusty wind - KCPR through the night, and then KCOD, KLND, KRIW, KRKS, and KWRL mid to late Wednesday morning. Gusts of 25 to 40 knots are expected. Additionally, showers will linger across northern Wyoming Wednesday afternoon, most likely to impact KCOD, KJAC, and KWRL. Wind and showers will decrease as skies begin to clear after around 02Z Thursday. Please see the Aviation Weather Center and/or CWSU ZDV and ZLC for the latest information on smoke, icing, and turbulence forecasts. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning until noon MDT today for WYZ003-019-020. && DISCUSSION...Lowe AVIATION...Myers
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Riverton WY 100 AM MDT Wed Sep 18 2024 WYZ001>020-022>030-191100- Yellowstone National Park-Absaroka Mountains-Cody Foothills- North Bighorn Basin-Southwest Bighorn Basin-Southeast Bighorn 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- 100 AM MDT Wed Sep 18 2024 ...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO NOON MDT WEDNESDAY... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Western and Central Wyoming. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Lingering rain showers and mountain snow through much of Wednesday. Gusty westerly winds will diminish after noon becoming light towards sunset. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. 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.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High winds occurred across Natrona County, with the strongest winds in the wind prone areas on the south and east sides of Casper. The strongest wind gust reported was 82 mph along Scenic Drive.
Wind gusts as high as 60 mph occurred in the Cody Foothills, especially near the city of Cody.
Wind gusts as high as 60 mph occurred along Highway 220 near the Pathfinder Reservoir.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, September 2024
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: 1217160, 1217162, 1217161.