A Pacific weather system crossed western and central Wyoming and brought heavy snow west of the Continental Divide and high wind to the east of the Divide. Notable accumulations fell throughout the western mountains.
Every event with a place to put it; 15 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 RIW wrote it up.
A Pacific weather system crossed western and central Wyoming and brought heavy snow west of the Continental Divide and high wind to the east of the Divide. Notable accumulations fell throughout the western mountains. The highest amount was in the Salt River and Wyoming Ranges where 34 inches of new snow fell at the Spring Creek Divide SNOTEL site. Other notable amounts included 30 inches at the Lewis Lake Divide SNOTEL in Yellowstone National Park, 25 inches at the Burroughs Creek SNOTEL in the Absarokas and 24 inches over Togwotee Pass. High winds occurred along and East of the Divide as well as across Sweetwater County. Some of the more notable wind gusts included 82 mph along South Pass and 81 mph along the Chief Joseph Highway.
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 23, 9:31 PM MST, 59 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Riverton WY 931 PM MST Mon Feb 23 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Mountain snow is forecast across western Wyoming Tuesday and Wednesday, with the heaviest snowfall rates between 5 AM Tuesday and 5 AM Wednesday. Mountains within Winter Storm Warnings have a 80 to 90 percent chance of one foot or more of snow. - Western Wyoming valleys will receive precipitation Tuesday, but with surface air temperatures near freezing, there is low confidence in snow levels. Places like Jackson Hole and Star Valley could (40 percent chance) receive notable snowfall with this event if temperatures remain slightly cooler than currently forecast. - There will be a prolonged period of very windy conditions along and east of the Continental Divide beginning this afternoon and lasting through Friday. Wednesday is the windiest day of the week with widespread 35 to 45 mph wind gusts, and lower elevations of central Wyoming topping 50 mph. && .UPDATE... Issued at 1206 PM MST Mon Feb 23 2026 Though some finer details have adjusted with the latest hi-res models, the overall message for the next few days remains the same. Heavy snow is expected across the western mountains early Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning, with strong winds today for portions of the area, and widespread strong winds Wednesday. See the full discussion for the details over the next few days. Regarding highlights, most have been kept the same. Have added a High Wind Warning to northern Johnson County for the potential 50 to 60 mph wind around I-90 and Buffalo tonight. Have also added a Winter Weather Advisory to the Bighorn Mountains to cover the snow and wind threat there Tuesday and Wednesday. The highest totals should remain at the highest elevations away from major passes, but Tuesday morning could see decent snow rates, with stronger winds Wednesday potentially bringing winter travel conditions for anyone going over the passes. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 312 AM MST Mon Feb 23 2026 Hope you were able to enjoy the mostly tranquil conditions over the weekend because things just go downhill from here. The warming trend will continue today with temperatures 10 to 20 degrees warmer than Sunday across the area, leading to highs in the 45F to 55F range. Gusty winds will continue to increase over the east slopes of the Absaroka and Wind River Mountains, as well as the Wind Corridor east of the Divide (Muddy Gap/Jeffrey City to Casper), with gusts of 25 to 35 mph. These winds will increase to 35 to 55 mph by early afternoon, as the pressure gradient tightens irt an approaching storm system that will begin to impact western portions later Monday night. The timing for the high winds over the Absaroka Mountains and Cody Foothills has been moved forward to this afternoon, as a result of this approaching system. Strong to high winds look to develop over the Clark area and near Chief Joseph Highway by 2PM (21Z) this afternoon, and spreading to areas west and southwest of Cody after 5PM. The High Wind Watches have been upgraded to Warnings and timings have shifted forward as a result. Due to the complex nature of the upcoming storm, the rest of the discussion will be split between the snow and the wind. Snow... An atmospheric river (AR) has begun to move onshore over the PACNW this morning, as a broad ridge develops over much of the Intermountain West today. This pattern will lead to the core of the PFJ being over the PACNW and Canadian border. At the same time, Pacific moisture from this AR will begin to increase over the region, with the first rounds of snow developing over the western mountains late Monday night/early Tuesday morning. Precipitable water (PWAT) values will rapidly increase between 06Z and 12Z Tuesday, with values of 0.35" to 0.4" becoming widespread across the Cowboy State. This is well above the 90th percentile and toward the climatological maximum. This, coupled with strong isentropic lift, will lead to heavy snow. Winter Storm Watches have been upgraded to Warnings over the western mountains. Additionally, the western slopes of the Wind River Mountains has been added to the list of warnings and a Winter Weather Advisory for the Jackson Valley has been added as well. Snowfall totals of 18 to 24 inches is expected for the mountains, with locally higher amounts up to 3 feet possible in the Tetons. The forecast challenge continues to be the Jackson and Star Valleys. The chances for snow in the Jackson and Star Valleys remain highly variable, as model solutions continue to depict snow levels in the 6000 and 7000ft range. This is likely due to the Pacific nature of the airmass. Current thinking is temperatures to rise above freezing in the Jackson area, in the middle 30s, Tuesday afternoon and dropping back below freezing around sunrise Wednesday morning. However, if precipitation rates are high enough, this would lead to temperatures to drop below freezing and the rain changing back over to snow. Forecasted liquid precipitation amounts range between 0.75 and 0.9" (with 0.50" of that occurring during the day Tuesday), so this could turn into a heavy snow event for the Jackson area with temperatures hanging just above freezing. This is true for the Star Valley as well, but confidence is 20-30% of this occurring. The north end of the Jackson Valley (from Moose to Moran) is expected to stay as all snow, with amounts close to 8". Winds will increase Wednesday morning, as the main Canadian storm system drops southward. Wind gusts of 35 to 55 mph will be widespread and the snow will become drier (not as heavy and wet). This could lead to very hazardous travel conditions over Teton/Togwotee Passes, as blowing snow will lead to poor visibility conditions. Wind... 700mb winds will increase to 50 to 70kt after 00Z Tuesday, with a strong downsloping signature off the east slopes of the Absaroka and Wind River Mountains between 03Z and 06Z. Strong to high winds will increase over the east slopes of the Wind River and Bighorn Mountains during this time. Considered adding the east slopes of the Bighorns and northern Johnson County to the Warnings, but do not think the winds will reach criteria. The exception will be the area of I-90 north of Buffalo to the Johnson/Sheridan County line, where gusts up to 60 mph could occur between midnight and 6am Tuesday. Winds will decrease through Tuesday morning over the warned areas with the threat for high winds (gusts of 58+ mph) ending by 18Z. However, gusts of 35 to 45 mph will become more widespread from southern Lincoln County to Natrona County by this time and continue through the afternoon. These winds will decrease slightly after sunset, with gusts of 30 to 40 mph will continue through the overnight hours Tuesday night. The winds over the Absaroka and Wind River Mountains will be higher, with gusts of 55 to 60 mph. A Canadian system will rapidly drop southward across the forecast area through the day Wednesday. Strong to high winds will be widespread across the CWA as a result. The main reason will be due to a 140kt jet max associated with the PFJ and an elongated vorticity axis that will shift southward across Wyoming. This will translate to 700mb winds of 45 to 60kt, which will mix down to the surface. Most areas can expect wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph through the day on Wednesday, with winds increasing by 15Z. High Wind Watches have been issued for the Wind River Basin, Natrona, Sweetwater and southern Lincoln counties. These winds will decrease for most areas after sunset Wednesday evening, but gusts of 25 to 40 mph will continue through the overnight hours for wind prone locations. Strong gusty winds will continue across the area Thursday in the wake of the storm, as northwest winds persist. Temperatures will remain above normal Thursday and Friday, despite a northwest flow pattern aloft. Models have trended away from a Canadian system impacting much of the area this weekend, instead only clipping northern portions on Saturday. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 930 PM MST Mon Feb 23 2026 West of the Divide...KBPI/KJAC/KPNA/KRKS Terminals. VFR conditions to start the period with incoming shower activity from the west. JAC will see activity near the terminal by 10Z with higher confidence at terminal by 14Z. MVFR conditions thereafter with IFR possible after 00Z as a bit cooler air pushes in west of the Divide. Showers in the vicinity of PNA/BPI after 15Z with a mix after 17-19Z on station becoming light snow after 00Z and MVFR conditions. Winds increase at JAC after 14Z and BPI after 19Z through the 00Z timeframe with this first wave that pushes across the CWA. RKS will see gusts up to 30kts after 19Z and 35kts after 01Z remaining elevated through the end of the period and much of Tuesday night with a stronger finger of the low level jet further south. Otherwise, RKS should remain dry this period. Expect mountain obscuration for all high terrain west of the Divide to include the Absarokas and Winds. East of the Divide...KCOD/KCPR/KLND/KRIW/KWRL Terminals. VFR conditions expected throughout the period at all TAF sites. COD will see shower activity near after 17Z pushing over the Absarokas pushing on station with the best chance (30-40%) after 00Z. Otherwise, strong winds for COD and the foothills after 13Z up to 35kts and over 45kts by 17Z with the westerly funneling. CPR will see gusts up to 30kts after 17Z through sunset with all other sites relatively light 10kts or less. RIW likely to see drainage flow after 01Z with gusts up to 18kts through the end of the period and into the overnight hours Tuesday. All other sites will remain dry, but mountain obscuration will occur for the Absarokas and Winds. Please see the Aviation Weather Center and/or CWSU ZLC and ZDV for the latest information on icing and turbulence forecasts. && .RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning from 5 AM Tuesday to 5 PM MST Wednesday for WYZ001-002-012-014-024. High Wind Warning until 11 AM MST Tuesday for WYZ002. High Wind Warning until 6 AM MST Tuesday for WYZ003-010. Winter Weather Advisory from 5 AM Tuesday to 5 PM MST Wednesday for WYZ008-009-013. High Wind Warning until 5 PM MST Tuesday for WYZ015-016. High Wind Watch from late Tuesday night through Wednesday evening for WYZ015-016. High Wind Watch from Wednesday morning through Wednesday afternoon for WYZ017-019-020-027>030. && UPDATE...Wittmann DISCUSSION...LaVoie AVIATION...Lowe
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Riverton WY 316 AM MST Mon Feb 23 2026 WYZ001>020-022>030-241430- 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- 316 AM MST Mon Feb 23 2026 ...Multiple High Wind Warnings in effect from 2PM this afternoon to 11AM Tuesday... ...Multiple High Wind Watches for central and southern Wyoming from Wednesday morning to late Wednesday afternoon... ...Multiple Winter Weather highlights from 5AM Tuesday to 5PM Wednesday... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Western and Central Wyoming. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Very windy conditions in the Absaroka Mountains and portions of the Cody Foothills developing this afternoon. These winds will then develop over the east slopes of the Wind River Mountains and the Upper Wind River Basin before midnight. These winds will continue through the night. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Tuesday...Strong to high winds continue over the Absaroka and Wind River Mountains as well as portions of the Cody Foothills and the Upper Wind River Basin. These winds will decrease through the morning, with the high wind threat ending by midday. Tuesday and Wednesday...Heavy snow in the western mountains, especially between 8 AM Tuesday and 5 AM Wednesday. East of the Continental Divide, very windy conditions are expected across portions of central Wyoming and the east slopes and foothills of the mountains. Widespread 35 to 45 mph wind gusts Wednesday with possible wind gusts 50 to 60 mph in central Wyoming. .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.
10 high wind, 5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
A maximum wind gust of 58 mph at the Piney Creek sensor near 1030pm. A max gust of 63 mph was later recorded at the Indian Creek sensor after 11pm.
Heavy snow fell through most of the Absarokas, with the maximum amount of 25 inches at the Burroughs Creek SNOTEL site.
Heavy snow fell in Yellowstone Park. The highest amount reported was 30 inches at the Two Oceans Divide SNOTEL site in the southwestern portions of the park.
Heavy snow fell in the Tetons. The highest amount was 24 inches at the Togwotee Pass SNOTEL site. At the Jackson Hole Ski Resort, 19 inches of new snow fell.
Heavy snow fell in the western Wind River Range, the highest amount was 18 inches at the New Fork Lake SNOTEL site.
Very heavy snow fell in the Salt and Wyoming Range, with the highest amount of 34 inches at the Spring Creek Divide SNOTEL site.
Wind gusts as high as 82 mph occurred along the Chief Joseph Highway.
High wind occurred in the Cody Foothills, with a maximum wind gust of 69 mph at Irma Lake.
A maximum wind gust of 82 mph occurred along South Pass at Red Canyon.
A maximum wind gust of 78 mph was recorded at the Camp Creek RAWS site. Wind gusts as high as 61 mph occurred along Highway 220 near the Pathfinder Reservoir.
A 66 mph wind gust was reported at Wamsutter. The Southwest Wyoming regional airport had a maximum wind gust of 61 mph.
A 61 mph wind gust was recorded in Riverton.
High wind occurred in portions of Natrona County. The highest wind gust recorded was 74 mph at Scenic Drive on the south side of Casper.
A 69 mph wind gust was reported on the north side of Casper. At the Lander airport, a 58 mph wind gust was reported.
Along the Chief Joseph Highway there were several hours of wind gusts over 75 mph, with a maximum wind gust of 81 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, February 2026
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: 1320519, 1320324, 1320323, 1320325, 1320326, 1320327, 1320517, 1320518, 1320520, 1320522, 1320525, 1320521, 1320523, 1320524, 1320526.