Extreme Cold/Wind Chill — Wind River Basin, Wyoming

2022-03-10 · Wind River Basin, Wyoming

Event narrative

A combination of fresh snow and a clear sky brought very cold temperatures to the Wind River Basin. The low of 13 below zero at the Riverton ASOS was the all-time coldest temperature so late in the season. Temperatures in the town of Riverton were even colder, falling as low as 23 below zero.

Wider weather episode

A clear sky combined with an abnormally cold air mass and fresh snow cover to produce bitterly cold temperatures across much of western and central Wyoming. The most notable low temperature was 25 below zero at the Casper-Natrona County International Airport. This reading set the all-time lowest March temperature for that location. At Worland Municipal Airport, the low temperature of 19 below zero broke the daily record low by 12 degrees and was the coldest temperature that late in the winter. Other notable low temperatures included 31 below zero at Afton, 22 below zero at Big Piney, and 43 below zero at Grant Village in Yellowstone Park.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1015127. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.