High Wind — Wind River Mountains East, Wyoming

2022-12-01 · Wind River Mountains East, Wyoming

Event narrative

There were several hours of winds sustained over 50 mph at the Red Canyon wind sensor along South Pass (This stretch of road borders 2 forecast zones). There were many gusts of hurricane force including a maximum gust of 86 mph. The combination of high wind and blowing snow closed Highway 28 for several hours.

Wider weather episode

A Pacific trough and cold front moved across Wyoming and brought heavy snow to the northwestern portions of the state. The heaviest amount of snow fell in the Tetons with 26 inches at the Jackson Hole Ski Resort the heaviest amount. Over a foot of snow fell in portions of Yellowstone Park, the Jackson Valley and the Absarokas. In central Wyoming, wind was the main hazard from the storm. Several wind gusts of hurricane force occurred along South Pass in the Wind River Mountains with a maximum wind gust of 86 mph. Wind gusts over 65 mph were also reported in the Lander Foothills and Natrona County. The snow and high wind disrupted travel, resulting in the closure of several roads for many hours.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1070972. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.