High Wind — Natrona County Lower Elevations, Wyoming

2022-12-26 to 2022-12-27 · Natrona County Lower Elevations, Wyoming

Event narrative

High wind was reported through much of Natrona County, especially around Casper. The highest wind gusts were along Wyoming Boulevard south of Casper, with gusts as high as 89 mph. Wind gusts of hurricane force were also reported along Hat Six Road, the Natrona County airport and near Mills. The wind caused minor damage near Casper, including a trailer that was destroyed at a restaurant.

Wider weather episode

A cold front and trough moved across Wyoming and brought heavy snow to portions of the western mountains and high winds to much of central Wyoming. The highest snowfall amounts were in the Tetons where as much as 13 inches of snow was reported. The main story though was the wind. In the Wind River Mountains, periods of snow combined with wind gusting over 80 mph caused the closure of Wyoming Route 28 over South Pass for several hours. The strongest wind in the lower elevations occurred in Natrona County where many locations recorded wind gusts over 70 mph with a maximum gust of 89 mph along Wyoming Boulevard south of Casper. The high winds caused minor property damage, including a trailer that was destroyed at a restaurant. Wind gusts of hurricane force also occurred in the Absarokas and the Green Mountains.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1072434. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.