High Wind — Wind River Mountains East, Wyoming

2024-02-26 · Wind River Mountains East, Wyoming

Event narrative

Very strong winds occurred ahead of a cold frontal passage. The wind sensor at Red Canyon along South Pass had wind gusts as high as 97 mph.

Wider weather episode

A Pacific trough moved across western and central Wyoming and brought heavy snow to northwestern Wyoming and high wind to much of the area. The heaviest snow fell in the Tetons where a maximum of 24 inches of new snow fell at the Grand Targhee Ski Resort. A foot of new snow fell at Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park. High wind was much more widespread. Wind gusts as high as 99 mph occurred along the Chief Joseph Highway in Park County. At Red Canyon along South Pass, a combination of snow and wind gusts as high as 97 mph led to the closure of Highway 28 over the pass. Wind gusts over 60 mph were also reported in the lower elevations of Park, Hot Springs, Fremont, Natrona and Sweetwater Counties. At the Natrona County airport, strong crosswinds flipped a small plane over. The occupants were not injured.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1162708. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.