High Wind — Absaroka Mountains, Wyoming

2024-12-18 · Absaroka Mountains, Wyoming

Event narrative

Winds were sustained over 50 mph for several hours along the Chief Joseph Highway, with gusts as high as 86 mph.

Wider weather episode

A passing cold front combined with the right front quadrant of a jet streak brought high wind to portions of central Wyoming. The strongest wind gusts occurred in the mountains, with gusts to 86 mph along the Chief Joseph Highway in the Absarokas and 81 mph at Red Canyon. In the lower elevations, some notable wind gusts included 66 mph on the south side of Casper, 64 mph at the Johnson County airport near Buffalo and 70 mph at Irma Lake west of Cody.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1227173. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.