EF3 Tornado — Converse, Wyoming

2018-07-28 · near Douglas, Converse, Wyoming

Event narrative

The first observed evidence of the tornado was near Rattlesnake Hill just north of Wagonhound Road. The tornado moved to the south and quickly grew stronger. The NWS survey team continued to investigate some video evidence that the tornado may have been on the ground prior to Rattlesnake Hill. The tornado snapped several trees and power poles along Wagonhound Road, and blew several large rolls of hay nearly 300 yards from a large hay bale stack. The tornado intensified as it moved south toward a ranch, reaching EF3 intensity through the barn and residence, destroying several buildings and causing significant damage to the ranch house. The ranch house had large sections of roof structure removed, and a quonset hut tractor storage area just west of the house was destroyed. Two large utility trailers weighing several thousand pounds were lofted and had not been located, with the exception of one axel set. Large cottonwood trees were stripped of all vegetation with just the largest limbs near the center of the trees remaining intact. The tornado continued south-southeast before lifting in the vicinity of Poison Lake. Start and end and locations and times of the tornado were estimated from eyewitness accounts and radar data.

Wider weather episode

Thunderstorms produced large hail, damaging winds and a couple tornadoes over portions of Converse and Platte counties.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (42.6452, -105.5134)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 783123. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.