High Wind — Northeast Johnson County, Wyoming

2021-11-16 · Northeast Johnson County, Wyoming

Event narrative

Very strong winds occurred in northern Johnson County. A wind sensor along I-90 near the Johnson-Sheridan county line recorded a maximum wind gust of 92 mph. The ASOS at Johnson County Airport near Buffalo registered a peak gust of 82 mph. The high winds downed several power lines that ignited small grass fires throughout the area.

Wider weather episode

A combination of a cold front, a potent jet, and strong winds being mixed to the surface brought high winds to much of northern and central Wyoming. The highest wind speeds were near the foothills of the Absaroka Range, where wind gusts as high as 120 mph occurred to the west of Clark. These intense gusts downed a power line, which was responsible for igniting a wildfire in the Line Creek drainage north of Clark. The wildfire spread quickly and destroyed several structures and caused one death. Wind gusts to around 90 mph were reported in northern Johnson County downing power lines that sparked several small grass fires. Wind gusts over 58 mph were also reported in Fremont and Hot Springs counties.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 991837. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.