High Wind — Wind River Mountains East, Wyoming

2021-12-29 to 2021-12-30 · Wind River Mountains East, Wyoming

Event narrative

A maximum wind gust of 84 mph was reported at Red Canyon. The wind gusts and blowing snow lead to the closure of South Pass to high-profile vehicles.

Wider weather episode

A Pacific trough and associated cold front brought high wind to areas along and east of the Continental Divide. The highest wind gust reported was 92 mph along the Chief Joseph Highway in the Absaroka Range. As for the lower elevations, the peak wind was an 81 mph gust near I-25 and Hat Six Road to the east of Casper. An 84 mph wind gust was reported along Wyoming Highway 28 at Red Canyon in the Wind River Range. Wind gusts exceeding 60 mph were also reported in the lower elevations of Johnson and Fremont counties. The high winds closed numerous roads to high-profile vehicles.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 997104. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.