118 MPH Wind Recorded In Wyoming Over The Weekend

A wind gust of 118 miles per hour was recorded near Clark, Wyoming on Saturday night, according to the Riverton Office of the National Weather Service.

The agency says the gust was recorded at 11:15 p.m. on Saturday night. Clark is a small community near Cody in Park County.

The almost 120 per hour wind gust was the strongest gust recorded in the Cowboy State in recent days, but hardly the only exceptionally strong wind in a state well known for extreme winds.

A gust of 92 miles per hour was recorded nearly Arlington on Saturday, and numerous wind gusts of 80 miles per hour or well above were recorded around the state in recent days. The National Weather Service considers wind speeds of 74 mph or greater to be hurricane-force.

Winds of that magnitude can present serious safety hazards, especially to light, high-profile vehicles. Wyoming highways are frequented by commercial tractor-trailers that are vulnerable to blow-overs and a loss of control from those kinds of winds. The situation in Wyoming was made worse in many areas due to blowing snow and blizzard conditions.

Interstate 80 in southern Wyoming was closed for long periods due to weather conditions in recent days. As of Wednesday morning, windy weather remained a concern.

The Cheyenne Office of the National Weather Service was warning of winds of 65-75 miles per hour in southeast Wyoming, with the possibility of 85 miles per hour or more in some high-profile areas. Parts of the Nebraska Panhandle also have a Winter Weather Advisory in effect for today.