textproduct: Western and Central Wyoming

KEY MESSAGES

- Gusty southwest winds return west of the Divide Wednesday with gusts up to 25 to 35 mph. Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions for much of the area.

- Another cold front impacts the area Tuesday with stronger winds and near critical to critical fire weather conditions. Not as warm temperatures Tuesday west of the Divide and the entire area Wednesday.

- Increased precipitation chances Tuesday and Wednesday with widely scattered thunderstorms/rain showers expected (70-80% coverage). Severe weather is not expected.

- Warming and drier trend to end the week and into the weekend.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 130 AM MDT Mon Jun 8 2026

IR shows cooler cloud tops over Idaho mainly associated with the upper level low over the Pacific northwest. WV depicts the PFJ around it pushing into much of Montana with jet max up to 120-130kts allowing for the low to continue to slowly deepen with increased divergence aloft. Any shower activity has diminished and pushed east of the CWA with mainly dry conditions expected Monday. However a couple of isolated storms look to develop over eastern Sweetwater to southern Natrona counties after 2-3PM Monday afternoon exiting east and northeast by 6-7PM. Severe weather is not expected, but stronger outflows may be had if enough of the cap breaks with warmer 700mb temps up to 40-50 mph possible but confidence low at this point in time (20-30%).

The next shortwave around the aforementioned low will begin to push in out west from Idaho after midnight into early Tuesday morning. More widely scattered rain shower and thunderstorm activity expected but severe weather again not expected due to not as warm temperatures, and thus, less instability to be had for these storms to tap into west of the Divide. These spread east after sunset Tuesday night into Wednesday, with that being the "coolest" day of the week behind a stronger cold front. Ahead of the front, expect gusty southwest winds east of the Divide, possibly seeing widespread gusts over 50 mph pushing close to high wind criteria. Confidence not great on how strong the winds will be, and thus, no headlines are issued at this time. Behind the aforementioned cold front, expect winds to be more west to north of west with continued stronger gusts, especially east of the Divide once again. The highest winds look to be pinpointed across the wind corridor as expected from Sweetwater to Natrona Counties and up to Johnson. Buffalo and point north coming down from Sheridan looks to be a point of emphasis to keep an eye on as the models have not handled how high winds can be here, especially after Sunday evening's event behind the weaker of the cold fronts to affect the CWA days apart.

The upper level low looks to fill and start to progressively push east across the upper Rockies Wednesday night. Any shower activity lingering into Thursday morning will go with it as dry conditions push back in for the rest of the work week and into the weekend. Increased convergence and a building upper level ridge pushes over the region Thursday into Friday, and especially over the weekend. Back to warmer than average temperatures going into next weekend. Northwest flow aloft continues during this timeframe, so weak higher terrain storms are still possible each afternoon and early evening based on diurnal trends. Longer term models continue this pattern not seeing any break in this upper level flow until at least 10 days out.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY/

Issued at 430 AM MDT Mon Jun 8 2026

VFR conditions expected for all locations throughout the period. Some light rain possible around PNA and over the mountains near through about 15Z, but not flight restrictions expected at this time. Otherwise, increasing clouds throughout the day down into the mid levels as winds increase to 25kt gusts at all locations from mainly the southwest after 19Z through about 02Z during peak heating and mixing to the surface. COD/CPR will remain elevated overnight with even stronger winds for Tuesday. The next round of precipitation will start to push in towards the end of the period Tuesday morning west of the Divide for PNA/BPI/JAC after around 10Z.

Please see the Aviation Weather Center and/or CWSU ZDV and ZLC for the latest information on icing and turbulence forecasts.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 130 AM MDT Mon Jun 8 2026

Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions expected Monday with strongest winds west of the Divide gusting up to 25 to 35 mph out of the southwest. humidity values in the 10 to 20 percent range for much of the area.

Near critical to critical fire weather conditions expected for Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and evenings with a fire weather watch issued for zone 280 (only zone with critical fuels at this time). Stronger winds expected out of the southwest to west gusting up to 40 to 50 mph in many areas east of the Divide, and up to 30 to 40 mph to the west. Humidity values will be as low as 10 to 15 percent, driest in the wind corridor from Sweetwater to Natrona Counties.

Low humidity values continue for Thursday and Friday but with less wind expected seeing only breezy conditions up to 15 to 25 mph.

RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Fire Weather Watch from Tuesday morning through Wednesday evening for WYZ280.