textproduct: Western and Central Wyoming

KEY MESSAGES

- Much warmer today, with most areas reaching highs in the 60s. Johnson County will be especially warm, with highs in the mid to upper 70s.

- Mostly clear and warm conditions continue into early next week, with highs again in the 60s.

- A low chance for showers returns to far western Wyoming on Tuesday, but any rain accumulations will be minimal.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 207 AM MDT Sat Oct 17 2026

H5 ridging dominates the weather today, bringing much warmer temperatures across western and central Wyoming. This will bring a beautiful autumn afternoon across Wyoming, with highs reaching the 60s for most areas. A weak trough sweeping by well to the north along the Canadian border will tighten the local gradient enough to ramp up winds this afternoon, generally from South Pass east across Natrona and Johnson Counties. Gusts in these areas will reach 30 to 40 mph. This gusty wind will also tap some drier air across Johnson County, pushing temperatures there even higher, reaching the mid to upper 70s.

The system to the north will bring a weak cold front down along the I-25 corridor after sunset, bringing lighter north winds, and drawing temperatures back down closer to normal into the day Sunday. Highs will draw back down to the low 60s, similar to the remainder of western and central Wyoming.

Models are getting more consistent on the larger trough that will be dropping southward along the West Coast this week. This will put Wyoming in southwesterly flow between the trough and the amplifying ridge across the Great Plains. A decaying cutoff trough will wrap ahead of the diving coastal trough and zip northward Tuesday across western WY. Moisture with this decreasing system is limited, so a few showers are possible Tuesday afternoon, but any accumulations will be minimal at best. The trough holds in place for a couple days across central California before ejecting to the northeast late in the week. Where this trough moves northeast will have bearing on precipitation chances and amounts when it moves through Thursday and Friday.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 527 AM MDT Sat Oct 17 2026

VFR conditions through the next 24 hours with only high cirrus across northern WY this afternoon. Most areas will see only light southerly winds 5 to 10 kts. The exception being KCPR, which will see southwest winds gusting to 40kts this afternoon. Those winds will decrease some after sunset, but gusts 15 to 20kts will continue there through at least 12Z/18.

RIW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.