December ushered an array of weird meteorological conditions to Wyoming — from record-high temperatures to hurricane-strength winds and the rare winter rainbow.
The prismatic arch appeared over central Wyoming on Dec. 17, a rare spot of beauty amid raging wind gusts that wreaked havoc across the state.
That day, winds hit speeds of 123 miles per hour in Red Canyon, 144 miles per hour on Mount Coffin and 91 miles per hour in Hiland, according to the National Weather Service Riverton Office.
In nearby Lander, the wind knocked down trash cans and fences. It blew Christmas decorations halfway to Colorado, peeled shingles off of roofs, closed the highway to South Pass and felled trees.
Elsewhere, high winds have knocked out the power to traffic signals in Casper and forced city officials to close the landfill. December gusts also toppled dozens of semi-trucks on highways like Interstate 80, the Wyoming Department of Transportation reported.
Balmy temperatures have attended the winds, breaking records in places ranging from Riverton to Worland and Rock Springs — where a high of 59 was the warmest temperature on record in December, according to the National Weather Service.
Residents accustomed to bundling up for single-digit temperatures, snowfall and ice skating during the holidays may instead reach for a windbreaker and umbrella this year.
Interesting “climate changes”?
I’m pretty old, so I don’t have to worry too much myself. But for all you younger people out there, I Googled:
Not reacting to early warning signs happens due to psychological factors like denial, complacency, and crisis fatigue, combined with cognitive biases that make us ignore subtle cues (brain programming, risk normalization) or logistical barriers (lack of resources, unclear causes), leading to bigger problems in relationships, health, or business crises, a pattern often called the “warning-response gap”.