Clark Reports Strongest Wyoming Weekend Winds – 118 mph
Written by Andrew-Rossi on December 13, 2021
When it comes to devastating wind speeds, Clark continues to top the charts after another windstorm blew 118 mph winds thru the northwest Wyoming community.
Fall 2021 has proven to be excessively windy, even by Wyoming standards. Already, numerous windstorms have been blowing Wyomingites around, leading to dangerous situations in communities and on state highways.
The National Weather Service routinely publishes the highest recorded winds in the state. Iowa State University collects data from several Wyoming locations, posting them on the Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
Peak wind speeds in Clark were recorded at 118 m.p.h. on Dec. 12 – the strongest winds in Wyoming by a significant margin.
For comparison, winds that powerful are typically felt in Category 3 hurricanes. Hurricane Sandy, which devastated the northeastern U.S. and caused nearly $70 billion in damage in 2012, was a Category 3.
No other Wyoming community came close to feeling as windy as Clark. The next highest peak wind speeds were recorded southwest of Casper – a paltry 76 m.p.h., by comparison.
Strong winds persisted into Monday morning. This time, Casper took the top spot with recorded peak winds at 88 m.p.h. However, Clark wasn’t far behind with 80 m.p.h. peak winds.
Clark consistently reports some of the highest winds recorded in the state.
Its location – a flat plain in the foothills of the Absaroka Range – seems to make it a natural wind tunnel.
Unfortunately, the wind has caused tragic events. A Nov. 15 windstorm with peak winds recorded at 100 mph blew over a powerline, sparking a 300-acre wildfire. Several homes were destroyed, and resident Cindy Ruth subsequently lost her life due to smoke inhalation.
However, Category 3 hurricane winds aren’t discouraging interest in the Clark community. Recently, CityDAO – a decentralized autonomous organization that deals in cryptocurrency – announced the purchase of 40 acres of land near Clark. The property will be used to “build the city of the future on the Ethereum blockchain by tokenizing land, rights, and governance.”
A Hazardous Weather Advisory was in effect for central and western Wyoming on Monday, Dec. 13 – and may last longer.
The advisory may stay in effect through this week and into the weekend, with snow likely by Thursday, Dec. 16.
