Wyoming Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Wyoming Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Wyoming is lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Wyoming is much lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #24
| Wyoming | 0.38 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #12
| Wyoming | 0.0006 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #38
| Wyoming | 30.94 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 5,966 other weather extremes events from 1950 to 2010 were recorded in Wyoming. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 31 | Blizzard: | 89 | Cold: | 22 | Dense Fog: | 15 | Drought: | 18 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 188 | Hail: | 2,340 | Heat: | 0 | Heavy Snow: | 411 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 3 | Landslide: | 1 | Strong Wind: | 917 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,174 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 75 | Winter Storm: | 442 | Winter Weather: | 11 |
| Other: | 229 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
A total of 3 volcanoes are found in or near Wyoming.
| Name | Region | Latitude | Longitude | Elevation (foot) | Type | Status | Last Eruption |
| Yellowstone | US-Wyoming, United States | 44.43 | -110.67 | 2805 | Caldera | Tephrochronology | Last known eruption B.C. (Holocene) |
| Dotsero | US-Colorado, United States | 39.65 | -107.03 | 2230 | Maar | Radiocarbon | Last known eruption B.C. (Holocene) |
| Hell's Half Acre | US-Idaho, United States | 43.5 | -112.45 | 1631 | Shield volcano | Radiocarbon | Last known eruption B.C. (Holocene) |
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 49 historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in Wyoming.
| Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 1975-06-30 | 6.4 | N/A | 44.75 | -110.61 |
| 1959-08-18 | 6 | N/A | 44.8 | -110.7 |
| 1984-09-08 | 5.6 | 20 | 44.24 | -106.02 |
| 1984-10-18 | 5.5 | 33 | 42.38 | -105.72 |
| 1976-10-19 | 5.3 | 5 | 44.8 | -110.7 |
| 1984-11-03 | 5.1 | 5 | 42.49 | -108.85 |
| 1973-03-31 | 5.1 | 10 | 44.5 | -110.5 |
| 1984-05-29 | 5 | 18 | 44.23 | -105.96 |
| 1973-03-28 | 5 | 8 | 44.4 | -110.4 |
| 1976-09-03 | 4.8 | 10 | 44.04 | -106.15 |
| 1985-08-21 | 4.8 | 5 | 43.17 | -110.78 |
| 1973-04-22 | 4.8 | N/A | 42.6 | -107.8 |
| 1983-02-06 | 4.7 | 5 | 44.57 | -110.64 |
| 1973-03-30 | 4.6 | 11 | 44.4 | -110.4 |
| 1985-09-07 | 4.6 | 5 | 43.16 | -110.72 |
| 1983-12-20 | 4.5 | 5 | 43.29 | -110.77 |
| 1974-08-30 | 4.5 | 1 | 44.7 | -110.8 |
| 1964-08-22 | 4.5 | N/A | 42.9 | -104.7 |
| 1974-09-19 | 4.4 | 10 | 44.11 | -107.38 |
| 1973-04-21 | 4.4 | 10 | 44.5 | -110.1 |
| 1963-04-27 | 4.4 | N/A | 44.8 | -110.3 |
| 1963-02-25 | 4.3 | N/A | 42.6 | -109.2 |
| 1985-08-30 | 4.3 | 5 | 43.17 | -110.89 |
| 1985-08-16 | 4.3 | 10 | 42.81 | -108.06 |
| 1985-08-22 | 4.3 | 5 | 43.13 | -110.81 |
| 1977-03-03 | 4.2 | 5 | 41.24 | -107.15 |
| 1969-08-27 | 4.2 | N/A | 42.9 | -110.8 |
| 1963-03-22 | 4.1 | N/A | 44.8 | -110.5 |
| 1972-12-08 | 4.1 | 20 | 43.7 | -108.4 |
| 1983-02-13 | 4 | 5 | 42.23 | -105.73 |
| 1978-11-11 | 3.9 | 6 | 44.39 | -110.25 |
| 1981-03-12 | 3.8 | 1 | 44.27 | -110.76 |
| 1978-03-07 | 3.8 | 5 | 44.43 | -110.84 |
| 1977-03-07 | 3.8 | N/A | 44.4 | -110.8 |
| 1984-10-06 | 3.7 | 5 | 44.74 | -110.53 |
| 1981-05-06 | 3.7 | 7 | 43.43 | -110.66 |
| 1978-10-02 | 3.7 | 5 | 44.71 | -110.8 |
| 1983-11-09 | 3.6 | 5 | 43.72 | -110.2 |
| 1982-03-01 | 3.6 | 5 | 42.99 | -111.04 |
| 1978-02-02 | 3.6 | 5 | 44.39 | -110.81 |
| 1985-01-16 | 3.6 | 1 | 44.78 | -110.4 |
| 1985-03-11 | 3.6 | 6 | 43.02 | -110.85 |
| 1978-10-02 | 3.5 | 5 | 44.74 | -110.78 |
| 1982-10-07 | 3.5 | 5 | 43 | -111.07 |
| 1976-11-27 | 3.5 | 5 | 44.66 | -110.82 |
| 1985-08-13 | 3.5 | 5 | 41.82 | -108.65 |
| 1978-02-02 | 3.5 | 4 | 44.38 | -110.83 |
| 1983-11-02 | 3.5 | 5 | 43.42 | -110.92 |
| 1985-09-19 | 3.5 | 8 | 43.12 | -110.93 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 58 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in Wyoming.
| Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County | |
| 1987-07-21 | 4 | 43°53'N / 110°09'W | 44°07'N / 109°50'W | 24.30 Miles | 2550 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Teton | |
| 1955-06-26 | 3 | 41°58'N / 104°19'W | 2.00 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Goshen | ||
| 1955-06-27 | 3 | 41°53'N / 105°01'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 3K | 0 | Platte | ||
| 1960-04-23 | 3 | 41°02'N / 105°13'W | 41°00'N / 104°53'W | 17.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Laramie | |
| 1962-06-16 | 3 | 42°55'N / 108°44'W | 0.50 Mile | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Fremont | ||
| 1965-07-12 | 3 | 44°15'N / 104°15'W | 44°15'N / 104°03'W | 9.40 Miles | 1400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Crook | |
| 1975-06-25 | 3 | 44°14'N / 104°21'W | 44°22'N / 104°12'W | 11.50 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Crook | |
| 1979-07-16 | 3 | 41°10'N / 104°49'W | 41°04'N / 104°42'W | 8.80 Miles | 80 Yards | 1 | 40 | 25.0M | 0 | Laramie | |
| 1985-08-02 | 3 | 44°50'N / 107°57'W | 0.20 Mile | 10 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Big Horn | ||
| 1950-05-10 | 2 | 41°11'N / 110°25'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Uinta | ||
| 1953-05-28 | 2 | 43°51'N / 104°19'W | 44°23'N / 104°06'W | 38.20 Miles | 433 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Weston | |
| 1953-06-12 | 2 | 43°52'N / 105°16'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Campbell | ||
| 1955-06-26 | 2 | 42°22'N / 104°44'W | 42°22'N / 104°40'W | 2.30 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Goshen | |
| 1958-06-03 | 2 | 44°32'N / 107°47'W | 0.20 Mile | 17 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Big Horn | ||
| 1958-06-12 | 2 | 43°53'N / 104°20'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Weston | ||
| 1959-05-27 | 2 | 44°14'N / 105°36'W | 44°23'N / 105°32'W | 10.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Campbell | |
| 1959-06-25 | 2 | 44°16'N / 104°31'W | 1.00 Mile | 133 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Crook | ||
| 1959-06-26 | 2 | 44°30'N / 107°33'W | 44°38'N / 107°30'W | 9.20 Miles | 333 Yards | 1 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Big Horn | |
| 1960-08-21 | 2 | 42°03'N / 104°11'W | 0.10 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Goshen | ||
| 1961-05-18 | 2 | 44°24'N / 104°35'W | 44°24'N / 104°34'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Crook | |||
| 1962-06-11 | 2 | 43°14'N / 106°21'W | 43°40'N / 105°30'W | 52.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Natrona | |
| 1962-06-12 | 2 | 44°29'N / 108°24'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Big Horn | ||
| 1962-07-09 | 2 | 44°22'N / 108°14'W | 0.50 Mile | 17 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Big Horn | ||
| 1963-06-14 | 2 | 41°48'N / 104°18'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Goshen | ||
| 1964-06-26 | 2 | 44°45'N / 108°45'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Park | ||
| 1964-07-02 | 2 | 43°48'N / 104°36'W | 0.10 Mile | 7 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Weston | ||
| 1966-07-22 | 2 | 44°18'N / 105°30'W | 44°14'N / 105°31'W | 3.60 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 6 | 25K | 0 | Campbell | |
| 1967-04-12 | 2 | 41°58'N / 104°24'W | 42°07'N / 104°15'W | 12.60 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Goshen | |
| 1967-06-06 | 2 | 43°06'N / 108°21'W | 43°12'N / 108°15'W | 8.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 0K | 0 | Fremont | |
| 1967-07-24 | 2 | 44°22'N / 108°10'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Big Horn | ||||
| 1971-05-29 | 2 | 42°55'N / 106°12'W | 0.20 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 3 | 0K | 0 | Natrona | ||
| 1973-08-27 | 2 | 42°35'N / 108°51'W | 0.50 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Fremont | ||
| 1975-06-25 | 2 | 44°18'N / 105°30'W | 44°17'N / 105°10'W | 16.30 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0 | Campbell | |
| 1975-07-30 | 2 | 43°49'N / 105°52'W | 43°47'N / 105°37'W | 12.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Campbell | |
| 1976-05-29 | 2 | 41°15'N / 104°37'W | 0.20 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Laramie | ||
| 1976-05-29 | 2 | 41°20'N / 104°21'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Laramie | ||||
| 1976-07-02 | 2 | 41°25'N / 106°23'W | 2.50 Miles | 433 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Carbon | ||
| 1978-07-04 | 2 | 44°30'N / 108°00'W | 5.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Big Horn | ||
| 1978-07-11 | 2 | 44°40'N / 108°50'W | 0.40 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Park | ||
| 1978-07-20 | 2 | 43°00'N / 106°20'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Natrona | ||
| 1978-07-28 | 2 | 43°02'N / 104°40'W | 5.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Niobrara | ||
| 1978-07-28 | 2 | 42°18'N / 104°02'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Goshen | ||
| 1982-06-05 | 2 | 42°35'N / 105°38'W | 42°35'N / 105°30'W | 7.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Converse | |
| 1982-06-05 | 2 | 43°03'N / 104°40'W | 1.00 Mile | 17 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Niobrara | ||
| 1984-05-31 | 2 | 44°18'N / 104°57'W | 0.50 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Crook | ||
| 1984-06-13 | 2 | 43°00'N / 104°40'W | 43°02'N / 104°37'W | 4.00 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Niobrara | |
| 1985-05-10 | 2 | 44°10'N / 104°23'W | 1.00 Mile | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Crook | ||
| 1986-06-07 | 2 | 43°13'N / 108°07'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Fremont | ||
| 1987-06-18 | 2 | 43°00'N / 106°19'W | 43°03'N / 106°12'W | 7.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Natrona | |
| 1987-07-21 | 2 | 43°08'N / 106°43'W | 43°04'N / 106°38'W | 5.00 Miles | 140 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Natrona | |
| 1988-05-06 | 2 | 44°11'N / 105°21'W | 1.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Campbell | ||
| 1990-05-24 | 2 | 41°26'N / 104°25'W | 41°29'N / 104°21'W | 5.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Laramie | |
| 2001-07-10 | 2 | 43°50'N / 108°13'W | 43°50'N / 108°13'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Hot Springs | |
| Brief Description: Eyewitnesses reported 2 brief touchdowns. Mobile home destroyed and barn damaged, approximately 1/4 mile apart. Property damage amounts unknown. Water at least 3 feet deep caused considerable damage to mobile home and fences. Three horses injured. | |||||||||||
| 2005-08-12 | 2 | 43°44'N / 105°28'W | 43°43'N / 105°28'W | 1.50 Miles | 450 Yards | 2 | 13 | 5.0M | 0 | Campbell | |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down 1 mile north of Wright and traveled southeast into the town. It crossed Wyoming Highway 387, slammed into a mobile home park, and dissipated a half mile from the highway before reaching the elementary school and Wright Blvd on the southeast edge of the park. It damaged 120 of the approximately 250 homes in the park; 91 were completely destroyed. Roofs, porches, siding, and trees sustained light damage from the strong wind gusts. Two people were killed and 13 injured; all were in mobile homes. M53MH, M97MH | |||||||||||
| 2008-05-22 | 2 | 41°00'N / 105°16'W | 41°19'N / 105°34'W | 25.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 300K | 0K | Albany | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Tornado skipped along it's path north-northwest and moved across eastern and northeastern sections of Laramie, WY. Strong winds also overturned a tractor-trailer on Interstate 80 near Laramie and blew a boat off another trailer. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Severe thunderstorms moved generally north northwest over parts of far southeast Wyoming producing a few tornadoes as well as hail and some flooding. The most significant tornado tracked across southeastern Albany county into northern and eastern parts of the city of Laramie. | |||||||||||
| 2009-06-05 | 2 | 41°37'N / 104°22'W | 41°36'N / 104°13'W | 8.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 10K | 0K | Goshen | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A widely observed tornado moved across open country of far southern Goshen county. Only minor damage was caused, mainly to a few power poles and trees. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Scattered severe thunderstorms produced large hail and a tornado over parts of southeast Wyoming. | |||||||||||
| 2009-07-13 | 2 | 44°35'N / 104°25'W | 44°33'N / 104°14'W | 9.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 2 | 300K | 0K | Crook | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A large tornado touched down west of Cook Lake and tracked east-southeastward across the Bear Lodge Mountains, dissipating west of Wyoming Highway 111. The tornado downed about 4000 acres of Ponderosa pine trees, destroyed two metal shop buildings and a large barn at a ranch, and severely damaged a house and mobile home. Two people in the residences received very minor injuries. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A supercell thunderstorm developed over northern Campbell County and moved southeastward across Crook County. The storm produced very large hail across western Crook County, which caused significant damage in the New Haven and Hulett areas. The storm also spawned a large tornado over the Bear Lodge Mountains north of Sundance. | |||||||||||
| 2010-05-18 | 2 | 41°10'N / 104°22'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0K | Laramie | ||
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A National Weather Service storm survey determined a tornado that struck Burns Wyoming the evening of May 18 was rated an EF-2. One house lost its roof. Additionally, the storm that spawned the tornado produced hail the size of golfballs which accumulated to over 3 feet in depth. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Southeast low level wind flow increased ahead of a low pressure system over northern Colorado the afternoon of May 18 2010. A strong low level southeast jet combined with dynamics of the low to create a favorable environment for severe thunderstorms. By mid afternoon thunderstorms over northern Colorado began to rotate, producing a tornado just south of the Wyoming state line south of Cheyenne. Severe thunderstorms continued into the evening hours of the 18th producing severe weather across the Nebraska panhandle and extreme southeast Wyoming. | |||||||||||
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.