With sustained winds reaching 60 mph and gusts hitting nearly 90 mph, Tuesday’s wild winds were some of the worst Wyomingites can recall in recent memory. That includes the Wyoming Department of Transportation, which reports at least nine semitrucks were blown over around the state, the most in a day in at least two decades.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol responded to those blow-overs, and other wind-related calls. Winds were so strong — a gust of 88 mph was recorded near Bordeaux — that WYDOT closed Interstate 25 north of Cheyenne to all trucks, regardless of weight.
“That’s the first time we’ve ever done that, and I’ve been here for 20 years,” said Doug McGee, public affairs officer for WYDOT.
WYDOT hopes that new signage it has been using will reduce the number of future blowovers, but winds are always a hazard on Wyoming’s highways.
Blowovers Everywhere
According to WYDOT, most of Tuesday’s blowovers happened near Bordeaux, where the strongest winds were recorded. That’s not surprising, given that the stretch of I-25 between Chugwater and Wheatland has been an area of concern for a long time.
“That’s definitely a hot spot for wind,” said Jordan Young, deputy public affairs officer for WYDOT. “We also had blowovers on I-80 near mile markers 261 and 275 and on U.S. 85 as well.”
These were Chinook winds, generated from the rapid rise in temperature as the subzero surge of Arctic air retreated from Wyoming. Already strong winds were funneled through the state’s mountainous terrain, making them even stronger.
Young said nine blowovers in one day is “high anecdotally,” but she didn’t have all the data to say so conclusively.
“The wind situation in Wyoming changes daily, if not hourly,” she said. “Those were some powerful winds, and definitely some of the strongest we’ve had in the last couple of years.
Signage That Saves
WYDOT is working to make the state’s highways safer by installing new signage in problematic areas prone to blowovers. Based on research from the University of Wyoming, the new signage and alerts provide more specific warnings to anyone driving a high-profile vehicle.
“The University of Wyoming did some research on what it would take to blow over a vehicle depending on its weight and other factors like roadway geometry and ‘super elevation,’ which is how high the road is compared to everything else,” Young said. “We’re putting up more signage with specific weights according to those algorithms.”
During previous wind events, WYDOT would close sections of Wyoming’s highways to “light, high-profile vehicles.” Moving forward, overhead signage will indicate that only high-profile vehicles with a minimum gross vehicle weight can travel during high-wind events.
That might have helped a driver towing a 4,000-pound trailer through Red Canyon in fall 2022. A sign warned of gusts “60+ mph,” but the trailer was ripped off its hitch and tossed by a gust that measured 111 mph.
WYDOT believes that providing more specific information will help drivers better understand whether their vehicles are susceptible to being blown off or over. Any high-profile vehicle, from a semitrailer to a camper, is at risk of blowing over when the winds get strong enough, and all will be considered in future closures.
“You might see more closures for vehicles under a certain weight but not total closures,” said McGee. “We’re able to do more selective weight-based wind closures with that system.”
Strong Chinook winds are blowing semitrailers over across Wyoming, with gusts hitting nearly 90 mph along I-25 near Bordeaux, about 10 miles south of Wheatland. (Courtesy Photo) 
Strong Chinook winds are blowing semitrailers over across Wyoming, with gusts hitting nearly 90 mph along I-25 near Bordeaux, about 10 miles south of Wheatland. (Courtesy Photo)
Worst Winds
Considering the specificity enabled by WYDOT’s new signage system, it’s remarkable that I-25 was closed to all high-profile vehicles Tuesday. Both Young and McGee emphasized how unprecedented that was.
“I haven't seen us completely close any highway to all truck and high-profile vehicle traffic since we started that system,” Young said. “We hope more vehicles will understand and heed these warnings now that we put a weight on them.”
More overhead signage is being installed along I-80 and other areas where high-profile vehicles are prone to blowovers. McGee said this will be the first entire winter season with the new system informing drivers of the wind hazards ahead.
“We’ve been doing wind messaging for a long time, but including gross vehicle weight is a newer thing for us,” he said.
Unfortunately, there will always be the risk of blowovers on Wyoming’s highways, as Tuesday demonstrated in spades. Young said WYDOT’s goal is to ensure drivers stay safe and that traffic keeps moving.
“With this new signage and system, we can keep traffic moving as much as possible, give drivers a clear understanding of wind hazards, and reduce the potential of a large-scale closure for everybody,” she said. “Tuesday’s winds were severe, and we hope more drivers heed these warnings.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
