When I-80 was being planned in the 1960s it was decided to route it closer to the mountains rather than follow the Union Pacific tracks and US 30 which are out in the middle of the basin because using the new route would save 13-14 miles. Locals told the highway engineers that the wind blew harder at Cooper Cove and Arlington than anywhere else in WY but that advice was ignored and I-80 was built on its present alignment. The lost cargo, vehicles, lives, and increased maintenance costs since that stretch opened in 1970 would have paid for the additional 13.5 miles many times over. The phenomenon is like a fire hose where the stream of water is solid near the nozzle but it a light rain 100 yards away. Similarly, a very strong wind at Arlington will be a mild breeze by the time it gets to Rock River on US 30 about 15 miles downwind. That is not to say that US 30 never gets strong winds but it is not as frequent or strong as I-80. Any lessons from this are left to the reader.
This was really helpful for me as I’m relatively new to Wyoming. The weather here in the mountains is a bit...insane. But this is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. SO happy to be here, neighbors are wonderful.
Judy 😂😂😂😂😂 have two brothers that live in Lyman, when they would go to work in the mines. They said “ those over turned trucks looked like dinosaurs laying around “the mountains they call the Sisters
In 1973, we had 100 mph winds in Laramie. We took the sheets off our beds and watched the wind gauge on the Cable TV station and, when it hit 100 mph, we ran outside and popped our sheets to get dragged along the ground.
My wife and I moved from a Phoenix suburb to attend college in LaGrange, Wyo. It was, to say the least, a culture shock but a pleasant one. Great people! The one thing that struck me was not only the people but the wind. It doesn't just blow. It seemingly comes from every direction. First time in my life that we experienced winds in excess of 50 mph sustained over three days and nights. It kind of freaks you out until you live there long enough to get used to it. Oh and can it get cold. It would hit -20 degrees in town. We put food items in the freezer to keep them warm. We'd drive from LaGrange to Fort Collins on the weekends to do a day of grocery shopping and eating out - in between was Cheyenne. (They have cool rest stop just outside of town that doubles as a mini museum of sorts.) I thought God invented wind in Cheyenne. I nicknamed it "The Hairdryer." Visited Yellowstone with Cody nearby. Same thing; maybe worse. People there are quite strong. They don't have to go to the gym to exercise. They get whole-body exercise just resisting the winds. Lastly, unless you're bald, everybody looks like they just rolled out of bed with crazy hair. Combs and brushes are nearly useless in Wyo. I can see why so many people want to move there. I'm glad we lived there.
Wind jokes: Never open your front door and back door at the same time, or you'll have to pick up your furniture at the Eastern border by lunch! Hang out your laundry in the morning, pick it up in Nebraska by noon!
I've been driving trucks for 10 years now and didn't know any of the intricacies of this, and I have to say it's quite interesting to learn about this. I had always wondered why, Wyoming had such high and hostile winds.
This was very helpful! I got in my first blow over February 2018 in Cheyenne on I-25. Day cab with no load going through 80 mph wind. No injuries. Trooper gave me a ticket for refusing to obey strong wind road closure.
Too bad people have to "harness" everything from nature they possible can. When it comes to wind, you end up with sprawling, ugly wind turbine projects. The Chokecherry and Sierra Madre project will choke scenery over nearly 230,000 acres. Say goodbye to Wyoming's wide open spaces, all for something that sits idle much of the time. It's a very inefficient use of land, and tons of fossil fuels go into making it. falseprogress.home.blog/2016/08/29/windturbineslandscapes/
I’m a truck driver and I hate high wind gust. It’s the scariest part of driving and I hate Wyoming for this reason. I just left Wyoming after sitting at a pilot for hours waiting for 80 to reopen but it still hasn’t. Had to back track to 25 and go to 70.
I once had to hide behind a Boulder for 14 hours until the wing slowed....that's shed hunting on the high ridges in Wyoming. I literally could not stand up
Yep, WY is indeed a windy state! I learned this during Artic Storm Astro in 2014 when my husband and I were vacationing (and looking at potential retirement areas) in Wyoming. Driving down Hwy. 25 from Cheyenne to Denver we noted several semi "blow-overs" on the drive. Some how all that wind didn't deter us. Although we didn't end up retiring to Wyoming (we chose Kimberly, Idaho on the South Central Idaho flatlands east of Twin Falls) and we see a good share of winds here throughout the state. Informative video! Thanks for putting this content out!
What Wyoming gets as wind so does Nebraska and Iowa people hear in Iowa joke about becoming Wyoming because for the last 3 years we have gotten high wind gust. 30 to 55 mph gust and not many trees in Nebraska or iowa so nothing to slow down the winds . But Wyoming is still the best state to live in and great people low crime and natural beautify.
I-80 does Wyoming no justice to the breathtaking beauty of Wyoming for sure. What breaks my heart is to see all the massive old ranches bought up by Hollywood, and foreign entities I only pray they are stewards of what god made so beautiful so we can all enjoy it for centuries to come. #Beautiful Wyoming
Thanks for the informative video. Although, I would like to point out that "strong winds" in Florida start at around 75 mph and go up to "your roof is attempting an Atlantic crossing". Even afternoon thunderstorms here get wind gusts in the 50-60 mph range. I think the state you are looking for is California. I'll never forget the "storm advisory" I got while living in Monterey for DAYS leading up to the storm with "up to 30 mph" winds.
Sager 1989, You nailed it. Alas, microbursts (pilots call it "clear air turbulence" can catch anyone, any time. I caught one with an empty 53' wagon that left me clawing my way out of the median on an otherwise nice clear day, no warning what so ever. It just comes with the territory. Wide open, treeless territory.....
I was just out there last with a buddy of mine in a big tractor trailer hauling Batteries to Salt Lake City Utah from Pennsylvania. It was my first time going straight across Wyoming on I 80. ( I have been on US 212 7 years ago going to Montana so I didn't get to experience much if Wyoming then as I did this past week. I will say that it is one of the most interesting states that I have ever traveled through. Between all the vast expanses of open Ranges, snow fences and on road gates and signs as well as the spans of highway between big towns along interstate 80 and the great distances one must travel to go from town to town. Its definitely not like anything I have experienced on the east coast. We drove from Grand Island Nebraska to Salt Lake City Utah (almost 800 miles) in one day with literally less than 10 minutes left on the clock to park. One our way back we went from Salt Lake City to Lexington Nebraska in a day. I had a Great trip and got lots of pictures of your incredible State. Hope to come back again soon.
I don't know what it is but I love and I mean LOVE windy days. It seems the majorty of people hates the wind but for me, the more the better. It just makes me feel more alive. I'm in Illinois and we vacation in Colorado but are planning to hit Cheyenne before summer end for the first time. I'f it's really windy, I'll probably want to move there.
Dick Longmire ha-ha-ha, I love windy places too but something about feeling your car/truck about to tip-over or fly that makes my heart sink to my balls! Scary stuff
Lol come to Casper and get you some of that 50+ mph winds for 4 to 5 months straight and I bet you change your tune. I'll never forget watching my wife spend an hour every morning fixing her hair up only to have the wind trash it before she even made it to the car. She left me and WY due to the wind.
@@cain2548 The same will probably happen to me but I'm sick of Illinois rapping with with property taxes. The mountain states have been calling me for a while now and I'm not getting any younger. My wife's friends and family are all in the Chicago suburbs yet she says she's still up for the move. I see her getting board after a year and wanting to head back but there's no way I am coming back to this corrupt boring state once I'm gone.
@@dicklongmire6836Exactly. Altho Crook County forest preserves are nice but even they are changing with encroaching development, more people, paving dirt trails, etc.
Wow, common sense people!! Shut that thing off shut down till your safe to drive. Yikers avoiding 4 wheelers causes more Semi’s to reck more than anything. Hopefully you didn’t get hurt.
Thinking I might retire to Wyoming because I love the outdoors and flyfishing. Sounds like that’s goi g to be a “maybe sport” in near constant wind. ☹️
Wow, we had this shit figured out 45 years before you were born. We didn't call it bernnewley whatever effect , our generation just called it windy as hell out there.
Old Trucker very true. It definitely takes experience to drive in the high winds. But also to understand when to shut down. I tend to cross the Wyoming rodeo once a week.
Plant trees all over the state it may help it’ll take a while Wyoming is a disaster during winter. Elk mountain is bad build a bypass around elk mountain. Plain and simple Wyoming is where the mountains meet the Great Plains
There’s not enough water for trees in a lot of the places here. Most of this is the high plains. I live up high, and we just deal with it. A 4WD is a must.
Would WY consider trying out and installing a “wind deflector wall” (windshield) in known corridor area with high winds. It will not only protect truckers but it will also protect the cars.
@@abitterpill7331 - windshield like a wall would be about 15 feet high and maybe a mile or so in length along the highway shoulder, how would it shift or relocate the wind corridor to another location. High wind area(corridor) are usually in the opening between two mountains or hills. Wind warning are not always timely and not very many truck drivers will intentionally ignore the high wind warnings.
@@jaeinnmoon3279 How would it do it? It's honestly easy to see if you ever live in a windy area in winter. Just place any object down and watch the snow blow around it. Yes the area in question would receive protection from the wind, but the areas to the side of it receive increased wind speeds. Not only that, but to place this windshield close enough to the road, you run into another problem in winter. The sudden slowing of airspeed behind the wall will make the wind drop all the snow it's carrying right onto the roadway. There are actually snow fences along I-80 and other Wyoming highways that are a fair distance out to try and reduce that snow accumulation on the roads.
@@abitterpill7331 - would you not want to build snow fence in combination with wind shield. Instead of just saying it won't work, wouldn't you want to build a prototype and see how it works. Snow on the road is another issue that needs to be dealt with as another topic. Its the wind that's toppling profile vehicles and killing people.
High elevations, cold coming down from up north. Oh, and Loki lives here. Plays tricks on us with 50 degree temp swings from day to night. Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else though. It’s beautiful here:
When I-80 was being planned in the 1960s it was decided to route it closer to the mountains rather than follow the Union Pacific tracks and US 30 which are out in the middle of the basin because using the new route would save 13-14 miles. Locals told the highway engineers that the wind blew harder at Cooper Cove and Arlington than anywhere else in WY but that advice was ignored and I-80 was built on its present alignment. The lost cargo, vehicles, lives, and increased maintenance costs since that stretch opened in 1970 would have paid for the additional 13.5 miles many times over.
The phenomenon is like a fire hose where the stream of water is solid near the nozzle but it a light rain 100 yards away. Similarly, a very strong wind at Arlington will be a mild breeze by the time it gets to Rock River on US 30 about 15 miles downwind.
That is not to say that US 30 never gets strong winds but it is not as frequent or strong as I-80.
Any lessons from this are left to the reader.
This was really helpful for me as I’m relatively new to Wyoming. The weather here in the mountains is a bit...insane. But this is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. SO happy to be here, neighbors are wonderful.
You must be white.
@@mr.a2399 you must be a racist...why did race matter here...go race bait elsewhere 🙄
@@mr.a2399 Seems some struggle a bit with the high altitude, winds, and weather eh? Not for everyone, I suppose.
When i left Wyo. I had to learn how to walk all.over again!
😂😂😂
Sooo true
Judy 😂😂😂😂😂 have two brothers that live in Lyman, when they would go to work in the mines. They said “ those over turned trucks looked like dinosaurs laying around “the mountains they call the Sisters
Lol
In 1973, we had 100 mph winds in Laramie. We took the sheets off our beds and watched the wind gauge on the Cable TV station and, when it hit 100 mph, we ran outside and popped our sheets to get dragged along the ground.
🤣🤣😂😂
My wife and I moved from a Phoenix suburb to attend college in LaGrange, Wyo. It was, to say the least, a culture shock but a pleasant one. Great people! The one thing that struck me was not only the people but the wind. It doesn't just blow. It seemingly comes from every direction. First time in my life that we experienced winds in excess of 50 mph sustained over three days and nights. It kind of freaks you out until you live there long enough to get used to it. Oh and can it get cold. It would hit -20 degrees in town. We put food items in the freezer to keep them warm.
We'd drive from LaGrange to Fort Collins on the weekends to do a day of grocery shopping and eating out - in between was Cheyenne. (They have cool rest stop just outside of town that doubles as a mini museum of sorts.) I thought God invented wind in Cheyenne. I nicknamed it "The Hairdryer." Visited Yellowstone with Cody nearby. Same thing; maybe worse. People there are quite strong. They don't have to go to the gym to exercise. They get whole-body exercise just resisting the winds. Lastly, unless you're bald, everybody looks like they just rolled out of bed with crazy hair. Combs and brushes are nearly useless in Wyo.
I can see why so many people want to move there. I'm glad we lived there.
Wind jokes: Never open your front door and back door at the same time, or you'll have to pick up your furniture at the Eastern border by lunch!
Hang out your laundry in the morning, pick it up in Nebraska by noon!
When I met my first Wyoming resident who was from Casper, I asked him what it was like. He said “Windy”. That’s all I needed to know.
I've been driving trucks for 10 years now and didn't know any of the intricacies of this, and I have to say it's quite interesting to learn about this. I had always wondered why, Wyoming had such high and hostile winds.
This was very helpful! I got in my first blow over February 2018 in Cheyenne on I-25. Day cab with no load going through 80 mph wind. No injuries. Trooper gave me a ticket for refusing to obey strong wind road closure.
As a Wyoming native, I lived the wind life for many years. Now living in the East I find myself , at times, missing the wind. thanks for your video.
Too bad people have to "harness" everything from nature they possible can. When it comes to wind, you end up with sprawling, ugly wind turbine projects. The Chokecherry and Sierra Madre project will choke scenery over nearly 230,000 acres. Say goodbye to Wyoming's wide open spaces, all for something that sits idle much of the time. It's a very inefficient use of land, and tons of fossil fuels go into making it. falseprogress.home.blog/2016/08/29/windturbineslandscapes/
Not for me . I don't like the Wind in Cheyenne
I’m a truck driver and I hate high wind gust. It’s the scariest part of driving and I hate Wyoming for this reason. I just left Wyoming after sitting at a pilot for hours waiting for 80 to reopen but it still hasn’t. Had to back track to 25 and go to 70.
Thank you! This was incredibly helpful and clear for someone like myself who is considering moving to the state.
I once had to hide behind a Boulder for 14 hours until the wing slowed....that's shed hunting on the high ridges in Wyoming. I literally could not stand up
This is Wyoming we have wind. I love chinooks have lived here all my life our wydot does a great job 😊👍
Yep, WY is indeed a windy state! I learned this during Artic Storm Astro in 2014 when my husband and I were vacationing (and looking at potential retirement areas) in Wyoming. Driving down Hwy. 25 from Cheyenne to Denver we noted several semi "blow-overs" on the drive. Some how all that wind didn't deter us. Although we didn't end up retiring to Wyoming (we chose Kimberly, Idaho on the South Central Idaho flatlands east of Twin Falls) and we see a good share of winds here throughout the state. Informative video! Thanks for putting this content out!
What Wyoming gets as wind so does Nebraska and Iowa people hear in Iowa joke about becoming Wyoming because for the last 3 years we have gotten high wind gust. 30 to 55 mph gust and not many trees in Nebraska or iowa so nothing to slow down the winds . But Wyoming is still the best state to live in and great people low crime and natural beautify.
I-80 does Wyoming no justice to the breathtaking beauty of Wyoming for sure. What breaks my heart is to see all the massive old ranches bought up by Hollywood, and foreign entities I only pray they are stewards of what god made so beautiful so we can all enjoy it for centuries to come. #Beautiful Wyoming
Thanks for the informative video. Although, I would like to point out that "strong winds" in Florida start at around 75 mph and go up to "your roof is attempting an Atlantic crossing". Even afternoon thunderstorms here get wind gusts in the 50-60 mph range. I think the state you are looking for is California. I'll never forget the "storm advisory" I got while living in Monterey for DAYS leading up to the storm with "up to 30 mph" winds.
Hah 😅 grew up in cali living in wyoming now. Too true. My family thinks 5- 10 mph is really windy when im on the phone with them and they can hear it
I heard a weather forecast in CA. calling for “Possible thunder”
Sager 1989, You nailed it. Alas, microbursts (pilots call it "clear air turbulence" can catch anyone, any time. I caught one with an empty 53' wagon that left me clawing my way out of the median on an otherwise nice clear day, no warning what so ever. It just comes with the territory. Wide open, treeless territory.....
Why is Wyoming so windy? Because Idaho blows and Nebraska sucks!
I was just out there last with a buddy of mine in a big tractor trailer hauling Batteries to Salt Lake City Utah from Pennsylvania.
It was my first time going straight across Wyoming on I 80. ( I have been on US 212 7 years ago going to Montana so I didn't get to experience much if Wyoming then as I did this past week.
I will say that it is one of the most interesting states that I have ever traveled through. Between all the vast expanses of open Ranges, snow fences and on road gates and signs as well as the spans of highway between big towns along interstate 80 and the great distances one must travel to go from town to town.
Its definitely not like anything I have experienced on the east coast.
We drove from Grand Island Nebraska to Salt Lake City Utah (almost 800 miles) in one day with literally less than 10 minutes left on the clock to park.
One our way back we went from Salt Lake City to Lexington Nebraska in a day. I had a Great trip and got lots of pictures of your incredible State. Hope to come back again soon.
3:08
Access = to gain entry to or possession of.
Excess = more of something than is required or needed.
Very interesting and helpful; thanks!
Thank you, Wyoming Wind Lady!
I don't know what it is but I love and I mean LOVE windy days. It seems the majorty of people hates the wind but for me, the more the better. It just makes me feel more alive. I'm in Illinois and we vacation in Colorado but are planning to hit Cheyenne before summer end for the first time. I'f it's really windy, I'll probably want to move there.
Dick Longmire ha-ha-ha, I love windy places too but something about feeling your car/truck about to tip-over or fly that makes my heart sink to my balls! Scary stuff
Lol come to Casper and get you some of that 50+ mph winds for 4 to 5 months straight and I bet you change your tune. I'll never forget watching my wife spend an hour every morning fixing her hair up only to have the wind trash it before she even made it to the car. She left me and WY due to the wind.
@@cain2548 The same will probably happen to me but I'm sick of Illinois rapping with with property taxes. The mountain states have been calling me for a while now and I'm not getting any younger. My wife's friends and family are all in the Chicago suburbs yet she says she's still up for the move. I see her getting board after a year and wanting to head back but there's no way I am coming back to this corrupt boring state once I'm gone.
@@dicklongmire6836Exactly. Altho Crook County forest preserves are nice but even they are changing with encroaching development, more people, paving dirt trails, etc.
9:09 . . . great explanation why basins tend to be free of snow/ice relative to plains !
With all the wind, I am guessing that air pollution is not a concern in WY.
The consensus is that Wyoming has maybe the cleanest air in the country. I'm sure it's low population is a major factor in that.
@@rushrush1209 That's true. They don't even have 500,000 for the entire state.
Dust and sand!
Never seen he stuff around here, well except you might see pig farts above certain farms, and also might catch a Cowboy rollin' coal.
We just get all of California's air pollution blown into us. 6 months of smoke. Thanks, California.
Wish I knew all of this before one day in May 2009. Lost our 5th wheel trailer, Elk Mtn.
Wow, common sense people!! Shut that thing off shut down till your safe to drive. Yikers avoiding 4 wheelers causes more Semi’s to reck more than anything. Hopefully you didn’t get hurt.
This lady is smart great info 🤠
Thinking I might retire to Wyoming because I love the outdoors and flyfishing. Sounds like that’s goi g to be a “maybe sport” in near constant wind. ☹️
Build a wall.. maybe 15 feet high, sturdy enough to last a long time in constant high winds along sides of the Highway.
Kudos for a well done video. I'm moving there soon and getting prepared
God willing, moving out of CO to WY. The promise land. The wind keeps out the undesirables.
Just moved to wyoming. I knew it was windy before. Kust curious why. And were in a wind storm now. 60mph gusts
The Army Corps of engineers need to be brought in. Loss of life due to a wind tunnel is just horrendous. :(
Go to I-40 if ya can’t drive in the wind and don’t know when to shut it down.
Fill those mountain gaps with concrete. Add some large fans to generate electricity like a water dam.
Helpful video. Julie IS gorgeous!
Wow, we had this shit figured out 45 years before you were born. We didn't call it bernnewley whatever effect , our generation just called it windy as hell out there.
I hate the wind in Cheyenne 😢 I would like move for another state
Thx for the Video.
How bad is it in Gasper compared to other cities in ur state?
4 C's. Chugwater. I guess that's being included in Cheyenne.
I dont think chugwater counts cuz its a town not a city... not sure but thats what i think.
Why did they run interstate through those areas if this was a problem
To save about 15 miles of paving, despite being warned to do otherwise.
I pull tanker, eating my Twinkie in 65mph winds.
I'm not that flexible.
@@georgekatsinis5224 underrated comment
When you get enough CMV experience, you will understand (the gov't has nothing to do with it.).
Old Trucker very true. It definitely takes experience to drive in the high winds. But also to understand when to shut down. I tend to cross the Wyoming rodeo once a week.
Plant trees all over the state it may help it’ll take a while Wyoming is a disaster during winter. Elk mountain is bad build a bypass around elk mountain. Plain and simple Wyoming is where the mountains meet the Great Plains
You could take the back hi ways but there's no stopping wind
There’s not enough water for trees in a lot of the places here. Most of this is the high plains. I live up high, and we just deal with it. A 4WD is a must.
Translation; perfect state for wind generated power!!!!
lmao she forgot the laramie area ,, life can be umm fun here with the winds
Here in DC, we have political speeches. Now if that does not frighten you, I don't know what will scare you.
Would WY consider trying out and installing a “wind deflector wall” (windshield) in known corridor area with high winds. It will not only protect truckers but it will also protect the cars.
Which would just change the air currents and make it blow over different spots instead. People COULD just obey the high wind warnings.
@@abitterpill7331 - windshield like a wall would be about 15 feet high and maybe a mile or so in length along the highway shoulder, how would it shift or relocate the wind corridor to another location. High wind area(corridor) are usually in the opening between two mountains or hills. Wind warning are not always timely and not very many truck drivers will intentionally ignore the high wind warnings.
@@jaeinnmoon3279 How would it do it? It's honestly easy to see if you ever live in a windy area in winter. Just place any object down and watch the snow blow around it. Yes the area in question would receive protection from the wind, but the areas to the side of it receive increased wind speeds. Not only that, but to place this windshield close enough to the road, you run into another problem in winter. The sudden slowing of airspeed behind the wall will make the wind drop all the snow it's carrying right onto the roadway. There are actually snow fences along I-80 and other Wyoming highways that are a fair distance out to try and reduce that snow accumulation on the roads.
@@abitterpill7331 - would you not want to build snow fence in combination with wind shield. Instead of just saying it won't work, wouldn't you want to build a prototype and see how it works. Snow on the road is another issue that needs to be dealt with as another topic. Its the wind that's toppling profile vehicles and killing people.
Sometimes I curse the wind when riding a loaded motorcycle, but usually I thank the wind; without it, Wyoming would be Californicated already.
50mph is nothing. live near the Sierras in NV...120mph over the crest is common.
Does it do it for 5 months straight ever single godamned day?
@@cain2548 The Sierra crest winds? No. It is more like 50 to 70mph daily. The big winds come with each winter storm and last about a week.
my hair piece is long gone
15 to 20 mph are "Stong Winds" in FLORIDA? Hello? Guess you have never been in a tropical storm or a hurricane.
Didn't know your tropical storms and hurricanes lasted days or weeks.
Why does it get so cold there compared to other states in winter?
High elevations, cold coming down from up north. Oh, and Loki lives here. Plays tricks on us with 50 degree temp swings from day to night. Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else though. It’s beautiful here:
Mountain elevation
Is everybody in the West Knows the only reason why only Reef and Wyoming as a wit's because Utah sucks
Ya, sure... Nice try! We all know Wyoming doesn't ACTUALLY exist...
It’s like the Sasquatch of the US 😂. Having a blizzard right now, with temps predicted to be -10. It’s October.
Are you married?