Wyoming's Wild Weather: Records Broken in Just Two Days

Wyoming recently experienced some unusual weather. In just two days, six weather records were broken. This happened in different parts of the state. The records included both high temperatures and unusual rainfall. On Monday, Big Piney Airport saw a high of 46 degrees. This beat the old record for that date, which was 41 degrees set back in 1999. Other places like Riverton, Buffalo, and Lander also tied their record highs. Riverton hit 54 degrees, Buffalo reached 63 degrees, and Lander saw 60 degrees. The next day, more records were broken. Casper Airport hit 55 degrees, beating a 71-year-old record of 52 degrees. Lander Airport reached 61 degrees, surpassing a 1953 record of 58 degrees. Riverton Airport hit 60 degrees, which was five degrees higher than the 2021 record. Big Piney Airport again broke a record with 47 degrees.Rainfall was also unusual. Buffalo Airport had 0. 03 inches of rain, breaking a 2005 record of 0. 02 inches. But the wild weather isn't over. Forecasters warn that a polar vortex could bring very cold air to parts of the U. S. this month. Temperatures might be 10 to 20 degrees below average in the Midwest and Northeast. States from Minnesota to Florida could feel the chill. The polar vortex is a big area of low pressure and cold air around the Earth's poles. It's always there but gets stronger in winter. The word "vortex" describes the way the cold air circulates around the poles.