The beautiful and high city of Riverton, WY is a small city of over 10,000 people has the delicate appearance of a peaceful, tranquil city. However, the weather is anything but the appearance of the city. If meteorologists thought forecasting for Miami, FL was difficult then they should be introduced to this city that ranges from around 4,500 feet in the city to 5,500 feet at the airport. So, what makes this city so difficult? One word, wind. Wind played a factor for Miami as well, but not to the magnitude of Riverton. Why wind plays a big roll is because of the terrain. To the west and southwest of the city is the states highest mountain range reaching over 10,000 feet. To the north is a high plateau that is around 7,000 feet and to the east the elevation declines as it gradually slants down into The Great Plains. What does this mean for the wind? Good question. If a wind blows from the west or southwest then it will warm rapidly warm the city up. If the wind blows from the north it gradually warms the city up. If a wind from the east occurs then it would cool the city down or keep the temperature from warming much if any. Do clouds make a factor when the wind is blowing? From the two week experience in forecasting for the city clouds will not make a difference in how high the temp goes when the wind is warming it up. Overall, another difficult city with lots of learning experiences to hold on to for future forecasting cities and future forecasts.
The next city that is currently being forecasted for is known as The Gem City with the motto of "Birthplace of Aviation". Can you guess what it is?
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