TL;DR
Two landspout tornadoes were reported in northeast Wyoming on Tuesday afternoon, July 7, 2026. The National Weather Service office in Cheyenne confirmed a landspout west of Burns at 1937 UTC and a second landspout southeast of Gun Barrel at 1942 UTC. One tornado lasted eight minutes. No damage or injuries were reported with either tornado.
What Happened Tuesday Afternoon
The National Weather Service in Cheyenne (CYS) received two tornado reports from northeast Wyoming on Tuesday afternoon. Both tornadoes were classified as landspouts, a type of weak tornado that forms along boundaries in environments with strong low-level wind shear but relatively weak mid-level rotation.
The first tornado was reported at 1937 UTC (1:37 pm MDT) approximately two miles west of Burns, Wyoming. The second touched down five minutes later at 1942 UTC, roughly four miles south-southeast of Gun Barrel. According to the local storm report, the Gun Barrel landspout was accompanied by a funnel cloud and remained on the ground for eight minutes.
Neither tornado caused reported damage. No EF rating has been assigned at the time of publication, which is typical for landspouts that touch down in open terrain without impacting structures.
Understanding Landspouts
Landspouts differ from the classic supercell tornadoes that form in the Great Plains during spring. While supercell tornadoes develop from rotating mesocyclones aloft and are often preceded by wall clouds, landspouts form along surface boundaries—such as outflow boundaries, fronts, or convergence zones—where colliding air currents create spin near the ground.
When a developing thunderstorm updraft stretches this near-surface rotation upward, a landspout can form. These tornadoes are typically weaker and shorter-lived than supercell tornadoes, though they can still produce EF0 to EF1 damage in some cases.
Landspouts are common across the High Plains during the summer months, particularly in Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana. The combination of strong daytime heating, upslope flow, and surface boundaries creates favorable conditions for these brief tornadoes.
Tuesday's Broader Severe Weather Picture
Wyoming's two tornadoes were part of a much larger severe weather event across the central and eastern United States. The Storm Prediction Center logged 76 wind reports, 13 hail reports, and the two tornado reports across 17 states on July 7.
The wind reports dominated the day's severe weather, with damaging gusts and downed trees reported from the Southeast into the Plains and Upper Midwest. States with wind damage included Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia in the South and Southeast, along with Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming farther west.
Hail reports came primarily from the northern Plains, with quarter-size hail common across Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. The largest hail—1.5 inches in diameter—was reported in Upton, Wyoming, at 0030 UTC. That same storm produced broken windows, damaged gardens, dented vehicles, and broken vent covers, according to social media reports compiled by the National Weather Service in Rapid City.
Why Wyoming Sees Summer Landspouts
Northeast Wyoming sits in a climatologically favorable zone for landspout development during the summer. The region's high elevation and proximity to the Black Hills create localized wind patterns that enhance low-level convergence. Afternoon heating destabilizes the atmosphere, and upslope easterly flow ahead of weak disturbances provides the lift needed for thunderstorm initiation.
These storms often remain relatively disorganized compared to the supercells that form farther east in the Plains, but the strong surface heating and boundary interactions create an environment where brief, weak tornadoes can spin up with little warning.
Landspouts are difficult to predict with precision. They often form rapidly and dissipate just as quickly, sometimes before a tornado warning can be issued. Spotters and storm chasers play a critical role in documenting these events, as many occur in sparsely populated areas where few witnesses are present.
What's Next for the Region
Wednesday's outlook from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center includes an Enhanced Risk for severe thunderstorms across northeast Colorado, far southwest Nebraska, and northwest Kansas. The primary threats will be severe wind gusts and large hail, with thunderstorm development expected during the afternoon and evening.
Farther east, storms are forecast from the Missouri Valley into the upper Mississippi Valley, with isolated severe gusts possible from the northern Great Basin into the northern High Plains. A separate area of concern exists from North Carolina into southern Virginia, where a very moist airmass will support isolated thunderstorms with a wind-damage threat.
No tornado watches were active as of Wednesday morning.
Lessons from Tuesday's Event
Tuesday's landspouts serve as a reminder that tornadoes can occur outside the traditional spring severe weather season and outside the classic tornado corridors of the Great Plains. While Wyoming is not typically associated with tornado activity in the public imagination, the state averages around 2 tornadoes per year, most of them weak landspouts during the summer months.
For residents of the High Plains, summer thunderstorms warrant attention even when no formal watches are in effect. Landspouts can develop quickly, and while most remain over open country, those that cross roads or developed areas can pose a hazard to anyone caught outdoors.
If you live in or travel through the Rockies and High Plains during summer, monitor radar when thunderstorms develop, especially during the peak heating hours of mid-to-late afternoon. Landspouts are brief, but they are real tornadoes.
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