Nasty Weather Doesn’t Slow Down Casper’s Giving Nature

WOW, Wednesday's weather was nasty. But that did not stop the folks of Casper Wyoming, from turning out to help STUFF THE VAN for needy families for this Christmas.

The wind howled, and our little trailer in front of the Walmart on the east side of Casper rocked violently. But people just kept on giving. Even as it started to rain and we got a little bit of hail, the givers just kept on coming.

They came with toys and items young kids would need, like jackets and backpacks. They came with cash and checks. It was a great day, and that bad weather did not mean a thing. That is Wyoming tough for you.

Over the next couple of days, the weather will improve a little. The radio personalities of Townsquare Media, along with the folks of the Casper Housing Authority, will be there from 7 am to 7 pm, through Saturday.

There are many ways you can help donate to Stuff the Van:
Bring an unwrapped toy, game, or other gift items to our broadcast December 15 - 20 at Walmart East in Casper.

Make a cash donation by either stopping by the broadcast Dec. 15 - 20 or via this PayPal link.

All monetary donations are used to purchase gifts we didn't receive, the toy drive, or other items to help with the gift distribution.

Donate your time to help at the distribution center, or start a collection at your office, church, gym, business, or in your community, and drop the items off at our broadcast Dec. 15 - 20.

If you'd like to volunteer, email development@chaoffice.org to register. Include your name, company (if applicable), and phone so we can connect. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response. We are only human!

In the past 24 hours (around December 17, 2025), Wyoming experienced extreme winds, with reports to the National Weather Service, including a massive 144 mph gust at Mount Coffin/Smoot, a 123 mph gust near Atlantic City/South Pass, and other triple-digit gusts, equivalent to hurricane-force winds, impacting areas from mountains to interstates like I-80, prompting advisories and road closures.

Key Wind Gust Reports:
144 mph: Recorded near Smoot/Mt. Coffin, a near record-breaking gust.
123 mph: Measured near Atlantic City/South Pass.
121 mph: Recorded along the Salt River in Lincoln County.
112 mph: Confirmed near Dwyer Junction, WY.
90+ mph: Numerous reports across the region, including near Atlantic City.

For Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at Casper Airport (KCPR), winds were very gusty, with reports showing sustained winds around 30-40 MPH (W/SW) and gusts peaking significantly higher, reaching up to 54 knots (around 62 MPH) in the afternoon, under a High Wind Warning for Casper, with gusts potentially hitting 70 MPH in the region.

It was windy at the Cheyenne airport, but nothing compared to what was happening north of there.

The forecast indicates continued windy conditions for most of Thursday, December 18, 2025, although not as severe as the previous day. TRANSLATION: It will be annoying, but your dog won't blow away while taking a poop in the backyard.

Believe it or not, it didn't feel as bad due to Wyoming's high altitude. The higher we are, the less air there is to push around.

This would have felt far worse if Wyoming were still at sea level. Wyoming was at or near sea level periodically for millions of years, most recently until approximately 66 million years ago. The state was then uplifted by the Laramide Orogeny mountain-building event, causing the sea to recede permanently.

We've had a couple of good, strong Wyoming wind events recently. We can tell how bad it was by the number of trucks and RVs tipped over on our highways.

This next one is forecasted to be a DOOZY! So we are putting out a warning to all small dog owners.

When your little pooch has to poop, do not let it out on its own. It might end up in Nebraska.

Before you go outside, make sure to tie yourself to something, like your porch railing, and then leash your dog. Make sure you have a firm grip on that leash. Maybe even tied it to your belt.

DO NOT be surprised if the little fellow launches up like a kite. This will panic the dog at first, unless he has experienced enough Wyoming wind to be used to it.

Video below of a small dog being blown away by Wyoming wind.

Don't bother yelling to your dog that everything is okay. He can't hear you in all that wind.

If your dog had to pee or poop, it will soon do so out of FEAR! Let's face it, if the wind picked you up like that, it would scare the crap and piss out of you, too.

The bad news, or maybe the ICKY news, is that everything that comes out of your dog will now be flying across the neighborhood. Lord knows where it will land.

Once the job is done, you can then slowly reel your puppy into your loving arms. Then the two of you will have to fight through the wind, back to your house.

Video below of a midsized dog being blown away by Wyoming wind.

Always make sure of the direction of the wind before the two of you go outside. If you choose the door facing the wind, you'll both get blown back into the house. Worse yet, the dog will relieve itself, and it will cover your house.

After experiencing this once, do not be surprised if your dog decides to hold it until after the wind dies down.

(The above videos of dogs being blown away were AI-generated and are not real).