Weekend storms down power lines, trees, and a building

‘Landspout’ tornadoes touch down in Pinedale

PINEDALE (WNE) — Strong winds rolled through Sublette County over the weekend, damaging public and private property, bringing down power lines, sparking outages and creating hazardous conditions in several areas. More than 732 customers in Sublette County reported power outages to Rocky Mountain Power on Saturday, June 20. That same day, the wind combined with wet, humid weather created two landspout tornadoes in Sublette County. 

Landspout tornadoes in Sublette County are relatively uncommon, according to Jason Staub of the National Weather Service.

The tornado formed from the ground up and was non-supercell, meaning it lacked the consistent rotating updraft characteristic of larger and more dangerous tornadoes. Landspout tornadoes still warrant caution, as wind gusts inside them can reach 80 mph and cause damage with little warning.

Although the tornado could have caused severe damage, the more significant issue was persistent wind, which led to a building collapse at 618 Pine St. in Pinedale. With gusts reaching 35 to 40 mph, the building, which had part of its roof removed for renovation, had four unsupported walls collapse. Removing rubble from the road, securing the area, and hauling away the concrete blocks involved 11 people, including the contractor and his wife. The work is still ongoing. Plans for the building’s purpose have not changed, and the work is expected to continue once the site is cleared.

Also in Pinedale, a large pine tree broke at its trunk and fell across the walking paths at American Legion Park. Town employees taped off the area as they cleaned up the broken branches and sawed up the trunk.

This story was published on June 25, 2026. 

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