Holy Cow: Hundreds Of Trees Downed Across Cheyenne Due To Windstorm

Cheyenne Urban Forestry's Mark Ellison says hundreds of trees were downed as a result of the record-breaking windstorm on Thursday. Arborists say shallow roots, softened soil from recent moisture, and skirted trimming made the trees more vulnerable.

Kate Meadows
March 13, 2026
5 min read

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Tree toppled by record-breaking winds in Cheyenne on Thursday (Courtesy: Don Day)

Downed trees littered the Cheyenne area a day after a record-breaking windstorm wreaked havoc on the city. While high winds were the obvious factor, area meteorologists and forestry experts say there is a bigger explanation.

Meteorologists and forestry experts traded theories for what else may have caused hundreds of trees to topple over during Thursday’s violent windstorm. The storm kicked up gusts as high as 109 mph west of Cheyenne and set a record 90 mph gust at the National Weather Service in Cheyenne.

Cheyenne’s urban forestry division was working to clear streets of downed trees Friday.

Urban forestry division manager Mark Ellison said his office was still trying to come up with numbers of downed trees on city properties. ... He told Cowboy State Daily his office had already received calls to 75 addresses where trees have fallen, and there were hundreds of trees down on city properties.

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Kate Meadows can be reached at kate@cowboystatedaily.com.