In an area that few people in Boston, New York, or Los Angeles could find on a map, a place exists that exudes the very essence of the term community. Hidden in the middle of an oil field in Wyoming is a unique area where people look after their own when trouble comes. Deputy Tracy James is a recent graduate from the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy and is struggling to establish herself in the testosterone-filled environment of the Sheriff's Department. She receives an impetuous transfer offer that she accepts to save her new career. Awaiting her arrival in the town of Midwest is Sergeant Eddie Crandall. He is somewhat of an enigma himself due to his quiet and reserved nature. He, too, continuously falls out of Sheriff Doan's favor for no apparent reason. The harsh Wyoming winter of 1992 continued its tight grip on the region with sudden snowstorms and continuous wind. On Deputy James' first day, she and Eddie investigate the death of a mystery man who succumbs to the wintry elements not far outside town limits. When searching the man's pockets, they find a folded piece of paper containing a cryptic poem as a clue. Unpredictably, the ode will guide the duo during a whirlwind trip through the Rocky Mountain region, where they find evidence to both their current and even a past investigation. But, their greatest enemy is the ever-present biting wind that pushes them to their limits.