Alert archive / Montana / Flash Flood Warnings in 1991

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Great Falls, MT

May 20, 1991Blaine County, Hill County, Montana

NWS Great Falls, MT issued this flash flood warning at May 20, 1991, 6:45 PM MDT for Blaine County, Hill County, Montana. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 20, 1991, 6:45 PM MDT (00:45 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 1991, 9:50 PM MDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Great Falls, MT
Area
Whole counties

Counties Blaine County, MT, Hill County, MT

The nearest sounding before it

Great Falls, MT (KGTF), launched 00:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 176 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Great Falls, MT at 00:00Z on 1991-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Great Falls, MT at 00:00Z on 1991-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -4 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2068 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-4 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
13 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KHVR 210046 COR
FFWHVR
MTC041-005-210300-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING...CORRECTION EXPIRATION TIME.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAVRE MT
645 PM MDT MON MAY 20 1991

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  900 PM MDT FOR PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING MONTANA
COUNTIES...

   IN NORTH-CENTRAL MONTANA...SOUTHERN HILL AND SOUTHERN BLAINE
   ...FOR THE BEAR PAWS...INCLUDING BEAVER CREEK PARK...AND ALSO
   THE TOWN OF...ROCKY BOY.

THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE OCCURRING IN THE BEAR
PAWS...SEVERAL REPORTS OF AN INCH OF RAIN WITHIN A FEW MINUTES.
ROADS WERE REPORTED UNDER WATER AT ROCKY BOY...WITH QUICKLY RISING
WATERS IN OTHER LOCATIONS. RADAR REPORTS SHOWED THE THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MOVING SLOWLY NORTH...WITH HEAVY RAINS LIKELY TO LAST ANOTHER
HOUR.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN
REPORTED. TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS AS REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TOa DRIVE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS. MOVE TO HIGHER
GROUND.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 20, 3:43 PM MDT, 3 hours 2 minutes before
MTZ004-202245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HELENA MT
342 PM MDT MON MAY 20 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT FOR
PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MONTANA...

AT 330 PM MDT AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS IN THE HELENA AREA.
THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED WINDS TO 35 MPH... AND NUMEROUS
LIGHTNING STRIKES.  ANOTHER AREA OF STRONGER STORMS WAS JUST
BARELY ON THE NORTH BORDER OF MEAGHER COUNTY. ANOTHER STORM WAS
LOCATED WEST OF AUGUSTA IN EXTREME NORTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY.

ALL OF THESE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH.

WHILE NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED FROM THESE STORMS IT
IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT THOSE IN THE WATCH AREA COULD PRODUCE
SEVERE WEATHER.  IF YOU SEE SEVERE WEATHER CONTACT YOUR SHERIFF'S
OFFICE OR THE NWS AT 449-5204.

ROSS
Special weather statement, May 20, 4:58 PM MDT, 1 hour 47 minutes before
MTZ005-220000-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAVRE MT
505 PM MDT MON MAY 20 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 9 PM FOR PARTS OF
NORTH-CENTRAL MONTANA...

AS OF 445 PM...LIGHTNING STRIKE CHARTS AND RADAR REPORTS SHOWED
NUMEROUS STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO NORTH-CENTRAL MONTANA.
THESE ARE MOVING RATHER SLOWLY TO THE NORTH...AT 20 MPH.

WHILE NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED IN NORTH-CENTRAL
MONTANA...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY SHOWERS HAVE OCCURRED...LIKELY TO
CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING.

A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE OCCURRED IN SOUTH-CENTRAL
AND CENTRAL MONTANA. THE NEAREST ONE IN FERGUS COUNTY HAS WEAKENED
HOWEVER.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR HILL...BLAINE...CHOUTEAU
AND PHILLIPS COUNTIES...AS WELL AS MUCH OF THE CENTRAL THIRD OF
MONTANA. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...HEAVY SHOWERS...AND FREQUENT
LIGHTNING STRIKES ARE POSSIBLE. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS ON T%HESE STORMS.
SIMONSEN
Special weather statement, May 20, 5:18 PM MDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
MTZ004-210015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HELENA MT
519 PM MDT MON MAY 20 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 9PM MDT FOR MEAGHER AND
GALLATIN COUNTIES...

MEAGHER AND GALLATIN COUNTIES REMAIN IN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH AREA UNTIL 9PM THIS MONDAY EVENING.  A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
MOVED THROUGH MEAGHER COUNTY IN THE PAST 2 HOURS AND THERE ARE
A FEW THUNDERSTORMS IN GALLATIN COUNTY.  RADAR SHOWED THE STORMS
THAT PASSED THROUGH  MEAGHER COUNTY TO BE VERY STRONG BUT NO
REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.

WHILE NO THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING SEVERE ARE OBSERVED IN EITHER
OF THESE TWO COUNTIES AT THIS TIME...DEVELOPMENT IS POSSIBLE.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES PEOPLE SHOULD FIND SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
Local storm report, May 20, 5:41 PM MDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS, MT
539 PM MDT MON MAY 20 1991

 TIME           PLACE                     EVENT

 430PM MDT      10MI SE OF FORT BENTON    GOLF-BALL SIZED HAIL
Special weather statement, May 20, 5:46 PM MDT, 59 minutes before
MTZ004-210145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HELENA MT
547 PM MDT MON MAY 20 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MEAGHER AND GALLATIN COUNTIES IS
CANCELLED...

AS 545 PM MDT THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER NO LONGER EXISTED IN
MEAGHER AND GALLATIN COUNTIES.  THE WATCH FOR OTHER PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL MONTANA IS STILL IN EFFECT UNTIL 9PM MDT.

THERE ARE STILL A FEW RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THESE
COUNTIES BUT THEY ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE VERY STRONG.

REPEAT...THE WATCH IN MEAGHER AND GALLATIN COUNTIES IS CANCELLED
BUT REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR OTHER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA.

ROSS
Special weather statement, May 20, 6:17 PM MDT, 28 minutes before
MTZ003-005-210115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
615 PM MDT MON MAY 20 1991

AT 6PM MDT RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING
FROM NEAR CONRAD IN EASTERN PONDERA COUNTY ACROSS ALL OF NORTHERN
CHOUTEAU COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO SOUTHERN
TOOLE AND SOUTHERN LIBERTY. THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE
NORTH ABOUT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE HEAVY RAIN AS WELL AS
HAIL UP TO PEA SIZE AND GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MILES AN HOUR.
OVER AN INCH OF RAIN WAS REPORTED NORTH OF THE KNEES IN EXTREME
NORTHWEST CHOUTEAU COUNTY BETWEEN 5 AND 6PM MDT.

CASCADE COUNTY...INCLUDING THE CITY OF GREAT FALLS...IS NO
LONGER UNDER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE
MOVED NORTH OF THE COUNTY.
BLANK

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Montana, 1991Every flash flood warning in 1991

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.