Alert archive / Montana / Tornado Warnings in 1993
Tornado Warning 4, NWS Great Falls, MT
NWS Great Falls, MT issued this tornado warning at Jul 11, 1993, 9:15 PM MDT for Cascade County, Montana. It was in force for 60 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 11, 1993, 9:15 PM MDT (03:15 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 11, 1993, 10:15 PM MDT
- In force
- 60 min
- Issued by
- NWS Great Falls, MT
- Area
- Whole counties
County Cascade County, MT
The nearest sounding before it
Great Falls, MT (KGTF), launched 00:00Z, 3.3 hours before the alert went out and 19 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 149 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -53 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1844 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 61 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 121 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 266 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KGTF 120317 TORGTF MTC013-120415- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 915 PM MDT SUN JUL 11 1993 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREAT FALLS HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA ...WESTERN AND NORTHERN CASCADE COUNTY...INCLUDING THE COMMUNITIES OF VAUGHN AND GREAT FALLS... AT 910 PM RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO ABOUT 20 MILES WEST OF GREAT FALLS. THE STORM IS MOVING GENERALLY EAST ABOUT 15 MPH. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE8...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS... OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS. &
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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, Jul 11, 4:45 PM MDT, 4 hours 30 minutes before
MTZ003-120400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 445 PM MDT SUN JUL 11 1993 ...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE NORTHWEST CHINOOK ZONE... LATE THIS AFTERNOON RADAR AND SATELLITE PICTURES INDICATED SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS BREAKING ACROSS THE PLAINS JUST EAST OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. AT 445 PM ONE STORM WAS LOCATED BETWEEN BROWNING AND CUTBANK ...A SECOND THUNDERSTORM WAS SEEN JUST SOUTHWEST OF CONRAD...AND A THIRD STORM WAS SOUTH OF CHOTEAU. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING GENERALLY EASTWARD ABOUT 15 MPH. BEFORE 4 PM A BROWNING OBSERVER REPORTED SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN. RADAR INDICATES THESE STORMS CAPABLE OF STONG WINDS...HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE CENTER OVER NORTHWEST WASHINGTON WAS STEERING MOIST UNSTABLE AIR FROM THE SOUTHWEST INTO WESTERN MONTANA LATE TODAY AND FURTHER THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED OVER WESTERN MONTANA...WITH A FEW STORMS MOVING EASTWARD ACROSS THE STATE OVERNIGHT. ANY SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS SHOULD BE RELAYED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREAT FALLS AT 453-2081...OR TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. RH NNNN
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 4:51 PM MDT, 4 hours 24 minutes before
MTZ003-120400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 445 PM MDT SUN JUL 11 1993 ...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE NORTHWEST CHINOOK ZONE... LATE THIS AFTERNOON RADAR AND SATELLITE PICTURES INDICATED SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS BREAKING ACROSS THE PLAINS JUST EAST OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. AT 445 PM ONE STORM WAS LOCATED BETWEEN BROWNING AND CUTBANK ...A SECOND THUNDERSTORM WAS SEEN JUST SOUTHWEST OF CONRAD...AND A THIRD STORM WAS SOUTH OF CHOTEAU. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING GENERALLY EASTWARD ABOUT 15 MPH. BEFORE 4 PM A BROWNING OBSERVER REPORTED SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN. RADAR INDICATES THESE STORMS CAPABLE OF STONG WINDS...HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE CENTER OVER NORTHWEST WASHINGTON WAS STEERING MOIST UNSTABLE AIR FROM THE SOUTHWEST INTO WESTERN MONTANA LATE TODAY AND FURTHER THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED OVER WESTERN MONTANA...WITH A FEW STORMS MOVING EASTWARD ACRO SS THE STATE OVERNIGHT. ANY SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS SHOULD BE RELAYED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREAT FALLS AT 453-2081...OR TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. RH NNNN
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 8:47 PM MDT, 28 minutes before
MTZ004-120445- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HELENA MT 846 PM MDT SUN JUL 11 1993 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS SOUTHWEST MONTANA... AT 830 PM MDT...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM WEST CENTRAL POWELL COUNTY NEAR HELMVILLE TO NORTHEAST LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY AND SOUTHWEST TETON COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN...HAIL...STRONG WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. IF THESE STORMS SHOULD APPROACH SEEK SHELTER IN A SECURE BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. HUSTON
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 9:02 PM MDT, 13 minutes before
MTZ003-120400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 905 PM MDT SUN JUL 11 1993 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER THE NORTHWEST CHINOOK ZONE... RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHWEST CHINOOK ZONE AT 8:45 PM THIS EVENING. A SHORT LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM THE GREAT FALLS AREA NORTHWEST TO THE TOWN OF CHOTEAU IN CENTRAL TETON COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. RADAR INDICATES THAT THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN HAIL. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR THE TOWN OF LINCOLN IN LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS IN EASTERN TETON COUNTY...NORTHERN CASCADE...WESTERN CHOUTEAU...AND CENTRAL LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR HAIL UP TO A HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING... AND GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. A REPORT OF HAIL ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AT THE TOWN OF SIMMS WAS REPORTED AT 900 PM MDT. BLANK
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 9:05 PM MDT, 10 minutes before
MTZ003-120400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 905 PM MDT SUN JUL 11 1993 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER THE NORTHWEST CHINOOK ZONE... RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHWEST CHINOOK ZONE AT 8:45 PM THIS EVENING. A SHORT LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM THE GREAT FALLS AREA NORTHWEST TO THE TOWN OF CHOTEAU IN CENTRAL TETON COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. RADAR INDICATES THAT THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN HAIL. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR THE TOWN OF LINCOLN IN LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS IN EASTERN TETON COUNTY...NORTHERN CASCADE...WESTERN CHOUTEAU...AND CENTRAL LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR HAIL UP TO A HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING... AND GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. A REPORT OF HAIL ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AT THE TOWN OF SIMMS WAS REPORTED AT 900 PM MDT. BLANK
The office that day
Everything else NWS Great Falls, MT issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 11, 6:25 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TFX | Chouteau | 70 min |
| Jul 11, 7:24 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | TFX | Chouteau | 56 min |
| Jul 11, 8:29 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TFX | Chouteau, Fergus | 61 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Montana, 1993Every tornado warning in 1993Tornadoes in 1993
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.