Alert archive / Montana / Tornado Warnings in 1999
Tornado Warning 13, NWS Billings, MT
NWS Billings, MT issued this tornado warning at Aug 15, 1999, 12:30 PM MDT for Rosebud County, Montana. It was in force for 30 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 15, 1999, 12:30 PM MDT (18:30 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 15, 1999, 1:00 PM MDT
- In force
- 30 min
- Issued by
- NWS Billings, MT
- Area
- Whole counties
County Rosebud County, MT
The radar
The Billings radar (KBLX), 151 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:32 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 11:15 AM MDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Glasgow Intl Airport, MT (KGGW), launched 12:00Z, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 221 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
- 60 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -322 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1584 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 1 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 129 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KBIL 151833 RRA TORBIL MTC087-151900- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT 1230 PM MDT SUN AUG 15 1999 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BILLINGS HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... NORTHERN ROSEBUD COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN MONTANA * UNTIL 100 PM MDT * AT 1225 PM MDT... AREA LAW ENFORCEMENT INDICATED A TORNADO 16 MILES WEST OF INGOMAR... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. * THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR... SUMATRA AT 1235 PM MDT RURAL AREAS OF NORTHERN ROSEBUD COUNTY GO TO THE BASEMENT OR A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR! CANEPA &
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.
NWS Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Aug 15, 9:15 AM MDT, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 15, 9:15 AM MDT, 3 hours 15 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MONTANA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT 915 AM MDT SUN AUG 15 1999 BEEN A BIT BUSY HERE THE PAST FEW HOURS BUT...A MOIST UNSTABLE SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TO BRING CHANCES OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO THE CWA. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY HAVE WINDS OVER 60 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ESPECIALLY IN THE EASTERN ZONES. MAY HAVE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EAST BEFORE NOON. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE FROM THE WEST DURING THE DAY AS AN UPPER TROUGH MOVES EAST BRINGING COOLER MORE STABLE AIR TO THE ZONES. THIS COOLER AIR WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY GUSTY WEST WINDS. WARMER AND DRIER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BY MID WEEK AS A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. TEMPERATURES SEEM TO BE IN THE BALL PARK BUT WILL MAKE A FEW CHANGES TO THE FORECAST. THORICHT BIL TB 078/052 080/056 085 58432 LVM .. 071/048 077/... ... 58422 HDN .. 080/050 082/... ... 58432 MLS .. 083/050 082/057 ... 58442 4BQ .. 082/049 084/... ... 58442 BHK .. 080/047 081/... ... 58442 SHR TB 081/049 084/051 086 58432
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 15, 9:45 AM MDT, 2 hours 45 minutes before
MTZ030>033-036-037-152100- THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT 945 AM MDT SUN AUG 15 1999 ...SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE IN SOUTHEAST MONTANA THIS AFTERNOON... A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL COMBINE WITH MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR TO GENERATE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHERN MONTANA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST MONTANA...INCLUDING ROSEBUD...CARTER...POWDER RIVER...FALLON AND CUSTER COUNTIES...SOME WILL BECOME SEVERE. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE DAMAGING HAIL...WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. PEOPLE PLANNING VARIOUS ACTIVITIES TODAY SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER...AND MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR FAVORITE RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS. ...HERE ARE A FEW SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY RULES... FOR YOUR PROTECTION...STAY INDOORS AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...MOVE TO A STURDY SHELTER OR WELL PROTECTED AREA. AVOID CREEK BEDS AND OTHER FLOOD-PRONE AREAS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES. DLB
Special weather statement, Aug 15, 9:45 AM MDT, 2 hours 45 minutes before
MTZ030>033-036-037-152100- THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT 945 AM MDT SUN AUG 15 1999 ...SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE IN SOUTHEAST MONTANA THIS AFTERNOON... A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL COMBINE WITH MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR TO GENERATE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHERN MONTANA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST MONTANA...INCLUDING ROSEBUD...CARTER...POWDER RIVER...FALLON AND CUSTER COUNTIES...SOME WILL BECOME SEVERE. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE DAMAGING HAIL...WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. PEOPLE PLANNING VARIOUS ACTIVITIES TODAY SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER...AND MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR FAVORITE RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS. ...HERE ARE A FEW SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY RULES... FOR YOUR PROTECTION...STAY INDOORS AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...MOVE TO A STURDY SHELTER OR WELL PROTECTED AREA. AVOID CREEK BEDS AND OTHER FLOOD-PRONE AREAS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES. DLB
Local storm report, Aug 15, 12:30 PM MDT, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
1230 PM MDT SUN AUG 15 1999
TIME(MDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1110 AM WEST BILLINGS MT FUNNEL CLOUD
08/15/99 YELLOWSTONE
1115 AM 15N FORSYTH MT 1.50 INCH HAIL
08/15/99 ROSEBUD
1155 AM FT SMITH MT 0.75 INCH HAIL
08/15/99 BIG HORN
1155 AM BIG HORN CANYON NRA MT 0.75 INCH HAIL
8/15/99 BIG HORN
1200 PM WEST HARDIN MT 0.88 INCH HAIL
08/15/99 BIG HORN
1225 PM 16E INGOMAR MT TORNADO
08/15/99 ROSEBUD
MHSLocal storm report, Aug 15, 12:30 PM MDT, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
1230 PM MDT SUN AUG 15 1999
TIME(MDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1110 AM WEST BILLINGS MT FUNNEL CLOUD
08/15/99 YELLOWSTONE
1115 AM 15N FORSYTH MT 1.50 INCH HAIL
08/15/99 ROSEBUD
1155 AM FT SMITH MT 0.75 INCH HAIL
08/15/99 BIG HORN
1155 AM BIG HORN CANYON NRA MT 0.75 INCH HAIL
8/15/99 BIG HORN
1200 PM WEST HARDIN MT 0.88 INCH HAIL
08/15/99 BIG HORN
1225 PM 16E INGOMAR MT TORNADO
08/15/99 ROSEBUD
MHSThe office that day
Everything else NWS Billings, MT issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 14, 9:14 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BYZ | Wheatland | 61 min |
| Aug 14, 10:18 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Musselshell | 62 min |
| Aug 14, 10:34 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BYZ | Musselshell | 36 min |
| Aug 15, 1:49 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Golden Valley, Stillwater | 61 min |
| Aug 15, 2:38 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Musselshell | 62 min |
| Aug 15, 2:44 AM MDT | Tornado Warning | BYZ | Golden Valley | 51 min |
| Aug 15, 2:59 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Stillwater | 66 min |
| Aug 15, 3:18 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Golden Valley | 62 min |
| Aug 15, 3:46 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Musselshell | 59 min |
| Aug 15, 4:50 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Musselshell | 45 min |
| Aug 15, 5:48 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Rosebud | 62 min |
| Aug 15, 6:03 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Big Horn | 47 min |
| Aug 15, 6:30 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Treasure | 30 min |
| Aug 15, 6:48 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Rosebud | 62 min |
| Aug 15, 10:44 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Carbon | 31 min |
| Aug 15, 10:53 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Rosebud | 47 min |
| Aug 15, 11:07 AM MDT | Tornado Warning | BYZ | Yellowstone | 48 min |
| Aug 15, 11:49 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Big Horn | 61 min |
| Aug 15, 12:36 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Custer | 64 min |
| Aug 15, 12:45 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Treasure | 45 min |
| Aug 15, 12:56 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Rosebud | 59 min |
| Aug 15, 1:41 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Custer | 49 min |
| Aug 15, 1:56 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Powder River | 64 min |
| Aug 15, 2:26 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BYZ | Carter | 64 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Montana, 1999Every tornado warning in 1999Tornadoes in 1999
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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.