Alert archive / Montana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2000

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 76, NWS Billings, MT

July 10, 2000Big Horn County, Yellowstone County, Montana

NWS Billings, MT issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 10, 2000, 4:26 PM MDT for Big Horn County, Yellowstone County, Montana. It was in force for 64 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: Jul 10, 2000, 4:26 PM MDT (22:26 UTC)
Expired: Jul 10, 2000, 5:30 PM MDT
In force: 64 min
Issued by: NWS Billings, MT
Area: Whole counties

Counties Big Horn County, MT, Yellowstone County, MT

The radar

The Billings radar (KBLX), 59 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:20 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
Jul 10, 1:00 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Great_falls, MT (KTFX), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 287 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 256 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -92 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1535 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -9 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 16 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: -0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

678 
WUUS55 KBYZ 102226
SVRBIL
MTC003-111-102330-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
426 PM MDT MON JUL 10 2000

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BILLINGS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN BIG HORN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA
  CENTRAL YELLOWSTONE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA

* UNTIL 530 PM MDT

* AT 426 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS 27 MILES
  SOUTH OF HUNTLEY...OR ABOUT 23 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BILLINGS...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
   HUNTLEY BY 455 PM MDT.
   SHEPHERD BY 500 PM MDT.
   BALLANTINE...WORDEN BY 510 PM MDT.
   POMPEYS PILLAR BY 525 PM MDT.

$$

LAT...LON 4548 10847 4534 10821 4592 10753 4608 10836

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 10, 1:55 PM MDT, 2 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 10, 1:55 PM MDT, 2 hours 31 minutes before

SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MONTANA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
155 PM MDT MON JUL 10 2000

.TUE AND WED...
THINGS COMING TOGETHER FOR ANOTHER ACTIVE NIGHT ACROSS THE FORECAST
AREA. LAPS CAPES RUNNING FROM 1000 JKG OVER THE WEST TO 3500 JKG OVER
THE EAST. LI'S BELOW -4 OVER ALL OF SOUTHERN MONTANA. EASTERLY UPSLOPE
FLOW CONTINUES ACROSS SOUTHEAST MONTANA ENDING NEAR LVM. SHORTWAVE
EJECTING OUT INTO IDAHO ALREADY SETTING OFF CONVECTION. LEFT QUAD OF
EXIT REGION OF JET WORKING INTO THE AREA TO FEED OFF DEEP MOISTURE.
STRONG STRAIGHT LINE SHEAR OVER SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA AID IN ORGANIZED
CONVECTION. WATCH BOX ALREADY OUT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA...AND MAY
NEED ONE FOR SOUTHEAST MONTANA...AS DIRECTIONAL SHEAR ENVIRONMENT
BETTER. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES HIGH...SO HEAVY RAIN LIKELY WITH
THUNDERSTORMS. WILL NEED TO WATCH FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING TONIGHT...
ESPECIALLY IN NORTHERN AREAS. WILL HOLD OFF ON A FLASH FLOOD WATCH AS
RAIN FROM LAST NIGHT WAS NOT WIDESPREAD.

FLOW GOES ZONAL TUESDAY...WITH SHORTWAVE ENERGY SWINGING ACROSS
NORTHERN MONTANA AS RIDGING BUILDS IN. SOME MONSOONAL MOISTURE GETS
ENTRAINED ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE RIDGE AND MOVES NORTH TOWARD
SOUTHWEST MONTANA. WILL KEEP ISOLATED POPS IN FOR SOUTH CENTRAL
MONTANA AS MONSOONAL FLOW COULD BE ENOUGH TO SPARK CONVECTION AND SHIFT
ACTIVITY EAST. THE SOUTHEAST SHOULD BE DRY. TEMPERATURES WILL
GRADUALLY WARM INTO MID WEEK. HUMPHREY

.THU...FRI...AND SAT...
ALL MODELS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT WITH MAINLY WESTERLY FLOW OVER THE AREA
ON THURSDAY AS U/L RIDGE BUILDS INTO MONTANA. BOTH THE AVN AND MRF
BRING SHORTWAVE ENERGY THROUGH THE FLOW SO CURRENT FORECAST FOR CHANCE
OF THUNDER LOOKS GOOD. BOTH THE MRF AND ECMWF DROP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH
INTO PACIFIC NORTHWEST AREA THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. THIS WILL TURN OUR
FLOW TOWARDS THE SOUTHWEST ONCE AGAIN...SO WILL CONTINUE CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH SATURDAY...EVEN THOUGH MID LEVELS MAY BE CAPPED
OVER THE CWA. AS FOR TEMPERATURES...MRF BUILDS IN 700MB TEMPERATURES IN
THE 14 TO 18 DEGREE RANGE FOR ALL THREE DAYS. SINCE MRF USUALLY TENDS TO
EXAGGERATE THE SITUATION..WILL COOL MRF 700MB TEMPERATURES A COUPLE OF
DEGREES TO EXTRACT TEMPERATURES...WHICH STILL TRANSLATES INTO HIGHS IN
THE 90S TO AROUND 100 DEGREES. ZELTWANGER/THORICHT

BIL UBTBB 059/088 061/091 062/094 062/094 060/093 554222 58
LVM BBTBB 055/086 057/089 057/091 057/091 056/090 554222 58
HDN UBTBB 058/090 060/092 061/095 060/095 059/094 554222 58
MLS UUTBB 062/089 064/092 065/098 064/099 062/096 554000 58
4BQ UUTBB 061/088 063/091 063/097 061/098 061/095 554000 58
BHK UUTBB 059/087 061/090 062/095 060/096 060/093 554000 58
SHR UBTBB 055/087 057/090 057/095 057/095 057/094 553000 58

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 10, 1:15 PM MDT, 3 hours 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED HARDIN REPORTS REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
1040 PM MDT SUN JUL 9 2000

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0342 PM    6 E LAVINA                MT   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   GOLDEN VALLEY

0350 PM    6 W ROUNDUP               MT   .75 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   MUSSELSHELL

0355 PM    1 W ROUNDUP               MT   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   MUSSELSHELL

0356 PM    ROUNDUP                   MT   1.75 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   MUSSELSHELL

0428 PM    5 S BIG TIMBER            MT   .75 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   SWEET GRASS

0445 PM    MELSTONE                  MT   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   ROSEBUD

0515 PM    ANGELA                    MT   2.75 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   ROSEBUD

0540 PM    6 SW MOLT                 MT   .75 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   STILLWATER

0540 PM    INGOMAR                   MT   2.00 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   ROSEBUD

0559 PM    10 SW BILLINGS            MT   60 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
07/09/00   YELLOWSTONE

0600 PM    3 S ROCK SPRINGS          MT   2.75 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   ROSEBUD

0604 PM    2 W BILLINGS              MT   .75 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   YELLOWSTONE

0609 PM    2 NE BILLINGS             MT   .75 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   YELLOWSTONE

0610 PM    3 NE BILLINGS             MT   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   YELLOWSTONE

0622 PM    10 E BILLINGS             MT   .75 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   YELLOWSTONE

0625 PM    ROCK SPRINGS              MT   87 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
07/09/00   ROSEBUD                        1 3/4 INCH HAIL ALSO

0628 PM    ROCK SPRINGS              MT   75 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
07/09/00   ROSEBUD                        WIND DESTROYED BARN

0628 PM    3 W BILLINGS              MT   60 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
07/09/00   YELLOWSTONE

0648 PM    POMPEYS PILLAR            MT   .75 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   YELLOWSTONE

0650 PM    20 NE MILES CITY          MT   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   CUSTER

0700 PM    22 NE MILES CITY          MT   2.00 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   CUSTER                         CROP AND WINDOW DAMAGE
                                          FOOT OF WATER OVER FRONTAGE
                                          ROAD ALONG INTERSTATE 94

0710 PM    8 N HARDIN                MT   58 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
07/09/00   BIG HORN

0715 PM    KINSEY                    MT   2.75 INCH HAIL
07/09/00   CUSTER

0720 PM    8 N HARDIN                MT   58 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
07/09/00   BIG HORN                       TREE LIMBS DOWN

0725 PM    13 E MILES CITY           MT   1.00 INCH HAIL 07/09/00
CUSTER

RASCH/MIDDENDORF

The office that day

Everything else NWS Billings, MT issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 9, 6:15 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BYZ	Big Horn, Treasure, Yellowstone	60 min
Jul 9, 6:30 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BYZ	Custer	60 min
Jul 9, 7:14 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BYZ	Big Horn, Treasure	61 min
Jul 9, 7:30 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BYZ	Carter, Custer, Fallon	65 min
Jul 10, 5:11 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BYZ	Big Horn	64 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Montana, 2000 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2000

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.