Alert archive / Montana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 22, NWS Missoula, MT

August 5, 2003Lake County, Missoula County, Montana

NWS Missoula, MT issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 5, 2003, 5:59 PM MDT for Lake County, Missoula County, Montana. It was in force for 61 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 5, 2003, 5:59 PM MDT (23:59 UTC)
Expired
Aug 5, 2003, 7:00 PM MDT
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Missoula, MT
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Lake County, MT, Missoula County, MT

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Spokane, WA (KOTX), launched 12:00Z, 12.0 hours before the alert went out and 173 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, Spokane, WA at 12:00Z on 2003-08-05Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Spokane, WA at 12:00Z on 2003-08-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 39 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
3406 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
39 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
56 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.

565 
WUUS55 KMSO 052359
SVRMSO
MTC047-063-060100-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
559 PM MDT TUE AUG 5 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MISSOULA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MONTANA
  WESTERN MISSOULA COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL MONTANA

* UNTIL 700 PM MDT

* AT 559 PM MDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 12 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF FRENCHTOWN...OR 21 MILES WEST OF MISSOULA...MOVING
  NORTH AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE...
  8 MILES WEST OF FRENCHTOWN AT 620 PM MDT
  8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF RAVALLI AT 700 PM MDT

DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH ARE LIKELY WITH THIS SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM. LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE...ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING
AND HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR PROTECTION...GO INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...MOVE TO A WELL PROTECTED AREA.


LAT...LON 4729 11380 4680 11425 4682 11448 4700 11451
          4706 11459 4723 11452 4707 11418 4735 11421
          4741 11432 4748 11398

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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 5, 2:00 PM MDT, 3 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 5, 2:00 PM MDT, 3 hours 59 minutes before
WESTERN MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
200 PM MDT TUE AUG 5 2003

.SHORT TERM...CONDITIONS STILL LOOK FAVORABLE THIS AFTERNOON FOR
STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. MODEL SOUNDING CAPES STILL
APPROACHING 2000 JOULES/KG IN SOME LOCATIONS. GOOD SHEAR ENVIRONMENT
WILL HELP TO SUPPORT CELLS THAT DEVELOP. THE ATMOSPHERE IS A LITTLE
DRIER IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA AND CENTRAL IDAHO WHICH WOULD MAKE WINDS
MORE OF A THREAT...BUT INTO NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO AND WEST CENTRAL
MONTANA HAIL LOOKS TO BE MORE THE THREAT. SEVERE THREAT SHOULD
DIMINISH BY MIDNIGHT...BUT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOOK TO CONTINUE
THROUGH THE NIGHT AS INSTABILITY REMAINS OVER WESTERN MONTANA AND
PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IDAHO.  WEDNESDAY ALSO LOOKS GOOD FOR
THUNDERSTORMS AS THE PATTERN CHANGES VERY LITTLE. THERE IS SOME MODEL
INCONSISTENCY IN THE PLACEMENT OF THE CONVECTION...BUT OVERALL IT
LOOKS FURTHER TO THE NORTH AND INTO WESTERN MONTANA THAN TODAY. WEAK
WAVES OF ENERGY WILL KEEP SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS GOING THROUGH THE
NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...ESPECIALLY IN NORTHWEST MONTANA. FRIDAY A 70KT
JET NOSES INTO SOUTHWEST MONTANA AND EAST CENTRAL IDAHO FOR A
SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...HOWEVER MOISTURE MAY BE
LIMITED WITH THIS EVENT HINDERING ANY DEVELOPMENT. OVER ALL...THE
FLOW PATTERN CHANGES VERY LITTLE KEEPING TEMPERATURES NEAR TO
SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL WITH A SLIGHT WARMING TREND THROUGH THE PERIOD.
GILCHRIST

.LONG TERM...UPPER LEVEL PATTERN REMAINS FAVORABLE FOR SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE EXTENDED. THERE IS INDICATION THAT THE
RIDGE MAY DOMINATE SOUTHWEST MONTANA LATE THIS WEEKEND AND EARLY
NEXT WEEK...RESULTING IN WARMER TEMPERATURES. THE BIG QUESTION
YESTERDAY WAS THE AVAILABILITY OF MOISTURE...WHICH IS TYPICALLY NOT
MUCH OF A PROBLEM UNDER THIS PATTERN. HOWEVER...IT LOOKS AS IF THERE
WILL BE SUFFICIENT AMOUNTS TO WARRANT SLIGHT CHANCE WORDING EACH DAY.
THE BEST CHANCES ATTM...ARE FRIDAY AND MONDAY WITH GOOD UPPER JET
INFLUENCES. THE THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHWEST MONTANA MAY BE DRY LATE
THIS WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK...BUT WILL HOLD OFF ON THAT MENTION
FOR NOW. STILL SEE AFTERNOON AND EVENING WINDS WITH THE STRONGER FLOW
AND GOOD MIXING.  DICKSON

.MSO...NONE.

...7-DAY SPOT TEMPS AND POPS...
LIB BBB 054/087 054/087 054/087 33433221
     BBBB 053/088 054/090 054/087 056/088 3722222112
FCA BBB 053/084 052/084 052/085 33433221
     BBBB 051/086 052/087 052/084 051/085 3712222222
POL BBB 056/085 055/085 055/085 33433221
     BBBB 054/086 055/087 055/084 054/088 3712222222
MSO BBB 053/086 054/087 053/087 33433221
     BBBB 053/088 054/090 054/087 053/089 3711122222
HMM BBB 052/087 053/088 052/089 33333221
     BBBB 054/090 055/092 055/089 053/089 3711111221
BTM BBB 049/083 049/084 048/085 33344222
     BBBB 048/086 049/089 049/086 048/086 3722211221
ORO BBB 064/088 059/091 059/091 33321111
     BBBB 057/090 058/091 058/088 060/095 3712222112
GRV BBB 056/083 053/085 053/086 33322111
     BBBB 051/086 052/088 052/085 052/089 3712222222
SMN BBB 052/086 050/087 050/088 33322112
     BBBB 052/087 053/089 053/086 052/089 3721111111
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 5, 8:30 AM MDT, 9 hours 29 minutes before
MTZ001>007-043-IDZ005>010-061200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
830 AM MDT TUE AUG 5 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MONTANA AND NORTH
CENTRAL IDAHO

.DAY ONE... TODAY

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS OF NORTH-
CENTRAL IDAHO AND WEST-CENTRAL MONTANA TODAY AND THIS EVENING. AS THE
AIR MASS DESTABILIZES...MOISTURE MOVING NORTH OUT OF OREGON WILL
PROVIDE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPMENT...SOME
POTENTIALLY STRONG WITH HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

WEDNESDAY THE POTENTIAL AGAIN EXISTS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AS
THE NORTHERN ROCKIES REMAINS IN A MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 5, 5:38 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOPowell22 min
Aug 5, 5:48 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOMissoula42 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Montana, 2003Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003

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.