Alert archive / Montana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 14, NWS Great Falls, MT
NWS Great Falls, MT issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 25, 2003, 6:41 PM MDT for Chouteau County, Pondera County, Teton County, Montana. It was in force for 59 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
- May 25, 2003, 6:41 PM MDT (00:41 UTC)
- Expired
- May 25, 2003, 7:40 PM MDT
- In force
- 59 min
- Issued by
- NWS Great Falls, MT
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
Counties Chouteau County, MT, Pondera County, MT, Teton County, MT
The radar
The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:42 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.
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 watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25, 3:00 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 5 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Great_falls, MT (KTFX), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 87 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
- 261 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -66 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2568 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -14 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 31 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- -0.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WUUS55 KTFX 260041
SVRTFX
MTC015-073-099-260140-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
640 PM MDT SUN MAY 25 2003
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREAT FALLS HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
WEST CENTRAL CHOUTEAU COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA
SOUTHEASTERN PONDERA COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA
EAST CENTRAL TETON COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA
* UNTIL 740 PM MDT
* AT 637 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CONRAD
TO 16 MILES NORTH OF GREAT FALLS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
THE KNEES AT 730 PM MDT
LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. IF YOU ARE IN
THE PATH OF THE STORM...PUT YOUR CAR IN A GARAGE AND MOVE TO A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER.
REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY
WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST
OFFICE IN GREAT FALLS.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM MDT SUNDAY
EVENING FOR WESTERN MONTANA.
LAT...LON 4822 11143 4813 11143 4813 11109 4786 11085
4771 11121 4771 11151 4814 11189 4822 11170What 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 Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 25, 2:15 PM MDT, 4 hours 26 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 25, 2:15 PM MDT, 4 hours 26 minutes before
SOUTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
215 PM MDT SUN MAY 25 2003
.SHORT TERM...SW FLOW ALOFT WILL DOMINATE TONIGHT THROUGH MON NIGHT
AS A SERIES OF SHORTWAVES MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. TUE FLOW ALOFT WILL
VEER TO NWLY ON TUE AS AN UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER WRN MT AND ID. THIS
RIDGE THEN MOVES OVER THE FORECAST AREA TUE NIGHT AND SHIFTS E OF
AREA ON WED WITH AREA RETURNING TO SW FLOW ALOFT. MAIN FOCUS DURING
THE PERIOD IS TONIGHT. AIRMASS IS BECOMING MODERATELY UNSTABLE AND
LOOKS LIKE SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON
AND EARLY EVENING. TSTMS ALREADY FIRING OVER SW MT. PER MORNING
DISCUSSION WILL ADD A THREAT OF STRONGER STORMS INTO THIS EVENING.
EVEN AS EARLY AS LATE THIS EVENING ETA/GFS DIFFER ON SHORTWAVE
ACTIVITY. GFS BRINGS A WAVE THROUGH AFTER MIDNIGHT WHILE ETA HOLDS
OFF UNTIL MEMORIAL DAY MORNING. DUE TO MODEL DIFFERENCES HAVE BACKED
OFF ON INHERITED LIKELY POPS FOR CERTAIN AREAS FOR TONIGHT. MON/MON
EVENING STILL LOOKING UNSETTLED WITH AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS AND MORE
SHORTWAVE ACTIVITY. WILL CONTINUE WITH MAINLY SCATTERED POPS. AIRMASS
DOES NOT LOOK AS UNSTABLE MEMORIAL DAY AFTERNOON AS SUN AFTERNOON SO
AM NOT EXPECTING ANY SEVERE TSTMS. AIRMASS SHOULD BE STABLE AND DRIER
ON TUE SO WILL CONTINUE WITH ZERO POPS. WED GFS HAS AN UNSTABLE
AIRMASS DURING THE AFTERNOON BUT APPEARS TRIGGER TEMPERATURES ARE
HIGHER THAN FORECASTED HIGH TEMPERATURES. A LITTLE RELUCTANT TO
INTRODUCE ISOLATED TSTMS AT THIS POINT BUT LATER SHIFTS WILL WANT TO
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. BLANK
EXTENDED...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...COLD FRONT TO BE MOVING
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA.WEDNESDAY NIGHT. WILL ADD A SLIGHT CHANCE
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE FORECAST FOR THIS. AN UPPER
LEVEL LOW WILL MOVE OVER SOUTHERN ALBERTA THURSDAY CREATING A STRONG
WESTERLY FLOW OVER THE STATE. WILL DROP THE MENTION OF PRECIPITATION
AND ADD WINDY FOR THE NORTHERN ZONES THURSDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE
DOWNSLOPE CONDITIONS. A DIRTY WESTERLY FLOW WILL THEN BE THE MAIN
FEATURE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. EXPECTING ONLY A FEW MOUNTAIN SHOWERS
AND TEMPERATURES NEAR NORMAL TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE WITH THIS PATTERN.
MEIER
.CCF NUMBERS
GTF EB 054/077 050/078 047 04443
BBBBB 087/048 071/045 071/045 075/045 071 00120000000
CTB EB 051/073 047/074 046 04332
BNBBB 084/049 066/044 064/044 068/045 068 00120000000
HLN TB 056/078 050/080 048 04653
BBBBB 090/051 073/046 071/046 075/046 074 00120022222
BZN EB 048/078 046/080 044 04433
BBBBB 086/049 075/045 074/045 078/044 070 00120022222
WEY EB 040/072 038/072 036 04333
UBBBB 080/039 072/038 065/038 069/038 063 00120022222
DLN EB 050/076 045/079 045 04422
UBBBB 087/047 074/045 074/045 078/043 069 00120022222
HVR EB 056/080 052/080 048 04433
BBBBB 086/053 072/049 074/049 078/049 074 00120000000
LWT EB 052/078 049/077 046 04534
BBBBB 084/052 070/045 072/045 076/046 067 00120000000
.TFX...SMALL STREAM AND CREEK FLOOD ADVISORY FOR MOST OF NORTH
CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA THROUGH MEMORIAL DAY.Hazardous weather outlook, May 25, 10:00 AM MDT, 8 hours 41 minutes before
MTZ008>015-044>055-260010- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 1000 AM MDT SUN MAY 25 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA .DAY ONE...TODAY ...A SMALL STREAM AND CREEK FLOOD ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MEMORIAL DAY FOR MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA... FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BEAVERHEAD -NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT -EASTERN GLACIER-CASCADE-SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-MADISON-LIBERTY -SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS-MEAGHER -BROADWATER-JEFFERSON-GALLATIN A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BEAVERHEAD -CASCADE-SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-MADISON-LIBERTY -EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS-MEAGHER -BROADWATER-JEFFERSON-GALLATIN-HILL-BLAINE-CHOUTEAU .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 25, 4:35 PM MDT, 2 hours 6 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
435 PM MDT SUN MAY 25 2003
TIME(MDT) .....EVENT LOCATION..... ST ...EVENT/REMARKS...........
.....COUNTY LOCATION.....
0250 PM 5 W BYNUM MT 0.50 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 TETON
0315 PM 15 W FAIRFIELD MT 0.50 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 TETON
0325 PM RIMINI MT 0.25 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 LEWIS AND CLARK
0400 PM AGAWAM MT 0.50 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 TETON 3/4 INCH RAIN ESTIMATED
0410 PM 10 E PENDROY MT 1 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 TETON
NNNNLocal storm report, May 25, 5:19 PM MDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
519 PM MDT SUN MAY 25 2003
TIME(MDT) .....EVENT LOCATION..... ST ...EVENT/REMARKS...........
.....COUNTY LOCATION.....
0250 PM 5 W BYNUM MT 0.50 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 TETON
0315 PM 15 W FAIRFIELD MT 0.50 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 TETON
0325 PM RIMINI MT 0.25 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 LEWIS AND CLARK
0400 PM AGAWAM MT 0.50 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 TETON 3/4 INCH RAIN ESTIMATED
0410 PM 10 E PENDROY MT 1 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 TETON
0425 PM 4 S CONRAD MT 1 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 PONDERA
0440 PM 3 N DILLON MT RAIN
05/25/03 BEAVERHEAD 0.16 INCH RAIN IN LAST 20
MINUTES
0510 PM 11 E CONRAD MT 0.88 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 PONDERA
NNNNLocal storm report, May 25, 6:39 PM MDT, 2 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
639 PM MDT SUN MAY 25 2003
TIME(MDT) .....EVENT LOCATION..... ST ...EVENT/REMARKS...........
.....COUNTY LOCATION.....
0250 PM 5 W BYNUM MT 0.50 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 TETON
0315 PM 15 W FAIRFIELD MT 0.50 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 TETON
0325 PM RIMINI MT 0.25 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 LEWIS AND CLARK
0400 PM AGAWAM MT 0.50 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 TETON 3/4 INCH RAIN ESTIMATED
0410 PM 10 E PENDROY MT 1 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 TETON
0425 PM 4 S CONRAD MT 1 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 PONDERA
0440 PM 3 N DILLON MT RAIN
05/25/03 BEAVERHEAD 0.16 INCH RAIN IN LAST 20
MINUTES
0455 PM 7 S EDEN MT 1 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 CASCADE
0510 PM 11 E CONRAD MT 0.88 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 PONDERA
0510 PM 20 SE SHELBY MT 1 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 TOOLE
0550 PM 6 S EDEN MT 0.50 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 CASCADE
0615 PM RAYNESFORD MT 0.25 INCH HAIL
05/25/03 JUDITH BASIN 0.71 INCH RAIN IN 1 HOUR
0615 PM RAYNESFORD MT RAIN
05/25/03 JUDITH BASIN
NNNNThe office that day
Everything else NWS Great Falls, MT issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25, 6:16 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TFX | Chouteau | 44 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.