Alert archive / Montana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 1, NWS Great Falls, MT

March 24, 2004Cascade County, Chouteau County, Montana

NWS Great Falls, MT issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 24, 2004, 4:04 PM MST for Cascade County, Chouteau County, Montana. It was in force for 71 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
Mar 24, 2004, 4:04 PM MST (23:04 UTC)
Expired
Mar 24, 2004, 5:15 PM MST
In force
71 min
Issued by
NWS Great Falls, MT
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Cascade County, MT, Chouteau County, MT

The radar

The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 34 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:08 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 nearest sounding before it

Great_falls, MT (KTFX), launched 12:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 37 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, Great_falls, MT at 12:00Z on 2004-03-24Temperature 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 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Great_falls, MT at 12:00Z on 2004-03-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 58 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
2436 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
58 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
96 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.

617 
WUUS55 KTFX 242304
SVRTFX
MTC013-015-250015-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
401 PM MST WED MAR 24 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREAT FALLS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN CASCADE COUNTY IN CENTRAL MONTANA
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF GREAT FALLS
  WESTERN CHOUTEAU COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF FORT BENTON

* UNTIL 515 PM MST

* AT 358 PM MST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER GREAT FALLS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  9 MILES WEST OF FORT BENTON AT 515 PM MST

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BLACK EAGLE AND HIGHWOOD

STRONG AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKELY FROM THIS STORM...BUT THERE WILL
BE LITTLE RAIN AND LITTLE LIGHTNING. TAKE COVER IN A STURDY 
STRUCTURE UNTIL THE STORM PASSES. DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKELY WITH 
THIS STORM.

WIND GUSTS OVER 60 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN GREAT FALLS.

REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY
WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST
OFFICE IN GREAT FALLS.

LAT...LON 4763 11149 4739 11129 4748 11020 4807 11060

$$

BRUSDA

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 Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Mar 24, 2:00 PM MST, 2 hours 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 24, 2:00 PM MST, 2 hours 4 minutes before
SOUTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MONTANA
200 PM MST WED MAR 24 2004

.DISCUSSION...

TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL DOMINATE DURING
THE PERIOD WITH A SERIES OF WEAK SHORTWAVES EMBEDDED IN THIS FLOW.
ETA/GFS ARE NOT IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH DETAILS OF THESE SHORTWAVES.
ONE SHORTWAVE WILL ZIP THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING.
EXPECT ISOLATED/SCATTERED SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY OVER THE
CENTRAL ZONES. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE AREA
ON THURSDAY BUT MODELS FORECAST A MORE STABLE AIRMASS. STILL ETA/GFS
GIVE A LITTLE QPF TO THE CENTRAL ZONES. INHERITED ZERO POPS BUT WITH
QPF FORECASTS AM LEERY OF CONTINUING THEM. WILL GO WITH LOW POPS BUT
NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO WARRANT MENTIONING PRECIPITATION IN THE FORECAST.
MAIN SHORTWAVE WHICH IS WHATS LEFT FROM THE UPPER TROUGH IN THE
EASTERN PACIFIC MOVES INTO FAR WRN MT LATER FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA
DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS. WITH COLD FRONTAL
PASSAGE AND WEAKLY UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL GO WITH MAINLY SLIGHT
CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS. BLANK

FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...THE TROUGH OVER THE REGION
FRIDAY NIGHT DEPARTS ON SATURDAY NIGHT WHEN A RIDGE DEVELOPS OVER
THE WEST. ANY PRECIP CHANCES ARE LOW FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AND
SATURDAY...THEN DRYING OCCURS SATURDAY NIGHT. SUNDAY FIGURES TO BE
WARM AND MOSTLY SUNNY WITH THE RIDGE OVER THE AREA. POMEROY

MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WILL GO WITH THE ECMWF MODEL WITH THE
IDEAL OF A STRONG WARM UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE REGION. BOTH THE
GFS AND THE ECMWF SHOW A STRONG UPPER RIDGE...HOWEVER...GFS HAS CUT-
OFF UPPER LOW OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST TO MOVE NORTHEAST TOWARD
SOUTHEAST MONTANA. FOR NOW...WE WILL DISCARD THE CUT-OFF LOW AND GO
WITH MUCH ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURES WITH VERY LITTLE OF NO
PRECIPITATION. WILLIAMSON DC

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GTF BB 035/062 038/057 032 04201
    EBUUB 052/033 059/034 068/034 070/037 065 23200000000
CTB BB 034/058 033/053 029 04-01
    EBUUB 051/029 058/031 064/033 065/031 059 13200000000
HLN EE 035/063 038/059 031 04212
    EUBUB 059/025 060/028 069/034 070/035 066 32200000000
BZN BE 031/062 033/059 030 041-1
    EUBUB 053/025 056/025 062/031 070/029 066 22200000000
WEY BB 022/052 023/047 022 04112
    EUBUB 045/022 049/014 050/013 057/019 059 344000--000
DLN BE 032/059 036/055 029 04111
    EUBUB 050/026 055/026 066/030 068/034 062 232000000-0
HVR BE 034/060 036/060 033 0420-
    EBUUB 058/031 064/032 069/032 068/038 066 12200000000
LWT BB 033/058 036/062 032 042--
    EUBUB 051/028 058/029 064/030 068/033 063 22200000000

&&

.TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 24, 5:10 AM MST, 10 hours 54 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
510 AM MST WED MAR 24 2004

MTZ008>015-044>055-251210-
BEAVERHEAD-NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-GLACIER-HILL-CASCADE-
CHOUTEAU-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-MADISON-TOOLE-
LIBERTY-EASTERN PONDERA-BLAINE-SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-
EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS-JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-MEAGHER-
GALLATIN-
510 AM MST WED MAR 24 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
MONTANA

.DAY ONE...TODAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

NO WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES CURRENTLY IN EFFECT

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

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.

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Montana, 2004Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2004

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.