Alert archive / Montana / Tornado Warnings in 2007

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Missoula, MT

July 18, 2007Lake County, Montana

NWS Missoula, MT issued this tornado warning at Jul 18, 2007, 7:59 PM MDT for Lake County, Montana. It was in force for 46 min. 9 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 18, 2007, 7:59 PM MDT (01:59 UTC)
Expired
Jul 18, 2007, 8:45 PM MDT
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Missoula, MT
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Lake County, MT

The radar

The Missoula radar (KMSX), 75 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:01 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 18, 8:00 PM MDTTSTM WND DMG2 Sw Polson, MTNWS STORM SURVEY TEAM FOUND FLAG POLE BENT OVER. MEDIUM SIZED TREES AND BRANCHES OBSERVED DOWN. ESTIMATED 80 TO 90 MPH WINDS.
Jul 18, 8:01 PM MDTHAIL 1Polson, MTUNSPECIFIED WIND DAMAGE AS WELL.
Jul 18, 8:05 PM MDTTSTM WND DMG2 N Polson, MTLARGE TREES AND LIMBS BLOWN DOWN ON ROCKY POINT ROAD...POSSIBLY TORNADO DAMAGE. ALSO PENNY SIZE HAIL COVERING THE GROUND 4 INCHES DEEP.
Jul 18, 8:05 PM MDTTORNADO6 S Polson, MTMANY TREES DOWN. ON TREE FELL THROUGH A HOME ROOF.
Jul 18, 8:06 PM MDTTSTM WND DMG2 W Polson, MT16 INCH TREE DIAMETER SNAPPED, 3/4 INCH HAIL AS WELL.
Jul 18, 8:06 PM MDTNON-TSTM WND DMG2 W Polson, MT16 INCH TREE DIAMETER SNAPPED, 3/4 INCH HAIL AS WELL.
Jul 18, 8:07 PM MDTTORNADO5 N Polson, MTPUBLIC NOTIFIED EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF AN OBSERVED WATERSPOUT OVER FLATHEAD LAKE.
Jul 18, 8:15 PM MDTFUNNEL CLOUDPolson, MTOVER FLATHEAD LAKE.
Jul 18, 8:55 PM MDTHAIL 14 W Pablo, MT

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 18, 7:18 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Spokane, WA (KOTX), launched 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 167 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 00:00Z on 2007-07-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 114 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 2007-07-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 51 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
114 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-269 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1909 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
51 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
130 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.

000 
WFUS55 KMSO 190200
TORMSO
MTC047-190245-
/O.NEW.KMSO.TO.W.0004.070719T0159Z-070719T0245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
759 PM MDT WED JUL 18 2007

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MISSOULA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  LAKE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MONTANA...

* UNTIL 845 PM MDT.

* AT 800 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR
  POLSON...AND WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS WILL BE NEAR...
  POLSON AROUND 810 PM MDT.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW
SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
STURDY SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST
DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 4763 11444 4750 11426 4781 11374 4797 11397

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS55 KMSO 190220
SVSMSO

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
816 PM MDT WED JUL 18 2007

MTC047-190245-
/O.CON.KMSO.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-070719T0245Z/
LAKE MT-
816 PM MDT WED JUL 18 2007

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM MDT FOR NORTHERN
LAKE COUNTY...

* AT 810 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A TORNADO. 
  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR FINLEY POINT...OR ABOUT 6 MILES
  NORTHEAST OF POLSON...AND WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  RURAL NORTHEASTERN LAKE COUNTY AROUND 830 PM MDT.

*PUBLIC REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD OVER FLATHEAD LAKE NEAR POLSON.

*ADDITIONALLY WINDS TO 60 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED WHICH HAVE BLOWN 
LARGE TREES OVER IN POLSON AREA.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 4763 11444 4750 11426 4781 11374 4797 11397

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 18, 6:19 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOMineral, Sanders56 min
Jul 18, 7:28 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOSanders9 min
Jul 18, 7:32 PM MDTTornado WarningMSOLake, Sanders28 min
Jul 18, 8:24 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOFlathead51 min
Jul 18, 8:29 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOLincoln46 min
Jul 18, 8:38 PM MDTTornado WarningMSOFlathead, Lake52 min
Jul 18, 9:08 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOFlathead67 min
Jul 18, 9:10 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOLincoln50 min
Jul 18, 9:23 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningMSOFlathead, Lincoln3 hr
Jul 18, 9:37 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOSanders38 min
Jul 18, 10:07 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOFlathead38 min
Jul 18, 11:18 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOLincoln42 min
Jul 19, 12:16 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOLincoln29 min
Jul 19, 1:43 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOLincoln32 min
Jul 19, 4:28 AM MDTRed Flag WarningMSOBeaverhead, Deer Lodge, Granite, Jefferson, Madison, Powell and 1 more16 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Montana, 2007Every tornado warning in 2007Tornadoes in 2007

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.