Alert archive / Montana / Tornado Warnings in 2007

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Missoula, MT

July 18, 2007Flathead County, Lake County, Montana

NWS Missoula, MT issued this tornado warning at Jul 18, 2007, 8:38 PM MDT for Flathead County, Lake County, Montana. It was in force for 52 min. 1 report 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, 8:38 PM MDT (02:38 UTC)
Expired
Jul 18, 2007, 9:30 PM MDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Missoula, MT
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Flathead County, MT, Lake County, MT

The radar

The Missoula radar (KMSX), 111 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:42 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 18, 9:00 PM MDTTSTM WND DMGBigfork, MT6-8 INCH TREES BLOWN DOWN.

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, 2.6 hours before the alert went out and 191 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 190240
TORMSO
MTC029-047-190330-
/O.NEW.KMSO.TO.W.0005.070719T0238Z-070719T0330Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MISSOULA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL FLATHEAD COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MONTANA...
  NORTHEASTERN LAKE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MONTANA...

* UNTIL 930 PM MDT.

* AT 830 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM   
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 10 MILES 
WEST OF SWAN LAKE...OR ABOUT 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF POLSON...AND WAS 
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS WILL BE NEAR...
  SWAN LAKE AROUND 850 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 4799 11415 4783 11385 4805 11351 4831 11379

$$
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS55 KMSO 190257
SVSMSO

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

MTC029-047-190330-
/O.CON.KMSO.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-070719T0330Z/
LAKE MT-FLATHEAD MT-
857 PM MDT WED JUL 18 2007

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM MDT FOR CENTRAL
FLATHEAD AND NORTHEASTERN LAKE COUNTIES...

* AT 854 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A TORNADO. 
  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 9 MILES NORTH OF SWAN LAKE...OR ABOUT 22
  MILES SOUTHEAST OF EVERGREEN...AND WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  RURAL CENTRAL FLATHEAD COUNTY AROUND 910 PM MDT.

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 4799 11415 4783 11385 4805 11351 4831 11379

$$
000 
WWUS55 KMSO 190322
SVSMSO

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

MTC029-047-190331-
/O.EXP.KMSO.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-070719T0330Z/
LAKE MT-FLATHEAD MT-
921 PM MDT WED JUL 18 2007

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL FLATHEAD AND NORTHEASTERN LAKE
COUNTIES EXPIRES AT 930 PM MDT...

DOPPLER RADAR NO LONGER DETECTS TORNADIC ACTIVITY. THUS THE TORNADO 
WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 930 PM MDT. 

LAT...LON 4799 11415 4783 11385 4805 11351 4831 11379

$$

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, 7:59 PM MDTTornado WarningMSOLake46 min
Jul 18, 8:24 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOFlathead51 min
Jul 18, 8:29 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMSOLincoln46 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.