Alert archive / Montana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 21, NWS Great Falls, MT

July 4, 2009Chouteau County, Montana

NWS Great Falls, MT issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 4, 2009, 5:29 PM MDT for Chouteau County, Montana. It was in force for 5 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 4, 2009, 5:29 PM MDT (23:29 UTC)
Expired
Jul 4, 2009, 5:34 PM MDT
In force
5 min
Issued by
NWS Great Falls, MT
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Chouteau County, MT

The radar

The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 85 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:31 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 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 Jul 4, 3:47 PM MDT, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 4, 3:47 PM MDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
347 PM MDT SAT JUL 4 2009

.DISCUSSION...
TODAY THROUGH MONDAY EVENING...LOCAL ENVIRONMENT
BEGINNING TO DESTABILIZE OVER A WIDE AREA AS EVIDENCED BY NEW
DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERAL MODERATE TO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE
CENTRAL PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA. ALTHOUGH HILINE AREA HAS
BEEN MOSTLY CLEAR AND DRY THIS AFTN...SHOULD BEGIN TO SEE STORMS
DEVELOP THERE SHORTLY AS LEADING EDGE OF PACIFIC MOISTURE HAS
CROSSED OVER THE DIVIDE IN GLACIER COUNTY AND IS HEADED EAST ALONG
US/CAN BORDER. HALF- TO ONE-INCH DIAMETER HAIL AND 50-60 MPH WIND
GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY OF THESE STORMS.

MODELS MAINTAINED CONSISTENCY ON BRIEF STRENGTHENING THE UPPER RIDGE
OVER THE NRN ROCKIES TOMORROW. THIS WILL TURN UPPER LEVEL FLOW A BIT
MORE WESTERLY RESULTING IN TEMPS REACHING 8 TO 10 DEG ABOVE NORMAL
TOMORROW AFTN.  MODELS ALSO BRING ONE MORE PLUME OF PAC MOISTURE
ACROSS THE TOP OF THE RIDGE...SO HAVE CONTINUED MENTION OF
THUNDERSTORMS FOR SUN AFTN/EVE.  RIDGE THEN WEAKENS AND MOVES INTO
ERN MT ON MON IN RESPONSE TO UPPER LEVEL TROF COMING ASHORE IN
BC/WA.  TROF WILL PUSH NEW PLUME OF PAC MOISTURE OVER WESTERN HALF OF
MT SO ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH COULD BE
STRONG...LOOKS LIKELY FOR MON AFTN/EVE.  TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN
ABOVE NORMAL ON MON.  WARANAUSKAS

MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...THE ECMWF AND GFS MODELS ARE
NOT IN AS GOOD AGREEMENT TONIGHT AS THEY WERE LAST NIGHT. THE MAIN
DIFFERENCE DURING THIS FORECAST PERIOD IS HOW THEY HANDLE AN UPPER
TROUGH OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST LATE MONDAY NIGHT. THE ECMWF
IS MUCH FASTER THAN THE GFS IN MOVING THIS FEATURE THROUGH THE
FORECAST AREA. THE ECMWF HAS IT MOVING THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY WHILE
THE GFS MOVES IT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. DESPITE THIS DIFFERENCE THE
ECMWF AND GFS AGREE ON THE TREND OF INCREASING THE CHANCES OF
PRECIPITATION FROM TUESDAY TO WEDNESDAY. OF COURSE WITH THE ECMWF
THIS TREND IS DUE TO THE UPPER TROUGH MOVING INTO THE AREA. WITH THE
GFS THERE IS A WEAK DISTURBANCE ALOFT THAT TRIGGERS SOME
THUNDERSTORMS ON WEDNESDAY. THIS IDEA REVERSES ON THURSDAY AS THE
GFS HAS THE UPPER TROUGH APPROACHING THE AREA WHICH RESULTS IN SOME
THUNDERSTORMS. THE ECMWF ON THE OTHER HAND HAS A WEAK WEATHER
DISTURBANCE ALOFT THAT TRIGGERS SOME THUNDERSTORMS. THE INHERITED
CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION FORECASTS HANDLE THESE TRENDS WELL SO MADE
ONLY A FEW MINOR CHANGES. ALSO THE INHERITED IDEA OF HAVING COOLER
TEMPERATURES ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY RELATIVE TO TUESDAY LOOKS
GOOD BUT DID LOWER HIGHS FOR THURSDAY OVER THE PLAINS SOME. BLANK

FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY....MODELS ARE NOT IN REAL GOOD AGREEMENT
DURING THIS PERIOD. GFS BRINGS A WEAKENING TROUGH OVER A RIDGE
CENTERED OVER THE SOUTHWEST U.S. WHILE THE ECMWF HAS THIS RIDGE
BUILDING OVER WESTERN MONTANA. CONTINUITY FAVORS THE ECMWF WHICH WAS
USED AS THE BASIS OF THIS FORECAST. PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES ARE EXPECTED
FOR MOST LOCATIONS. OVER AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS SUFFICIENT MOISTURE
AND INSTABILITY RESULT IN MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS
AND A FEW MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS. SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MORE NUMEROUS OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS.
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO CLIMB TO NEAR SEASONAL AVERAGES.  EK
&&

.AVIATION...
UPDATED 1805Z.
VFR CONDITIONS WILL GENERALLY PREVAIL ACROSS SOUTHWEST...CENTRAL...
AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THROUGH 21Z
ACROSS THE AREA. STORMS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED ALONG A
KDLN-TO-KLWT...WHICH WILL AFFECT THE KBZN KHLN KLWT TERMINALS. THE
BEST CHANCE FOR BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL WITH OCCASIONAL MVFR CONDITIONS
WILL BE FROM KBZN NORTHEAST TO KLWT...WITH STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND
HAIL POSSIBLE WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. SIMILAR THUNDERSTORMS WILL
ALSO DEVELOP ALONG AND EAST OF A BOUNDARY FROM KCTB TO KLWT
(INCLUDING KHVR) AFTER 20Z...BUT THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE FOR
POTENTIALLY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS THERE. KGTF AND KHLN
WILL LIKELY HAVE WEAKER STORMS. STORMS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH FROM
WEST TO EAST THROUGH 06Z...BUT A CHANCE OF SHOWERS WILL PERSIST
OVERNIGHT NEAR KHVR.  COULSTON

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GTF  56  86  59  84 /  20  20  20  20
CTB  51  80  53  79 /  20  20  20  30
HLN  57  89  59  89 /  20  20  20  20
BZN  52  89  54  90 /  30  20  20  20
WEY  40  74  43  77 /  50  30  30  30
DLN  51  82  54  81 /  30  30  30  20
HVR  53  87  55  87 /  20  20  20  20
LWT  51  82  54  82 /  30  20  20  30

&&

.TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...WARANAUSKAS
LONG TERM...BLANK
AVIATION...COULSTON

WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 4, 4:33 AM MDT, 12 hours 56 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
433 AM MDT SAT JUL 4 2009

MTZ009>011-013-044>049-051045-
NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN GLACIER-HILL-CHOUTEAU-TOOLE-
LIBERTY-EASTERN PONDERA-BLAINE-SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-
EASTERN TETON-
433 AM MDT SAT JUL 4 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
MONTANA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...SOME STORMS MAY BE STRONG WITH GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL
HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON SUNDAY AND BECOME
MORE SCATTERED ON MONDAY AS MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY INCREASE.
SOME STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG AND PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

MTZ008-012-014-015-050>055-051045-
BEAVERHEAD-CASCADE-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-MADISON-
JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS-JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-MEAGHER-GALLATIN-
433 AM MDT SAT JUL 4 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA
AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
WITH SOME STORMS BECOMING STRONG AND PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND
HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY AND BECOME MORE
SCATTERED ON MONDAY. SOME STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG AND PRODUCE
GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL. THE THREAT FOR HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED
TO DECREASE FOR TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 4, 4:13 PM MDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
413 PM MDT SAT JUL 4 2009

MTZ009-010-042300-
EASTERN GLACIER MT-NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT MT-
413 PM MDT SAT JUL 4 2009

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL GLACIER COUNTY UNTIL 500
PM MDT...

AT 412 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTH OF BROWNING...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
10 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG
WITH HEAVY RAIN.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
   BROWNING...

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.

LAT...LON 4875 11256 4841 11278 4864 11318 4879 11311
TIME...MOT...LOC 2213Z 305DEG 11KT 4866 11299
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 4:16 PM MDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
416 PM MDT SAT JUL 4 2009

MTZ050-042315-
JUDITH BASIN MT-
416 PM MDT SAT JUL 4 2009

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN JUDITH BASIN COUNTY
UNTIL 515 PM MDT...

AT 414 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 19 MILES SOUTH OF STANFORD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
15 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  RURAL SOUTHERN JUDITH BASIN COUNTY...
  RURAL SOUTHEASTERN JUDITH BASIN COUNTY...

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.

IN ADDITION...THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR
LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 4673 10994 4674 11010 4671 11014 4670 11023
      4686 11044 4701 11029 4688 10979
TIME...MOT...LOC 2216Z 303DEG 12KT 4688 11025
Local storm report, Jul 4, 4:23 PM MDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
423 PM MDT SAT JUL 04 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0418 PM     HAIL             18 SW UTICA             46.78N 110.36W
07/04/2009  E0.25 INCH       JUDITH BASIN       MT   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL WITH HEAVY RAIN.

&&

EGUSTAFS
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 5:03 PM MDT, 26 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 4, 5:21 PM MDT, 8 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 4, 5:29 PM MDT, 0 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 3, 7:51 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXBroadwater54 min
Jul 3, 8:34 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFX56 min
Jul 3, 8:51 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTFXBlaine40 min
Jul 4, 1:56 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXLewis and Clark49 min
Jul 4, 2:21 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXLewis and Clark39 min
Jul 4, 2:29 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTFXLewis and Clark30 min
Jul 4, 2:34 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXJudith Basin41 min
Jul 4, 2:44 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXCascade46 min
Jul 4, 3:00 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXLewis and Clark45 min
Jul 4, 3:50 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXCascade40 min
Jul 4, 4:06 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTFXChouteau39 min
Jul 4, 4:13 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXGlacier47 min
Jul 4, 4:16 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXJudith Basin59 min
Jul 4, 4:23 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTFXGlacier37 min
Jul 4, 4:35 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTFXChouteau, Fergus40 min
Jul 4, 4:53 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTFXChouteau37 min
Jul 4, 5:03 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXGlacier42 min
Jul 4, 5:21 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXHill39 min
Jul 4, 5:21 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTFXGlacier, Pondera24 min
Jul 4, 5:35 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTFXChouteau25 min
Jul 4, 5:46 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTFXGlacier, Pondera29 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Montana, 2009Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2009

Sources

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