Alert archive / Montana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2011

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 124, NWS Billings, MT

July 25, 2011Carter County, Powder River County, Montana

NWS Billings, MT issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 25, 2011, 4:07 PM MDT for Carter County, Powder River County, Montana. It was in force for 53 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 25, 2011, 4:07 PM MDT (22:07 UTC)
Expired
Jul 25, 2011, 5:00 PM MDT
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Billings, MT
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Carter County, MT, Powder River County, MT

The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 231 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:08 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.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 25, 1:30 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Rapid City, SD (KUNR), launched 12:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 232 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, Rapid City, SD at 12:00Z on 2011-07-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2427 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Rapid City, SD at 12:00Z on 2011-07-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 39 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
2427 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-88 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1325 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
39 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
17 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 25, 2:25 PM MDT, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 25, 2:25 PM MDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
225 PM MDT MON JUL 25 2011

.SHORT TERM...VALID FOR TUE AND WED...

PRESSURE FALLS ARE CURRENTLY TAKEN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA AS WEST
COAST TROUGH ADVANCES TOWARD THE FORECAST AREA. SEVERAL UPPER
LEVEL IMPULSES EJECTING OUT AHEAD OF THE MAIN TROUGH AND ARE
MOVING INTO SOUTHEAST MONTANA. THIS ENERGY WILL INTERACT WITH A
VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS OVER SOUTHEAST MONTANA AND A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE REST OF THE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WARM TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH STEEP LAPSE
RATES AND CAPES OVER 3000 J/KG...WILL COMBINE WITH GOOD SPEED AND
DIRECTIONAL SHEAR TO BRING THE THREAT OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS FROM HYSHAM EAST TO BAKER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
FURTHER WEST...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM
BILLINGS WEST TO LIVINGSTON. THESE AREAS COULD SEE GUSTY OUT FLOW
WINDS WITH ANY CONVECTION AS UPPER AIR SOUNDINGS INDICATING
INVERTED-V.

THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL DIMINISH BY LATE EVENING AS THE LOW
LEVELS STABILIZE BEHIND A WEAK COOL FRONT MOVING THROUGH. FLOW
ALOFT WILL REMAIN UNSTABLE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AS THE WEST
COAST TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE ROCKIES AND WEAKENS. THERE WILL
STILL BE ENOUGH LIFT AND MOISTURE AROUND TO BRING SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS BOTH DAYS. HEIGHTS WILL BE FALLING TOMORROW AND
WEDNESDAY AS ANOTHER WEST COAST TROUGH MOVES ACROSS MONTANA. THIS
WILL RESULT IN MUCH COOLER AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES.

.LONG TERM...VALID FOR THU...FRI...SAT...SUN...MON...

VERY LITTLE TO CHANGE AGAIN IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST. TROUGH OVER
THE AREA ON THURSDAY WILL KEEP THINGS ON THE COOL SIDE WITH A
CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS
IN FOR FRIDAY AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND BRINGING MOSTLY DRY
CONDITIONS AND MUCH WARMER TEMPERATURES...WHICH WILL BE IN THE
90S AND PUSHING 100 DEGREES. EARLY NEXT WEEK...ANOTHER TAP OF THE
MONSOONAL MOISTURE LOOKS GOOD FOR THE REGION WHICH WOULD BRING
CHANCES FOR MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. TEMPERATURES STILL
LOOK WARM NEXT WEEK AS THE RIDGE STILL REMAINS IN PLACE FOR THE
MOST PART. SOLUM

&&

.AVIATION...

THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOST NUMEROUS OVER THE WESTERN
MOUNTAINS AND AREAS EAST OF KBIL. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE
SEVERE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE EAST. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WILL MOVE OUT OF THE REGION OVERNIGHT. SOLUM

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...

    TUE     WED     THU     FRI     SAT     SUN     MON
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 064/089 060/085 058/083 060/091 060/093 062/096 064/093
    23/T    22/T    22/T    10/U    10/U    01/U    12/T
LVM 054/088 049/082 046/083 048/088 052/089 053/092 055/087
    23/T    22/T    22/T    10/U    10/U    02/T    23/T
HDN 062/091 058/087 057/084 059/089 060/095 061/097 063/094
    32/T    22/T    22/T    10/U    10/U    01/U    12/T
MLS 066/088 061/086 060/083 062/091 063/093 064/096 066/093
    42/T    22/T    22/T    10/U    10/U    01/B    12/T
4BQ 064/091 061/085 059/083 061/091 062/093 063/096 065/093
    42/T    22/T    33/T    10/U    10/U    01/U    12/T
BHK 063/086 060/085 057/081 060/089 062/092 062/096 064/090
    52/T    22/T    33/T    22/T    20/U    01/U    22/T
SHR 059/090 055/086 054/084 056/092 056/093 058/096 060/091
    32/T    22/T    22/T    10/U    10/U    01/U    12/T

&&

.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 684 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS
      EVENING FOR ZONES 30>33-36>38-57-58.
WY...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 684 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS
      EVENING FOR ZONES 98-99.

&&

WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGS
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 25, 1:57 PM MDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
157 PM MDT MON JUL 25 2011

MTZ028>042-056>058-063>068-WYZ098-099-262000-
SOUTHERN WHEATLAND-MUSSELSHELL-TREASURE-NORTHERN ROSEBUD-CUSTER-
FALLON-NORTHERN STILLWATER-YELLOWSTONE-POWDER RIVER-CARTER-
SOUTHERN BIG HORN-EASTERN CARBON-NORTHERN PARK-
NORTHERN SWEET GRASS-GOLDEN VALLEY-RED LODGE FOOTHILLS-
NORTHERN BIG HORN-SOUTHERN ROSEBUD-JUDITH GAP-PARADISE VALLEY-
LIVINGSTON AREA-BEARTOOTH FOOTHILLS-ABSAROKA/BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS-
CRAZY MOUNTAINS-NORTHEAST BIG HORN MOUNTAINS-SHERIDAN FOOTHILLS-
157 PM MDT MON JUL 25 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
MONTANA...SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA...SOUTHEAST MONTANA AND NORTH
CENTRAL WYOMING.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP EAST OF BILLINGS
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE
SEVERE AND PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. ISOLATED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED FROM BILLINGS AND AREAS
WEST. THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE STRONG WIND
GUSTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.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 25, 2:26 PM MDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
226 PM MDT MON JUL 25 2011

MTZ036-037-252130-
CARTER MT-POWDER RIVER MT-
226 PM MDT MON JUL 25 2011

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN POWDER RIVER AND
SOUTHWESTERN CARTER COUNTIES UNTIL 330 PM MDT...

AT 224 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BIDDLE...OR 30 MILES SOUTH
OF BROADUS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

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

THIS STORM IS PART OF A CLUSTER OF STORMS MOVING UP FROM WYOMING
INTO SOUTHEAST MONTANA. AREAS AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS
INCLUDE...BIDDLE...RIDGE...BELLE CREEK AND BOYES.

STORMS ARE LIKELY TO INTENSIFY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. 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 4502 10586 4540 10566 4536 10509 4502 10477
      4499 10496 4499 10546 4499 10578
TIME...MOT...LOC 2024Z 226DEG 24KT 4502 10552
Special weather statement, Jul 25, 2:55 PM MDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
255 PM MDT MON JUL 25 2011

MTZ034-041-066-252200-
BEARTOOTH FOOTHILLS MT-NORTHERN STILLWATER MT-NORTHERN SWEET GRASS
MT-
255 PM MDT MON JUL 25 2011

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN STILLWATER AND
EASTERN SWEET GRASS COUNTIES UNTIL 400 PM MDT...

AT 251 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BIG TIMBER...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
SOURDOUGH AROUND 300 PM MDT.
RAPELJE AROUND 350 PM MDT.
HALFBREED LAKE WILDLIFE AND HAILSTONE WILDLIFE REFUGE AROUND 355 PM
MDT.

LAT...LON 4572 10892 4557 10984 4561 10988 4591 10998
      4612 10908
TIME...MOT...LOC 2055Z 246DEG 30KT 4576 10981
Special weather statement, Jul 25, 3:59 PM MDT, 8 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 25, 4:04 PM MDT, 3 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 25, 2:26 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZPowder River64 min
Jul 25, 2:38 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZPowder River52 min
Jul 25, 2:55 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZStillwater, Sweet Grass65 min
Jul 25, 3:16 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZCarter, Powder River59 min
Jul 25, 3:25 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZPowder River65 min
Jul 25, 3:59 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZGolden Valley61 min
Jul 25, 4:04 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCuster56 min
Jul 25, 4:13 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZCuster62 min
Jul 25, 4:13 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZCarter48 min
Jul 25, 4:21 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZPowder River54 min
Jul 25, 5:01 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZMusselshell59 min
Jul 25, 5:01 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZCuster, Powder River30 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Montana, 2011Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2011

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.