Alert archive / Montana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2011

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 59, NWS Billings, MT

July 6, 2011Custer County, Rosebud County, Montana

NWS Billings, MT issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 6, 2011, 2:46 AM MDT for Custer County, Rosebud County, Montana. It was in force for 59 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 6, 2011, 2:46 AM MDT (08:46 UTC)
Expired
Jul 6, 2011, 3:45 AM MDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Billings, MT
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Custer County, MT, Rosebud County, MT

The radar

The Billings radar (KBLX), 194 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:49 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 nearest sounding before it

Rapid City, SD (KUNR), launched 00:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 352 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 00:00Z on 2011-07-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1678 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 00:00Z on 2011-07-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 43 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1678 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-64 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
910 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
43 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
53 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
3.7

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 5, 9:01 PM MDT, 5 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 5, 9:01 PM MDT, 5 hours 45 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
901 PM MDT TUE JUL 5 2011

.SHORT TERM...VALID FOR WED AND THU...

STRONGEST STORMS THIS EVENING HAVE BEEN SOUTHWEST OF BILLINGS AS
A WEAK CHUNK OF ENERGY HAS SLID ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND COMBINED
WITH SOME WEAK UPSLOPE FLOW TO TRIGGER CONVECTION. ATMOSPHERE WAS
MOIST AND UNSTABLE AND CONVECTION SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN
ITSELF PAST SUNSET. ADJUSTED POPS OVER THESE LOCATIONS. LEFT THE
MENTION OF SEVERE IN THE EAST THIS EVENING WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE
UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTHEAST
MONTANA WAS DRIFTING SOUTHEAST TOWARD CUSTER COUNTY. REST OF
FORECAST UNCHANGED. TWH

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

MODELS AND ENSEMBLES WERE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE TIMING OF A
COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY. A LOW
LEVEL JET AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL PULL IN PRECIPITABLE WATER
VALUES OVER AN INCH EAST OF BILLINGS. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...GFS HAS
SURFACE DEWPOINTS OVER 60 DEGREES AND CAPE VALUES NEAR 2000 J/KG.
HIGH TEMPERATURES FRIDAY WILL GENERALLY BE OVER 90 DEGREES ON THE
PLAINS. THE MAIN SOURCE OF LIFT FOR THE STORMS WILL BE THE
FRONT...THE STRONGER FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LOW WILL
BE MUCH FARTHER NORTH. BEHIND THE FRONT DEWPOINTS DROP INTO THE
40S AND LOWER 50S AND CAPE VALUES DROP TO NEAR 300 J/KG. EXPECT
LINGERING SHOWERS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING BEHIND THE
FRONT ON FRIDAY.

SATURDAY DEWPOINTS CONTINUE TO DROP BEHIND THE FRONT WITH COOL AIR
ADVECTION. EXPECT BREEZY CONDITIONS WITH WIND GUSTS OVER 30 MPH
IN THE AFTERNOON. THE MUCH DRIER AIR INCREASES STABILITY AND WILL
CAUSE MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES.

BEYOND SATURDAY...THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW
REMAINS ZONAL. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR NORMAL AND ONLY SLIGHT
CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION. MODELS ARE HINTING AT ANOTHER POTENTIAL
FRONTAL SYSTEM MID TO LATE NEXT WEEK WITH ANOTHER LOW DEVELOPING
OFF THE WEST COAST. RNL

&&

.AVIATION...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS EVENING...SOME
HAVE BEEN STRONG SOUTHWEST OF BILLINGS...FROM THE BEARTOOTH/
ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS TO JOLIET AND BRIDGER. SOME STORMS MAY YET
BECOME SEVERE. MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN HEAVY
RAIN...WITH VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING ACROSS TH REGION.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH OVERNIGHT. SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AGAIN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING.
GILSTAD

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...

    WED     THU     FRI     SAT     SUN     MON     TUE
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 060/088 061/089 063/089 060/087 059/084 060/087 062/088
    33/T    33/T    42/T    22/T    22/T    22/T    22/T
LVM 050/085 051/086 051/084 049/084 048/082 050/084 051/085
    23/T    33/T    52/T    22/T    22/T    33/T    32/T
HDN 062/091 062/092 063/093 061/089 059/086 060/090 061/090
    33/T    32/T    43/T    22/T    22/T    22/T    22/T
MLS 064/088 065/090 066/091 064/087 062/083 062/088 064/089
    33/T    32/T    43/T    22/T    22/T    23/T    32/T
4BQ 063/089 065/090 066/090 062/088 060/085 062/089 062/088
    33/T    32/T    43/T    32/T    22/T    23/T    32/T
BHK 061/085 065/085 065/088 063/085 061/081 061/084 061/083
    33/T    32/T    44/T    33/T    22/T    23/T    32/T
SHR 057/086 056/088 059/087 057/086 055/083 058/086 058/085
    43/T    43/T    43/T    33/T    32/T    23/T    22/T

&&

.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...NONE.
WY...NONE.

&&

WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGS
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 5, 3:12 PM MDT, 11 hours 34 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
312 PM MDT TUE JUL 5 2011

MTZ028>042-056>058-063>068-WYZ098-099-062115-
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-
312 PM MDT TUE JUL 5 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 THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE OVER FAR SOUTHEASTERN
MONTANA.

RIVERS AND AREA STREAMS WILL REMAIN AROUND OR ABOVE FLOOD STAGE.
STREAM FLOWS WILL BE STRONGER THAN NORMAL. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO
RIVER LEVELS IF YOU ARE ON OR NEAR THE WATER.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THERE WILL BE A THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS NEARLY EVERY DAY...BUT
THE LOCATION AND STRENGTH OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL FLUCTUATE
EACH DAY.

FLOODING AND HIGH WATER DUE TO SNOW MELT WILL CONTINUE AS THE
WEATHER REMAINS WARM. TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT PROPERTY AND
LIVESTOCK IF LOCATED NEAR LOCAL WATERWAYS OR IN AREAS PRONE TO
FLOODING FROM SNOW MELT.

.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 5, 9:56 PM MDT, 4 hours 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
956 PM MDT TUE JUL 5 2011

MTZ034-041-066-060500-
BEARTOOTH FOOTHILLS MT-NORTHERN STILLWATER MT-NORTHERN SWEET GRASS
MT-
956 PM MDT TUE JUL 5 2011

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL STILLWATER AND EASTERN
SWEET GRASS COUNTIES UNTIL 1100 PM MDT...

AT 954 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 16 MILES EAST OF BIG TIMBER...MOVING EAST 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.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
REED POINT AROUND 1010 PM MDT.

LAT...LON 4595 10913 4555 10919 4573 10991 4594 10986
TIME...MOT...LOC 0355Z 271DEG 12KT 4583 10961
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 10:21 PM MDT, 4 hours 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
1021 PM MDT TUE JUL 5 2011

MTZ038-039-WYZ098-099-060515-
EASTERN CARBON MT-NORTHEAST BIG HORN MOUNTAINS WY-SHERIDAN FOOTHILLS
WY-SOUTHERN BIG HORN MT-
1021 PM MDT TUE JUL 5 2011

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN SHERIDAN...
SOUTHWESTERN BIG HORN AND SOUTHEASTERN CARBON COUNTIES UNTIL 1115 PM
MDT...

AT 1012 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST FROM
PRYOR...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG
WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...FORT SMITH...WYOLA AND
ABERDEEN.

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

LAT...LON 4501 10788 4502 10839 4546 10858 4548 10775
      4528 10741 4492 10732
TIME...MOT...LOC 0419Z 274DEG 12KT 4537 10831
Special weather statement, Jul 5, 11:10 PM MDT, 3 hours 36 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 5, 11:41 PM MDT, 3 hours 5 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 6, 1:15 AM MDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
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    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
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Special weather statement, Jul 6, 2:16 AM MDT, 30 minutes before
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<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
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        Please try again in a few minutes.
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 5, 8:32 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCarbon58 min
Jul 5, 9:25 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCarbon50 min
Jul 5, 9:56 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZStillwater64 min
Jul 5, 10:21 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZBig Horn54 min
Jul 5, 11:10 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZBig Horn50 min
Jul 6, 1:15 AM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZRosebud60 min
Jul 6, 1:50 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZRosebud55 min
Jul 6, 2:16 AM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZPowder River59 min
Jul 6, 3:22 AM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZPowder River53 min
Jul 6, 4:30 AM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCarter, Custer, Powder River45 min
Jul 6, 5:19 AM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCarter56 min
Jul 6, 6:15 AM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCarter60 min
Jul 6, 9:38 AM MDTRiver Flood WarningBYZStillwater3 days
Jul 6, 1:12 PM MDTRiver Flood WarningBYZSweet Grass47 hr
Jul 6, 4:15 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZSweet Grass60 min
Jul 6, 4:25 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCarbon, Park, Stillwater50 min
Jul 6, 4:27 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCarter63 min
Jul 6, 5:28 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZPark, Stillwater, Sweet Grass62 min
Jul 6, 5:28 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZBig Horn, Carbon62 min
Jul 6, 5:37 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBYZPark3 hr
Jul 6, 5:39 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBYZCarbon3 hr
Jul 6, 5:42 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZCarter63 min
Jul 5, 11:41 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZSheridan49 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.