Alert archive / Montana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 12, NWS Billings, MT

July 10, 2012Stillwater County, Yellowstone County, Montana

NWS Billings, MT issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 10, 2012, 9:32 PM MDT for Stillwater County, Yellowstone County, Montana. It was in force for 43 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 10, 2012, 9:32 PM MDT (03:32 UTC)
Expired
Jul 10, 2012, 10:15 PM MDT
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Billings, MT
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Stillwater County, MT, Yellowstone County, MT

The radar

The Billings radar (KBLX), 19 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:32 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

Glasgow Intl Airport, MT (KGGW), launched 00:00Z, 3.5 hours before the alert went out and 318 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, Glasgow Intl Airport, MT at 00:00Z on 2012-07-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 324 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, Glasgow Intl Airport, MT at 00:00Z on 2012-07-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 65 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
324 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-145 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
3125 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
65 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
160 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

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 10, 9:00 PM MDT, 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 10, 9:00 PM MDT, 32 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 10, 2:15 PM MDT, 7 hours 17 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
215 PM MDT TUE JUL 10 2012

MTZ028>042-056>058-063>068-WYZ098-099-112015-
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-
215 PM MDT TUE JUL 10 2012

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

CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING FROM YELLOWSTONE AND MUSSELSHELL COUNTIES WESTWARD.
SCATTERED DRY THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP WEST OF BILLINGS THIS
AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS WILL SPREAD EAST DURING THE EVENING AND
TURN WETTER. THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH.
LIGHTNING...VERY LOW HUMIDITIES AND STRONG THUNDERSTORM WINDS
WILL POSE A THREAT FOR FIRE STARTS AND QUICK SPREADING OF FIRES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

WEDNESDAY WILL BE ANOTHER CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER DAY. SCATTERED
WET AND DRY THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. THE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. IN
ADDITION...LIGHTNING...VERY LOW HUMIDITIES AND STRONG
THUNDERSTORM WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO POSE A THREAT FOR FIRE STARTS
AND QUICK SPREADING OF FIRES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

HOOLEY

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 10, 3:51 PM MDT, 5 hours 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
351 PM MDT TUE JUL 10 2012

MTZ034-066-067-102230-
ABSAROKA/BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS MT-BEARTOOTH FOOTHILLS MT-NORTHERN
STILLWATER MT-
351 PM MDT TUE JUL 10 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL STILLWATER AND EASTERN
SWEET GRASS COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM MDT...

AT 345 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 17 MILES WEST OF ABSAROKEE...OR 24 MILES SOUTH OF
BIG TIMBER...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH AND DIME SIZE HAIL ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM...ALONG WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR OR A LITTLE NORTH OF ABSAROKEE BY 415 PM MDT.

LAT...LON 4569 10951 4553 10913 4553 10918 4550 10920
      4544 10986 4554 10992
TIME...MOT...LOC 2149Z 256DEG 27KT 4552 10975
Special weather statement, Jul 10, 4:10 PM MDT, 5 hours 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
410 PM MDT TUE JUL 10 2012

MTZ039-056-067-102245-
ABSAROKA/BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS MT-EASTERN CARBON MT-RED LODGE FOOTHILLS
MT-
410 PM MDT TUE JUL 10 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL CARBON COUNTY UNTIL 445
PM MDT...

AT 406 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR RED LODGE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAIN.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
WASHOE AROUND 415 PM MDT.
BEARCREEK AND FOX AROUND 425 PM MDT.
BELFRY AROUND 445 PM MDT.

LAT...LON 4541 10904 4513 10886 4508 10932 4520 10941
TIME...MOT...LOC 2209Z 252DEG 13KT 4516 10924
Special weather statement, Jul 10, 5:17 PM MDT, 4 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
517 PM MDT TUE JUL 10 2012

MTZ038-039-110015-
EASTERN CARBON MT-SOUTHERN BIG HORN MT-
517 PM MDT TUE JUL 10 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN BIG HORN AND EASTERN
CARBON COUNTIES UNTIL 615 PM MDT...

AT 518 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 18 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PRYOR...OR 24 MILES NORTH
OF LOVELL...MOVING EAST AT 25 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.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
FORT SMITH AROUND 610 PM MDT.

LAT...LON 4509 10850 4527 10851 4541 10777 4500 10767
      4500 10785
TIME...MOT...LOC 2317Z 266DEG 20KT 4519 10838
Local storm report, Jul 10, 7:41 PM MDT, 1 hour 51 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 10, 8:23 PM MDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 10, 9:12 PM MDT, 20 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 10, 8:23 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZStillwater, Sweet Grass37 min
Jul 10, 9:12 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZYellowstone48 min
Jul 10, 9:52 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZMusselshell38 min
Jul 10, 10:22 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZYellowstone53 min
Jul 11, 5:55 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZYellowstone65 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Montana, 2012Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2012

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.