Alert archive / Montana / Tornado Warnings in 2012
Tornado Warning 5, NWS Great Falls, MT
NWS Great Falls, MT issued this tornado warning at Jun 5, 2012, 6:11 PM MDT for Chouteau County, Fergus County, Judith Basin County, Montana. It was in force for 49 min. 2 reports 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
- Jun 5, 2012, 6:11 PM MDT (00:11 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 5, 2012, 7:00 PM MDT
- In force
- 49 min
- Issued by
- NWS Great Falls, MT
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
Counties Chouteau County, MT, Fergus County, MT, Judith Basin County, MT
The radar
The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:10 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 5, 6:18 PM MDT | HAIL 1.75 | Denton, MT | ESTIMATED GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL WITH FUNNEL CLOUD OBSERVED |
| Jun 5, 6:53 PM MDT | TORNADO | Coffee Creek, MT | LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT CONFIRMED TORNADO ON GROUND WITH LARGE PATH AND DAMAGE |
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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 5, 2:37 PM MDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 8 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Glasgow Intl Airport, MT (KGGW), launched 00:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 270 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 880 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -226 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2578 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 244 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 359 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
383 WFUS55 KTFX 060011 TORTFX MTC015-027-045-060100- /O.NEW.KTFX.TO.W.0005.120606T0011Z-120606T0100Z/ BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 611 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREAT FALLS HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... WEST CENTRAL FERGUS COUNTY IN CENTRAL MONTANA... EAST CENTRAL JUDITH BASIN COUNTY IN CENTRAL MONTANA... EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL CHOUTEAU COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA... * UNTIL 700 PM MDT * AT 606 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 10 MILES SOUTH OF DENTON...OR 12 MILES EAST OF STANFORD...MOVING NORTH AT 40 MPH. * LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE DENTON. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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. WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS. && A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM MDT TUESDAY EVENING FOR NORTHWESTERN MONTANA. LAT...LON 4751 11008 4738 10953 4702 10988 4712 11019 TIME...MOT...LOC 0011Z 191DEG 43KT 4724 10995 $$
2 follow-up statements
640 WWUS55 KTFX 060024 SVSTFX SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 624 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012 MTC015-027-045-060100- /O.CON.KTFX.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-120606T0100Z/ CHOUTEAU MT-FERGUS MT-JUDITH BASIN MT- 624 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012 ...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM MDT FOR NORTHEASTERN JUDITH BASIN...WEST CENTRAL FERGUS AND EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL CHOUTEAU COUNTIES... AT 620 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM IS LOCATED NEAR DENTON...OR 19 MILES NORTHEAST OF STANFORD...MOVING NORTH AT 50 MPH. THE TORNADO WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF THE INDICATED COUNTIES. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. && A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM MDT TUESDAY EVENING FOR NORTHWESTERN MONTANA. LAT...LON 4713 10984 4722 11016 4751 11008 4739 10958 TIME...MOT...LOC 0024Z 191DEG 43KT 4739 10990 $$ MLV
488 WWUS55 KTFX 060055 SVSTFX SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 655 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012 MTC015-027-045-060104- /O.EXP.KTFX.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-120606T0100Z/ CHOUTEAU MT-FERGUS MT-JUDITH BASIN MT- 655 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012 ...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN JUDITH BASIN...WEST CENTRAL FERGUS AND EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL CHOUTEAU COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 700 PM MDT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THAT THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE TORNADO WARNING HAS EXPIRED...HOWEVER THIS STORM REMAINS SEVERE AND A NEW TORNADO WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM MDT TUESDAY EVENING FOR NORTHWESTERN MONTANA. LAT...LON 4713 10984 4722 11016 4751 11008 4739 10958 TIME...MOT...LOC 0054Z 191DEG 43KT 4774 10979 $$ MLV
The office that day
Everything else NWS Great Falls, MT issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 5, 6:06 PM MDT | Special Weather Statement | TFX | Beaverhead | 39 min |
| Jun 5, 6:08 PM MDT | Special Weather Statement | TFX | Cascade | 67 min |
| Jun 5, 6:16 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TFX | Chouteau, Fergus, Judith Basin | 59 min |
| Jun 5, 6:52 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | TFX | Blaine, Chouteau, Fergus | 23 min |
| Jun 5, 7:06 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | TFX | Blaine, Chouteau, Fergus, Hill | 24 min |
| Jun 5, 7:24 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TFX | Chouteau | 51 min |
| Jun 5, 7:29 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | TFX | Blaine, Chouteau, Hill | 46 min |
| Jun 5, 8:03 PM MDT | Special Weather Statement | TFX | Cascade | 42 min |
| Jun 5, 8:09 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | TFX | Chouteau, Hill, Liberty | 45 min |
| Jun 5, 9:02 PM MDT | Special Weather Statement | TFX | Liberty | 43 min |
| Jun 5, 9:04 PM MDT | Special Weather Statement | TFX | Teton | 41 min |
| Jun 5, 9:29 PM MDT | Special Weather Statement | TFX | Chouteau | 61 min |
| Jun 5, 9:35 PM MDT | High Wind Watch | TFX | 7 hr | |
| Jun 5, 10:09 PM MDT | Special Weather Statement | TFX | Pondera | 51 min |
| Jun 5, 10:12 PM MDT | Special Weather Statement | TFX | Chouteau | 48 min |
| Jun 6, 4:20 AM MDT | High Wind Warning | TFX | 16 hr | |
| Jun 6, 9:39 AM MDT | River Flood Warning | TFX | Cascade | 3 days |
| Jun 6, 9:39 AM MDT | River Flood Warning | TFX | Cascade | 3 days |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Montana, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.