Tornado Warning 6, NWS Great Falls, MT

Issued

Jun 5, 2012, 6:52 PM MDT (00:52 UTC)

Expired

Jun 5, 2012, 7:15 PM MDT

In force

23 min

Issued by

NWS Great Falls, MT

Area

Storm-based polygon

Counties Blaine County, MT, Chouteau County, MT, Fergus County, MT

The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 119 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:52 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.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

002 
WFUS55 KTFX 060052
TORTFX
MTC005-015-027-060115-
/O.NEW.KTFX.TO.W.0006.120606T0052Z-120606T0115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
652 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREAT FALLS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN FERGUS COUNTY IN CENTRAL MONTANA...
  SOUTHWESTERN BLAINE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA...
  EASTERN CHOUTEAU COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA...

* UNTIL 715 PM MDT

* AT 647 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 13 MILES SOUTH
  OF ILIAD...OR 37 MILES NORTHEAST OF STANFORD...MOVING NORTH AT 50
  MPH.

* THE MOST DANGEROUS PORTION OF THE STORM WILL GENERALLY REMAIN OVER
  RURAL AREAS OF NORTHWESTERN FERGUS...SOUTHWESTERN BLAINE AND
  EASTERN CHOUTEAU COUNTIES.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF 
BALL SIZE HAIL AND STRAIGHT LINE WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH.

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 4816 11008 4808 10935 4737 10975 4747 11024
TIME...MOT...LOC 0052Z 188DEG 45KT 4768 10984

$$

MLV

961 
WWUS55 KTFX 060057
SVSTFX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
657 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012

MTC005-015-027-060115-
/O.CON.KTFX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-120606T0115Z/
BLAINE MT-CHOUTEAU MT-FERGUS MT-
657 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 715 PM MDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN FERGUS...EASTERN CHOUTEAU AND SOUTHWESTERN BLAINE
COUNTIES...

AT 652 PM MDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO PRODUCING A 
LARGE PATH OF DAMAGE.  THE TORNADO IS LOCATED 9 MILES SOUTH OF 
ILIAD...OR 37 MILES SOUTH OF BIG SANDY...MOVING NORTH AT 40 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 4816 11008 4808 10935 4737 10975 4747 11024
TIME...MOT...LOC 0056Z 188DEG 45KT 4773 10982

$$

MLV

538 
WWUS55 KTFX 060107
SVSTFX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
707 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012

MTC005-015-027-060117-
/O.EXP.KTFX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-120606T0115Z/
BLAINE MT-CHOUTEAU MT-FERGUS MT-
707 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN FERGUS...EASTERN CHOUTEAU AND
SOUTHWESTERN BLAINE COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 715 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 4816 11008 4808 10935 4737 10975 4747 11024
TIME...MOT...LOC 0107Z 188DEG 45KT 4787 10978

$$

MLV

Tornado Warnings in Montana, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes in 2012

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.