Alert archive / Montana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2013

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 101, NWS Billings, MT

July 8, 2013Golden Valley County, Wheatland County, Montana

NWS Billings, MT issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 8, 2013, 3:24 PM MDT for Golden Valley County, Wheatland County, Montana. It was in force for 66 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 8, 2013, 3:24 PM MDT (21:24 UTC)
Expired
Jul 8, 2013, 4:30 PM MDT
In force
66 min
Issued by
NWS Billings, MT
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Golden Valley County, MT, Wheatland County, MT

The radar

The Billings radar (KBLX), 94 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:27 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 8, 1:04 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Great_falls, MT (KTFX), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 142 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, Great_falls, MT at 12:00Z on 2013-07-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 110 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, Great_falls, MT at 12:00Z on 2013-07-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 78 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
110 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-288 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1205 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
78 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
115 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

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 8, 2:04 PM MDT, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 8, 2:04 PM MDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
204 PM MDT MON JUL 8 2013

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

UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN
MONTANA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MODELS CONTINUE TO KEEP
THE STRONGEST FORCING ACROSS OUR NORTHERN ZONES FROM WHEATLAND
COUNTY EASTWARD THROUGH FALLON COUNTY. THE REMAINDER OF THE
FORECAST AREA ALSO UNDER THE GUN FOR SEVERE WEATHER AS UPPER
TROUGH DRAGS A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE AREA.

STRONG MOISTURE ADVECTION CONTINUE OVER THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING AS EASTERLY WINDS ADVECT IN HIGHER DEW POINTS. THIS
MOISTURE COMBINED WITH STRONG AFTERNOON HEATING HAS CREATED
SURFACE BASED CAPES OF 1000 TO 2400 J/KG. JET DYNAMICS ALONG WITH
STRONG MID LEVEL WESTERLY FLOW ALSO MOVING INTO THE REGION AND IS
CREATING EFFECTIVE BULK SHEAR OF 30 TO 50 KTS ACROSS THE AREA. THE
COMBINATION OF STRONG INSTABILITY AND THE PASSAGE OF A COOL FRONT
THIS AFTERNOON...THE POTENTIAL EXIST FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WEST
OF A LINE FROM ROUNDUP...BILLINGS TO HARDIN. THE MAIN THREAT FROM
THESE STORMS WILL BE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH NUMBER 398 HAS ALREADY BEEN ISSUED AND IS IN EFFECT THROUGH
7 PM FOR THE ABOVE AREAS.

THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER INCREASES FURTHER EAST THIS EVENING
AS STRONG SURFACE CONVERGENCES/FAVORABLE DIRECTIONAL AND SPEED
SHEAR/CAPES 2500 J/KG AND LI'S NEAR -8C EXIST. STEEP LAPSE RATES
AROUND 8 C/KM ALSO SETTING. ROTATING UPDRAFTS WILL DEVELOP IN THIS
ENVIRONMENT AND SUPERCELLS WILL BE LIKELY. HAVE INCREASED POPS TO
LIKELY FOR THE NORTHERN ZONES OF SOUTHEAST MONTANA AND HIGH
SCATTERED FOR THE REMAINDER AREAS. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE LARGE
HAIL/DAMAGING WINDS AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. A
WATCH WILL MORE THAN LIKELY BE ISSUED LATER THIS EVENING FOR
ROSEBUD COUNTY EAST TO THE DAKOTA BORDER.

CONVECTION WILL DIE DOWN LATE TONIGHT AS MAIN FORCING MOVES EAST.
A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TUESDAY
MORNING FROM BAKER TO ALZADA BUT WILL BE ENDING BY NOON TIME.
MODELS ALL IN GOOD AGREEMENT IN BUILDING ANOTHER RIDGE OF HIGH
PRESSURE ACROSS THE AREA FOR DRY WEATHER AND A RETURN TO ABOVE
NORMAL TEMPERATURES. RICHMOND

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

EXTENDED FORECAST LOOKS TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE WITH MODELS BEING IN
DECENT AGREEMENT FOR MOST PERIODS. AS A RESULT...DID NOT MAKE ANY
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WITH THIS ISSUANCE. AN UNSETTLED SOUTHWEST
FLOW ALOFT RETURNS FOR THURSDAY. BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF BRING A
DISTURBANCE NORTHEAST OUT OF THE GREAT BASIN AREA AND ACROSS
SOUTHERN MONTANA THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE GFS IS QUITE
A BIT STRONGER WITH THIS WAVE RESULTING IN THE POSSIBILITY OF
STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS THAN WHAT THE ECMWF IS SHOWING. AFTER
THURSDAY...MAINLY A ZONAL FLOW ALOFT WILL BE OVER THE FORECAST
AREA INTO NEXT WEEKEND. MAIN UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS WILL BE MOVING
ACROSS THE CANADIAN BORDER KEEPING MOST OF THE ACTIVITY TO OUR
NORTH. STILL CAN'T RULE OUT AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM SO WILL KEEP
A SLIGHT MENTION FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES ARE
EXPECTED TO BE ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. HOOLEY

&&

.AVIATION...

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING TRIGGERING ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS. THE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN BY EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON WEST OF KBIL
AND MOVE EAST TOWARD KMLS BY EARLY EVENING AND THE DAKOTA BORDER
BY LATE EVENING. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAIN
WILL BE LIKELY WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. EXPECT IFR TO VLIFR
CONDITIONS IN AND NEAR THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. OTHERWISE...VFR
CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THIS EVENING. HOOLEY

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...

    TUE     WED     THU     FRI     SAT     SUN     MON
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 061/084 059/094 064/093 064/092 061/092 061/090 059/091
    51/B    01/U    11/B    22/T    22/T    22/T    22/T
LVM 051/085 050/093 056/093 052/092 051/092 051/090 049/091
    41/B    11/U    11/B    22/T    22/T    22/T    22/T
HDN 061/084 058/095 064/094 064/093 061/093 061/091 059/092
    52/T    01/U    11/B    22/T    22/T    22/T    22/T
MLS 063/082 059/095 066/094 065/092 062/092 062/090 060/091
    62/T    01/U    11/B    22/T    22/T    22/T    22/T
4BQ 059/083 056/093 062/092 065/091 061/091 061/089 059/090
    32/T    01/U    11/U    22/T    12/T    22/T    22/T
BHK 060/078 054/089 061/088 068/091 062/087 062/085 060/086
    63/T    01/U    11/U    22/T    22/T    22/T    22/T
SHR 056/082 055/092 059/092 058/091 056/091 056/089 054/090
    31/B    11/U    11/U    12/T    22/T    22/T    22/T

&&

.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 398 IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM MDT THIS
      EVENING FOR ZONES 28-29-34-35-38>42-56-57-63>68.
WY...NONE.

&&

WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGS
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 8, 2:31 PM MDT, 53 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
231 PM MDT MON JUL 8 2013

MTZ028>042-056>058-063>068-WYZ098-099-092045-
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-
231 PM MDT MON JUL 8 2013

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 MOVE WEST TO EAST THIS AFTERNOON AND
OVERNIGHT. SOME STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING
WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE. WINDS IN EXCESS
OF 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. THE SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD EAST OF BILLINGS THIS EVENING AND THE
THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN CAN BE
EXPECTED OVER SOUTHEAST MONTANA. THOSE WITH OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
SHOULD KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE SKY...MONITOR LOCAL WEATHER UPDATES
AND HAVE A PLAN TO GET TO SHELTER SHOULD STORMS APPROACH.

.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 8, 2:21 PM MDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
221 PM MDT MON JUL 8 2013

MTC067-082100-
PARK MT-
221 PM MDT MON JUL 8 2013

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL PARK COUNTY UNTIL 300 PM
MDT...

AT 220 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 14 MILES
NORTHEAST OF BELGRADE TO 18 MILES SOUTH OF BOZEMAN...OR ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM 38 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TOWNSEND TO 24 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF LIVINGSTON...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
LIVINGSTON...CLYDE PARK...WILSALL...PRAY...PINE CREEK AND EMIGRANT.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM MDT
MONDAY EVENING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA.

LAT...LON 4536 11091 4552 11092 4553 11085 4559 11085
      4559 11080 4604 11079 4617 11035 4538 11024
      4533 11103 4535 11103
TIME...MOT...LOC 2017Z 251DEG 23KT 4593 11095 4542 11095

CJS
Special weather statement, Jul 8, 2:57 PM MDT, 27 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 8, 3:02 PM MDT, 22 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 7, 6:03 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCuster, Powder River, Rosebud57 min
Jul 7, 6:08 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZBig Horn, Powder River, Rosebud37 min
Jul 7, 6:09 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZSweet Grass36 min
Jul 7, 6:42 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZPark48 min
Jul 7, 6:57 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCarter, Custer, Powder River63 min
Jul 7, 7:50 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCuster25 min
Jul 7, 7:53 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCarter22 min
Jul 7, 8:12 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZMusselshell33 min
Jul 7, 8:17 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCarter43 min
Jul 7, 8:44 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZTreasure31 min
Jul 7, 9:06 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZRosebud39 min
Jul 7, 10:01 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZ59 min
Jul 8, 2:21 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZPark39 min
Jul 8, 2:23 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZWheatland52 min
Jul 8, 2:57 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZPark, Sweet Grass48 min
Jul 8, 3:07 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZGolden Valley, Sweet Grass, Wheatland53 min
Jul 8, 3:44 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZStillwater, Sweet Grass46 min
Jul 8, 3:53 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZGolden Valley, Stillwater37 min
Jul 8, 3:55 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZPark50 min
Jul 8, 4:03 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZMusselshell42 min
Jul 8, 4:07 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZMusselshell, Rosebud53 min
Jul 8, 4:17 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBYZMusselshell4 hr
Jul 8, 4:19 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZYellowstone41 min
Jul 8, 4:28 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZGolden Valley, Musselshell, Stillwater, Yellowstone62 min
Jul 8, 4:35 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZBig Horn, Carbon, Stillwater, Yellowstone55 min
Jul 8, 5:03 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZBig Horn, Musselshell, Treasure, Yellowstone57 min
Jul 8, 5:05 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZMusselshell, Rosebud, Treasure55 min
Jul 8, 5:11 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZBig Horn49 min
Jul 8, 5:21 PM MDTTornado WarningBYZRosebud, Treasure24 min
Jul 8, 5:25 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZBig Horn, Treasure65 min
Jul 8, 5:51 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZCuster, Fallon54 min
Jul 8, 5:57 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZBig Horn, Rosebud, Treasure, Yellowstone63 min
Jul 7, 6:23 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZSheridan37 min
Jul 7, 6:58 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZSheridan47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Montana, 2013Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2013

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.