Alert archive / Montana / Tornado Warnings in 2016

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Billings, MT

May 21, 2016Musselshell County, Yellowstone County, Montana

NWS Billings, MT issued this tornado warning at May 21, 2016, 3:50 PM MDT for Musselshell County, Yellowstone County, Montana. It was in force for 25 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
May 21, 2016, 3:50 PM MDT (21:50 UTC)
Expired
May 21, 2016, 4:15 PM MDT
In force
25 min
Issued by
NWS Billings, MT
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
2.5 in

Counties Musselshell County, MT, Yellowstone County, MT

The radar

The Billings radar (KBLX), 91 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:50 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 21, 4:10 PM MDTTSTM WND GST 609 Se Musselshell, MTSTRONG WINDS WITH THE LARGEST HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS.
May 21, 4:10 PM MDTHAIL 19 Se Musselshell, MTSTRONG WINDS WITH THE LARGEST HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 21, 2:26 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Glasgow Intl Airport, MT (KGGW), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 216 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 12:00Z on 2016-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 12:00Z on 2016-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 98 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1132 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
98 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
48 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

782 
WFUS55 KBYZ 212150
TORBYZ
MTC065-111-212215-
/O.NEW.KBYZ.TO.W.0002.160521T2150Z-160521T2215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
350 PM MDT SAT MAY 21 2016

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BILLINGS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN MUSSELSHELL COUNTY IN CENTRAL MONTANA...
  NORTHEASTERN YELLOWSTONE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA...

* UNTIL 415 PM MDT
    
* AT 350 PM MDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO WAS LOCATED 20 MILES NORTH OF WORDEN...OR 27 MILES
  SOUTHEAST OF ROUNDUP...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

  HAZARD...TORNADO AND TENNIS BALL SIZE HAIL. 

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION. 

  IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT
           SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
           DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WINDOWS...AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR. TREE
           DAMAGE IS LIKELY. 

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MELSTONE.

  THIS WARNING DOES NOT INCLUDE THE CITY OF BILLINGS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...IN A
MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL
SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4661 10783 4660 10783 4659 10780 4650 10780
      4650 10776 4647 10774 4647 10771 4641 10770
      4639 10765 4637 10765 4636 10764 4612 10802
      4624 10821 4662 10790
TIME...MOT...LOC 2150Z 221DEG 35KT 4625 10804 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...2.50IN

$$

CHAMBERS
2 follow-up statements
005 
WWUS55 KBYZ 212201
SVSBYZ

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
401 PM MDT SAT MAY 21 2016

MTC065-111-212215-
/O.CON.KBYZ.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-160521T2215Z/
MUSSELSHELL MT-YELLOWSTONE MT-
401 PM MDT SAT MAY 21 2016

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 415 PM MDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN MUSSELSHELL AND NORTHEASTERN YELLOWSTONE COUNTIES...
    
AT 400 PM MDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED 19 MILES SOUTH OF MELSTONE...OR 29 MILES EAST OF
ROUNDUP...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

HAZARD...TORNADO AND TENNIS BALL SIZE HAIL. 

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION. 

IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT
         SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. DAMAGE
         TO ROOFS...WINDOWS...AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE DAMAGE
         IS LIKELY. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MELSTONE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...IN A
MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL
SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY HIDE THIS TORNADO. DO NOT WAIT TO SEE OR HEAR THE
TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW.

&&

LAT...LON 4661 10783 4660 10783 4659 10780 4650 10780
      4650 10776 4647 10774 4647 10771 4641 10770
      4639 10765 4637 10765 4636 10764 4622 10794
      4628 10809 4662 10790
TIME...MOT...LOC 2200Z 221DEG 35KT 4633 10795 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...2.50IN

$$

CHAMBERS
718 
WWUS55 KBYZ 212213
SVSBYZ

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
413 PM MDT SAT MAY 21 2016

MTC065-111-212221-
/O.EXP.KBYZ.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-160521T2215Z/
MUSSELSHELL MT-YELLOWSTONE MT-
413 PM MDT SAT MAY 21 2016

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN MUSSELSHELL AND NORTHEASTERN
YELLOWSTONE COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 415 PM MDT...
    
THE TORNADO THREAT HAS DIMINISHED...THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING
WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. HOWEVER...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS
REMAIN LIKELY AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT
FOR THE AREA.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM MDT FOR
SOUTH CENTRAL...SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL MONTANA.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING STILL REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR
EASTERN YELLOWSTONE AND MUSSELSHELL COUNTIES.

LAT...LON 4661 10783 4660 10783 4659 10780 4650 10780
      4650 10776 4647 10774 4647 10771 4641 10770
      4639 10765 4637 10765 4636 10764 4622 10794
      4628 10809 4662 10790
TIME...MOT...LOC 2209Z 221DEG 35KT 4633 10795 

$$

CHAMBERS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 6:08 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZPowder River52 min
May 20, 6:19 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZBig Horn41 min
May 20, 6:41 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZPowder River64 min
May 20, 7:01 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCarter59 min
May 20, 7:05 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZPowder River55 min
May 20, 7:20 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZPowder River55 min
May 20, 7:47 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCuster58 min
May 20, 8:14 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCarbon61 min
May 20, 8:16 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZPowder River59 min
May 20, 8:22 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZRosebud38 min
May 20, 8:57 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZCarbon33 min
May 20, 9:02 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZRosebud43 min
May 20, 9:29 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZStillwater46 min
May 20, 10:54 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZGolden Valley51 min
May 20, 11:28 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZStillwater32 min
May 21, 12:45 AM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZStillwater3 hr
May 21, 1:03 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZSweet Grass27 min
May 21, 1:42 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCarbon, Stillwater63 min
May 21, 2:01 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZCarbon, Stillwater59 min
May 21, 2:12 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZStillwater52 min
May 21, 2:40 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZBig Horn, Carbon, Golden Valley, Musselshell, Stillwater, Wheatland and 1 more65 min
May 21, 3:29 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZMusselshell, Yellowstone61 min
May 21, 4:16 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZMusselshell, Rosebud, Treasure, Yellowstone59 min
May 21, 5:22 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZ23 min
May 21, 5:41 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZRosebud45 min
May 21, 5:57 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZBig Horn, Powder River, Rosebud63 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Montana, 2016Every tornado warning in 2016Tornadoes in 2016

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.