Alert archive / Montana / Tornado Warnings in 2016

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Great Falls, MT

June 18, 2016Blaine County, Montana

NWS Great Falls, MT issued this tornado warning at Jun 18, 2016, 5:54 PM MDT for Blaine County, Montana. It was in force for 36 min. 4 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 18, 2016, 5:54 PM MDT (23:54 UTC)
Expired
Jun 18, 2016, 6:30 PM MDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Great Falls, MT
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.75 in

County Blaine County, MT

The radar

The Glasgow radar (KGGW), 182 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:54 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
Jun 18, 6:10 PM MDTHAIL 1.7515 Ese Lloyd, MTQUARTER TO GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL. WINDOW SCREENS BROKEN FROM HAIL. TIME ESTIMATED BASED ON RADAR
Jun 18, 6:10 PM MDTHAIL 1.7515 Ese Lloyd, MTQUARTER TO GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL. WINDOW SCREENS BROKEN FROM HAIL. TIME ESTIMATED BASED ON RADAR.
Jun 18, 6:31 PM MDTTSTM WND GST 7013 Nnw Hays, MTFACEBOOK REPORT AND VIDEO FROM STORM CHASER. TIME AND LOCATION ESTIMATED BASED ON REPORT AND RADAR.
Jun 18, 6:31 PM MDTHAIL 213 Nnw Hays, MTFACEBOOK REPORT AND VIDEO FROM STORM CHASER. TIME AND LOCATION ESTIMATED BASED ON REPORT AND RADAR.

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
Jun 18, 3:16 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Great_falls, MT (KTFX), launched 12:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 136 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 2016-06-18Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Great_falls, MT at 12:00Z on 2016-06-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 108 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1982 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
108 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
187 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

063 
WFUS55 KTFX 182354
TORTFX
MTC005-190030-
/O.NEW.KTFX.TO.W.0003.160618T2354Z-160619T0030Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
554 PM MDT SAT JUN 18 2016

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREAT FALLS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL BLAINE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA...

* UNTIL 630 PM MDT
    
* AT 553 PM MDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO WAS LOCATED 21 MILES EAST OF PARKER SCHOOL...OR 31 MILES
  SOUTH OF CHINOOK...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

  HAZARD...TORNADO AND GOLF 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. 

* THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF
  CENTRAL BLAINE COUNTY.

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 4803 10942 4821 10943 4838 10857 4800 10854
TIME...MOT...LOC 2353Z 267DEG 50KT 4813 10931 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.75IN

$$

JANGLIN
2 follow-up statements
066 
WWUS55 KTFX 190017
SVSTFX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
617 PM MDT SAT JUN 18 2016

MTC005-190030-
/O.CON.KTFX.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-160619T0030Z/
BLAINE MT-
617 PM MDT SAT JUN 18 2016

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM MDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL BLAINE COUNTY...
    
AT 616 PM MDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF HAYS...OR 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF
ZORTMAN...MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH.

HAZARD...TORNADO AND GOLF 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. 

THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF
EAST CENTRAL BLAINE COUNTY.

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 4803 10923 4819 10923 4827 10904 4837 10857
      4800 10854
TIME...MOT...LOC 0016Z 267DEG 50KT 4815 10882 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.75IN

$$

JANGLIN
097 
WWUS55 KTFX 190030
SVSTFX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
630 PM MDT SAT JUN 18 2016

MTC005-190039-
/O.EXP.KTFX.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-160619T0030Z/
BLAINE MT-
630 PM MDT SAT JUN 18 2016

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL BLAINE COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
630 PM MDT...
    
THE TORNADO THREAT HAS DIMINISHED AND THE TORNADO WARNING HAS BEEN
CANCELLED. HOWEVER...LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND ISOLATED
TORNADO REMAIN LIKELY AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN
EFFECT FOR THE AREA. HOWEVER SMALL HAIL IS STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS
THUNDERSTORM.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM MDT FOR
NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING STILL REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR
BLAINE COUNTY FOR GOLF BALL HAIL AND STRONG WINDS. 

LAT...LON 4803 10923 4819 10923 4827 10904 4837 10857
      4800 10854
TIME...MOT...LOC 0028Z 267DEG 50KT 4815 10882 

$$

JANGLIN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 18, 12:58 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXGlacier47 min
Jun 18, 1:36 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXToole24 min
Jun 18, 2:08 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXGlacier52 min
Jun 18, 2:29 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXGlacier, Pondera46 min
Jun 18, 3:51 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXCascade24 min
Jun 18, 4:33 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXTeton42 min
Jun 18, 4:41 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXChouteau34 min
Jun 18, 5:13 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementTFXHill32 min
Jun 18, 5:36 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTFXBlaine, Chouteau, Hill24 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.