Alert archive / Montana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2020

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Billings, MT

May 20, 2020Custer County, Fallon County, Rosebud County, Montana

NWS Billings, MT issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 2020, 7:24 PM MDT for Custer County, Fallon County, Rosebud County, Montana. It was in force for 48 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
May 20, 2020, 7:24 PM MDT (01:24 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 2020, 8:12 PM MDT
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Billings, MT
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
70.0 mph

Counties Custer County, MT, Fallon County, MT, Rosebud County, MT

The radar

The Glasgow radar (KGGW), 229 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:26 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
May 20, 3:11 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Glasgow Intl Airport, MT (KGGW), launched 00:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 230 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 00:00Z on 2020-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 975 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, Glasgow Intl Airport, MT at 00:00Z on 2020-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 2 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
975 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-43 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1692 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
2 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
35 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.0
Supercell composite
-0.4

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 May 20, 5:58 PM MDT, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 5:58 PM MDT, 1 hour 26 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 20, 3:17 PM MDT, 4 hours 7 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Billings MT
317 PM MDT Wed May 20 2020

MTZ029>034-036-037-040-042-056>058-063>068-138-139-141-169>173-228-
235-WYZ198-199-202230-
Musselshell-Treasure-Northern Rosebud-Custer-Fallon-
Northern Stillwater-Powder River-Carter-Northern Park-
Golden Valley-Red Lodge Foothills-Northern Big Horn-
Southern Rosebud-Judith Gap-Paradise Valley-Livingston Area-
Beartooth Foothills-Absaroka/Beartooth Mountains-Crazy Mountains-
Southern Big Horn-Southeastern Carbon-Northern Sweet Grass-
Bighorn Canyon-Northern Carbon-Pryor/Northern Bighorn Mountains-
Melville Foothills-Northeastern Yellowstone-Southern Wheatland-
Southwestern Yellowstone-Northeast Bighorn Mountains-
Sheridan Foothills-
317 PM MDT Wed May 20 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central
Montana...south central Montana...southeast Montana and north
central Wyoming.

* WHAT...Strong to severe thunderstorms today.

* WHERE...Greatest risk of severe storms is along and east of a
  line from Forsyth to Biddle. Large hail, strong winds and heavy
  rain are possible in this area. To the west, there is also a good
  chance of strong thunderstorms but these will be more isolated.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Hazardous Weather Outlook is issued when hazardous weather could
impact the region within the next week. Be sure to stay tuned for
future updates as locations, timing, and impacts could change.
Begin preparations to mitigate any impacts that could result from
the hazardous weather.

&&

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 20, 5:13 PM MDT, 2 hours 11 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 20, 5:19 PM MDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 20, 5:29 PM MDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 20, 5:36 PM MDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 20, 5:44 PM MDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 20, 5:48 PM MDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 6:23 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZCuster52 min
May 20, 6:30 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZCarter45 min
May 20, 6:35 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBYZRosebud40 min
May 20, 6:54 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBYZCuster, Rosebud36 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Montana, 2020Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2020

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.