Alert archive / Montana / High Wind Warnings in 2020

High Wind Warning 5, NWS Missoula, MT

April 10, 2020Flathead County, Lake County, Sanders County, Montana

NWS Missoula, MT issued this high wind warning at Apr 10, 2020, 2:45 PM MDT for Flathead County, Lake County, Sanders County, Montana. It took effect at Apr 11, 2020, 12:00 AM MDT. It was in force for 11 hr. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Apr 10, 2020, 2:45 PM MDT (20:45 UTC)
In effect from: Apr 11, 2020, 12:00 AM MDT
Expired: Apr 11, 2020, 10:35 AM MDT
In force: 11 hr
Issued by: NWS Missoula, MT

Counties Flathead County, MT, Lake County, MT, Sanders County, MT

The radar

The Missoula radar (KMSX), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:48 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 11, 7:09 AM MDT	NON-TSTM WND GST 49	4 Nne Creston, MT	WINDS FREQUENTLY GUSTED IN THE MID TO UPPER 40S BETWEEN 0709 AND 1100 MDT. THE SENSOR REPORTED A WIND DIRECTION GENERALLY AROUND 154 DEGREES DURING THE EVENT. THERE WAS A 2ND ROUND OF GUSTS TO 46 MPH BETWEEN 1430 AND 1500 MDT.
Apr 11, 9:00 AM MDT	NON-TSTM WND GST 75	9 Ne Bigfork, MT	WEATHER STATION ON MOUNT AENEAS AT 7120 FEET, REPORTED FREQUENTLY EASTERLY WIND GUSTS IN THE 60S AND 70S FROM 7 AM TO 1 PM.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Spokane, WA (KOTX), launched 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 149 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 2538 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 104 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 178 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

540 
WWUS75 KMSO 102045
NPWMSO

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Missoula MT
245 PM MDT Fri Apr 10 2020

MTZ003-111800-
/O.NEW.KMSO.HW.W.0005.200411T0600Z-200411T1800Z/
Flathead/Mission Valleys-
245 PM MDT Fri Apr 10 2020

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON MDT
SATURDAY...

* WHAT...North to northeast winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts of 45 to
  55 mph expected. The most likely areas for the strongest winds
  will be Badrock Canyon, Flathead Lake, and the west side of the
  Swan Range. 

* WHERE...Flathead Lake, Flathead Valley, Mission Valley, and 
  Polson.

* WHEN...From midnight tonight to noon MDT Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. 
  Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be 
  difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around
trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of
your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows. Use caution if
you must drive.

&&

$$

1 follow-up statement

132 
WWUS75 KMSO 111635
NPWMSO

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Missoula MT
1035 AM MDT Sat Apr 11 2020

MTZ003-111745-
/O.CAN.KMSO.HW.W.0005.000000T0000Z-200411T1800Z/
Flathead/Mission Valleys-
1035 AM MDT Sat Apr 11 2020

...HIGH WIND WARNING IS CANCELLED...

Wind gusts exceeding 50 mph have not materialized this morning; 
therefore, the high wind warning has been cancelled. Breezy east-
northeast winds will continue through the afternoon with gusts up
to 40 mph. 

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 10, 3:26 AM MDT	Winter Storm Warning	MSO	Deer Lodge, Flathead, Granite, Lake, Missoula, Powell and 1 more	42 hr
Apr 10, 2:45 PM MDT	Winter Weather Advisory	MSO	Granite, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli, Sanders	31 hr

Nearby

High Wind Warnings in Montana, 2020 Every high wind 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.