Alert archive / Montana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2025

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 14, NWS Great Falls, MT

May 11, 20254 counties in Montana

NWS Great Falls, MT issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 11, 2025, 2:44 PM MDT for 4 counties in Montana. It was in force for 46 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 11, 2025, 2:44 PM MDT (20:44 UTC)
Expired: May 11, 2025, 3:30 PM MDT
In force: 46 min
Issued by: NWS Great Falls, MT
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 0.75 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Cascade County, MT, Chouteau County, MT, Pondera County, MT, Teton County, MT

The radar

The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 42 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:45 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 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 Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 11, 11:51 AM MDT, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 11, 11:51 AM MDT, 2 hours 53 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 11, 12:58 PM MDT, 1 hour 46 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
1258 PM MDT Sun May 11 2025

MTZ327-111930-
Northwest Beaverhead County MT-
1258 PM MDT Sun May 11 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHWESTERN BEAVERHEAD COUNTY
THROUGH 130 PM MDT...

At 1257 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 10
miles east of Gibbonsville, moving northeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Wisdom.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 4584 11364 4588 11353 4593 11352 4575 11336
      4580 11335 4582 11330 4577 11318 4540 11376
      4541 11379 4543 11376 4545 11378 4550 11376
      4552 11383 4559 11380 4561 11384
TIME...MOT...LOC 1857Z 222DEG 37KT 4557 11371

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

Wilson

Special weather statement, May 11, 1:41 PM MDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
141 PM MDT Sun May 11 2025

MTZ307>309-312-315-316-320-112015-
Eastern Pondera and Eastern Teton MT-
Southern Rocky Mountain Front MT-
Big Belt, Bridger and Castle Mountains MT-
Cascade County below 5000ft MT-Southern High Plains MT-
Upper Blackfoot and MacDonald Pass MT-Gates of the Mountains MT-
141 PM MDT Sun May 11 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT CENTRAL LEWIS AND CLARK...SOUTH
CENTRAL TETON AND SOUTHWESTERN CASCADE COUNTIES THROUGH 215 PM MDT...

At 140 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 12
miles west of Wolf Creek, moving northeast at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Bowmans Corner, Marysville, Tower Rock State Park, Wolf Creek, Craig,
Canyon Creek, Bean Lake, and Lincoln.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.

&&

LAT...LON 4762 11209 4706 11158 4669 11241 4670 11248
      4675 11254 4683 11253 4684 11261 4704 11280
      4717 11279 4718 11290
TIME...MOT...LOC 1940Z 243DEG 33KT 4706 11233

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

Wilson

Special weather statement, May 11, 2:13 PM MDT, 31 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
213 PM MDT Sun May 11 2025

MTZ308-309-312-316-112045-
Eastern Pondera and Eastern Teton MT-Cascade County below 5000ft MT-
Southern High Plains MT-Gates of the Mountains MT-
213 PM MDT Sun May 11 2025

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT EAST CENTRAL LEWIS AND CLARK...
SOUTHEASTERN TETON AND NORTHWESTERN CASCADE COUNTIES THROUGH 245 PM
MDT...

At 212 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from 12 miles southwest of Fort Shaw to 11 miles
southwest of Cascade. Movement was northeast at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Tower Rock State Park, Ulm, Fort  Shaw, Fort Shaw, Vaughn, Cascade,
First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park, Power, Simms, and Sun River.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.

&&

LAT...LON 4778 11168 4726 11135 4708 11195 4745 11214
TIME...MOT...LOC 2012Z 232DEG 27KT 4743 11204 4716 11190

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

Wilson

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 10, 6:04 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Wheatland	56 min
May 10, 6:13 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TFX	Blaine, Fergus	62 min
May 10, 6:26 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Hill	34 min
May 10, 6:31 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TFX	Fergus, Judith Basin	59 min
May 10, 6:34 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Cascade, Lewis and Clark	56 min
May 10, 6:41 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TFX	Blaine	27 min
May 10, 6:53 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Fergus	37 min
May 10, 7:05 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TFX	Cascade, Chouteau	55 min
May 10, 7:06 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Hill	24 min
May 10, 7:21 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TFX	Fergus	24 min
May 10, 7:42 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Fergus	63 min
May 10, 7:42 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TFX	Blaine, Hill	37 min
May 10, 8:46 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Meagher	44 min
May 10, 11:10 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Fergus	50 min
May 11, 2:13 AM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Gallatin	47 min
May 11, 12:58 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX		32 min
May 11, 1:41 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Lewis and Clark	34 min
May 11, 2:13 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Cascade	32 min
May 11, 2:51 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX		39 min
May 11, 3:01 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Jefferson	44 min
May 11, 3:27 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TFX	Cascade, Chouteau, Fergus, Hill, Judith Basin, Teton	63 min
May 11, 3:32 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Cascade	43 min
May 11, 3:47 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Broadwater	43 min
May 11, 4:15 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Judith Basin	45 min
May 11, 4:27 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TFX	Blaine, Chouteau, Fergus, Hill	93 min
May 11, 4:29 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Broadwater	46 min
May 11, 5:31 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Judith Basin	59 min
May 11, 5:56 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TFX	Blaine, Chouteau, Fergus, Hill	58 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Montana, 2025 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2025

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.