Alert archive / Montana / Wind Advisories in 2026

Wind Advisory 6, NWS Missoula, MT

April 6, 202611 counties in Montana

NWS Missoula, MT issued this wind advisory at Apr 6, 2026, 10:40 AM MDT for 11 counties in Montana. It took effect at Apr 7, 2026, 9:00 AM MDT. It was in force for 12 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 6, 2026, 10:40 AM MDT (16:40 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 7, 2026, 9:00 AM MDT
Expired
Apr 7, 2026, 9:00 PM MDT
In force
12 hr
Issued by
NWS Missoula, MT

Counties Deer Lodge County, MT, Flathead County, MT, Granite County, MT, Lake County, MT, Lincoln County, MT, Mineral County, MT, Missoula County, MT, Powell County, MT, Ravalli County, MT, Sanders County, MT, Silver Bow County, MT

The radar

The Missoula radar (KMSX), 2 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:38 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 nearest sounding before it

Boise Airport, ID (KBOI), launched 12:00Z, 4.7 hours before the alert went out and 425 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, Boise Airport, ID at 12:00Z on 2026-04-06Temperature 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, Boise Airport, ID at 12:00Z on 2026-04-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 45 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
2852 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
117 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

778 
WWUS75 KMSO 061640
NPWMSO

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Missoula MT
1040 AM MDT Mon Apr 6 2026

MTZ001-003-004-071645-
/O.NEW.KMSO.WI.Y.0006.260407T1500Z-260408T0300Z/
Kootenai/Cabinet Region-Flathead/Mission Valleys-Lower Clark Fork
Region-
1040 AM MDT Mon Apr 6 2026

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 9 PM MDT TUESDAY...

* WHAT...West winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. 
  Isolated stronger gusts approaching 60 mph are possible.

* WHERE...Flathead/Mission Valleys, Kootenai/Cabinet Region, and 
  Lower Clark Fork Region.

* WHEN...From 9 AM to 9 PM MDT Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree 
  limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Anyone with plans on recreating on area 
  lakes, especially Flathead Lake should plan on choppy conditions 
  with 2 to 3 foot waves.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high 
profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

Secure outdoor objects.

&&

$$

MTZ002-043-071645-
/O.NEW.KMSO.WI.Y.0006.260407T1500Z-260408T0300Z/
West Glacier Region-Potomac/Seeley Lake Region-
1040 AM MDT Mon Apr 6 2026

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 9 PM MDT TUESDAY...

* WHAT...West winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. 
  Isolated stronger gusts approaching 60 mph are possible.

* WHERE...West Glacier Region and Potomac/Seeley Lake Region.

* WHEN...From 9 AM to 9 PM MDT Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree 
  limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high 
profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

Secure outdoor objects.

&&

$$

MTZ005-071645-
/O.NEW.KMSO.WI.Y.0006.260407T1500Z-260408T0300Z/
Missoula/Bitterroot Valleys-
1040 AM MDT Mon Apr 6 2026

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 9 PM MDT TUESDAY...

* WHAT...West winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. 
  Isolated stronger gusts approaching 60 mph are possible. The 
  strongest wind gusts are expected in the Bitterroot Valley.

* WHERE...Missoula/Bitterroot Valleys.

* WHEN...From 9 AM to 9 PM MDT Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree 
  limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high 
profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

Secure outdoor objects.

&&

$$

MTZ006-007-071645-
/O.NEW.KMSO.WI.Y.0006.260407T1500Z-260408T0300Z/
Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains-Butte/Blackfoot Region-
1040 AM MDT Mon Apr 6 2026

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 9 PM MDT TUESDAY...

* WHAT...West winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. 
  Isolated stronger gusts approaching 60 mph are possible. The 
  strongest wind gusts are expected to be along I-90 from Deerlodge 
  to Butte and Montana 1 from Georgetown Lake to Anaconda.

* WHERE...Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains and Butte/Blackfoot Region.

* WHEN...From 9 AM to 9 PM MDT Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree 
  limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high 
profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

&&

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this wind advisory went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before this wind advisory went out at Apr 6, 4:03 AM MDT, 6 hours 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 6, 4:03 AM MDT, 6 hours 37 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
403 AM MDT Mon Apr 6 2026

.DISCUSSION...

KEY MESSAGES:

-  Peak warmth on Monday with above average temperatures through
   the whole forecast period.

-  Strong winds on Tuesday with a cold front passage.

-  Showery weather returns next weekend, especially in the mountains.

No major changes through the next 48 hours. High temperatures
today will run 15 to 20 degrees above average. A cold front will
move through Tuesday and will bring strong gusty winds to the
Northern Rockies. Wind advisories will likely be issued tomorrow
if models hold their course. Widespread wind gusts across the
northern Rockies over 30 mph are expected for most of the
afternoon on Tuesday. Widespread gusts over 40 mph are expected
for a few hours, and isolated damaging wind gusts over 50 mph are
possible with the cold front as it moves through.

Another ridge builds in for Thursday and Friday, but as southwest
flow becomes established this weekend, showers and precipitation
chances increase. A trough passage is possible by Sunday or
Monday.

&&

.AVIATION...VFR flight conditions are expected today. Late
tonight starting around 07/06Z, winds start increasing for what
is expected to be a windy day on Tuesday as a cold front moves
through the region. Increased mountain wave activity is expected
during the day Tuesday.

&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...ID...None.
&&

Nearby

Wind Advisories in Montana, 2026Every wind advisory in 2026

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.