Alert archive / Montana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 35, NWS Great Falls, MT

July 8, 2026Fergus County, Judith Basin County, Montana

NWS Great Falls, MT issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 8, 2026, 5:08 PM MDT for Fergus County, Judith Basin County, Montana. It was in force for 52 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: Jul 8, 2026, 5:08 PM MDT (23:08 UTC)
Expired: Jul 8, 2026, 6:00 PM MDT
In force: 52 min
Issued by: NWS Great Falls, MT
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Fergus County, MT, Judith Basin County, MT

The radar

The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 128 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:11 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

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 Jul 8, 12:01 PM MDT, 5 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 8, 12:01 PM MDT, 5 hours 7 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 8, 4:00 PM MDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 8, 4:26 PM MDT, 42 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 8, 4:29 PM MDT, 39 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
429 PM MDT Wed Jul 8 2026

MTZ320-322>324-082315-
Elkhorn and Boulder Mountains MT-Missouri Headwaters MT-
Big Belt, Bridger and Castle Mountains MT-Canyon Ferry Area MT-
429 PM MDT Wed Jul 8 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN BROADWATER...
SOUTHEASTERN JEFFERSON AND NORTHERN GALLATIN COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM
MDT...

At 428 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 14
miles southwest of Toston, or 19 miles southwest of Townsend, moving
east at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch 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...
Toston.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 4601 11173 4612 11175 4624 11132 4600 11132
TIME...MOT...LOC 2228Z 257DEG 18KT 4607 11170

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

AM

Special weather statement, Jul 8, 4:51 PM MDT, 17 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
451 PM MDT Wed Jul 8 2026

MTZ310-312-317-082330-
Little Belt and Highwood Mountains MT-
Western and Central Chouteau County MT-
Cascade County below 5000ft MT-
451 PM MDT Wed Jul 8 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTH CENTRAL CHOUTEAU AND
NORTHEASTERN CASCADE COUNTIES THROUGH 530 PM MDT...

At 451 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8
miles east of Black Eagle, or 9 miles east of Great Falls, moving
east at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and penny 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...
Highwood.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 4745 11111 4755 11115 4770 11069 4745 11058
TIME...MOT...LOC 2251Z 256DEG 22KT 4751 11110

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

AM

Special weather statement, Jul 8, 4:58 PM MDT, 10 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 8, 5:05 PM MDT, 3 minutes before

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The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 7, 6:07 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Gallatin	38 min
Jul 8, 3:07 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Lewis and Clark	38 min
Jul 8, 3:10 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Teton	50 min
Jul 8, 3:44 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Broadwater	46 min
Jul 8, 3:54 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TFX	Broadwater, Gallatin	51 min
Jul 8, 4:00 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Jefferson	30 min
Jul 8, 4:26 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Jefferson	49 min
Jul 8, 4:29 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Broadwater	46 min
Jul 8, 4:51 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Cascade	39 min
Jul 8, 4:58 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Judith Basin	47 min
Jul 8, 5:05 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Broadwater	40 min
Jul 8, 5:25 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Cascade	50 min
Jul 8, 5:28 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Gallatin	47 min
Jul 8, 5:44 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	TFX	Chouteau	46 min
Jul 8, 5:52 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TFX	Chouteau, Fergus	38 min
Jul 8, 5:55 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	TFX	Fergus, Judith Basin	35 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Montana, 2026 Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.