Thunderstorm Wind, Yellowstone
- When
- July 9, 4:15 PM MST to 4:18 PM MST
- Where
- Yellowstone County, Billings Hgts
- Measured
- 69 kt (79 mph)
- Coordinates
- 45.820, -108.520
Damaging Wind in Montana, July 9, 1997
microburst winds hit portions of the downtown and heights area of billings. a wind gust of 72 mph was recorded downtown and was estimated to 80 mph.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS BYZ wrote it up.
microburst winds hit portions of the downtown and heights area of billings. a wind gust of 72 mph was recorded downtown and was estimated to 80 mph. An 18 inch power pole was snapped 10 inches below ground and was leaning. numerous reports of trees uprooted and streets blocked due to downed trees and limbs.
The radar
The Billings radar (KBLX), 8 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:16 UTC.
Event by event
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Hail and Damaging Winds in West Virginia, July 9, 1997
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in New York, July 9, 1997
- Hail in Nebraska, July 9, 1997
- Lightning Strike in New Hampshire, July 9, 1997
- Flash Flood and Hail in Kansas, July 9, 1997
- Damaging Winds in New York, July 9, 1997
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Mississippi, July 9, 1997
- Flood in Ohio, July 9 to 10, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Georgia, July 9, 1997
- Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in Pennsylvania, July 9, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Maine, July 9, 1997
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, July 9, 1997
More
Every storm in Montana in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, July 1997
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5604683.