Montana, 1999

Tornado and Hail in Montana, August 14, 1999

August 14, 1999 · NWS BYZ · 4 events in 2 counties and zones

1 tornado, 1 funnel cloud, 1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$1,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

The radar

The Billings radar (KBLX), 119 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:14 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado, 1 funnel cloud, 1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Wheatland

When
August 14, 8:15 PM MST to 8:30 PM MST
Where
Wheatland County, Harlowton to 12 mi NNE of Harlowton
Rating
F0
Path length
5 mi
Path width
5 yd
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
46.600, -109.720

A driver on U.S. Highway 191 and an amateur radio operator reported a thin rope like tornado that was on the ground over rural areas for around 15 minutes.

Funnel Cloud, Wheatland

When
August 14, 8:21 PM MST
Where
Wheatland County, 8 mi NW of Harlowton
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
46.466, -109.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wheatland sheriff dispatch reported two funnel clouds.

Hail, Wheatland

When
August 14, 8:40 PM MST
Where
Wheatland County, Living Spgs
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
46.600, -109.530

Spotter report of quarter size hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Musselshell

When
August 14, 9:45 PM MST
Where
Musselshell County, 20 mi N of Roundup
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
46.730, -108.530

Wind gusts to 60 mph damaged several large construction signs.

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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

More

Every storm in Montana in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Montana, 1999Warnings in Montana, August 1999

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: 5710984, 5710983, 5710985, 5710986.