Flash Flooding and Hail in Montana, July 26, 2001

Name: Flash Flooding and Hail in Montana, July 26, 2001
Start: 2001-07-26T10:10
End: 2001-07-26T22:50
Location: Montana

July 26, 2001 · NWS BYZ · 21 events in 10 counties and zones

13 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 21

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 26, 8:05 AM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 26, 8:05 AM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes before

SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MONTANA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
905 AM MDT THU JUL 26 2001

.TDY AND FRI...
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED THIS MORNING NORTH OF BILLINGS.
WEAK WAVE MOVING INTO NORTHEAST MONTANA. ETA GRABS ONTO ANOTHER WAVE AND
PUSHES IT INTO SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. CAPES HIGHS
AND LIS LOW. 12Z ETA HAVE EAST INFLOW OVER THE EAST HALF OF THE AREA.
DEWPOINTS ALREADY IN THE 60S FROM BILLINGS EAST. LIKE THE IDEA OF SEVERE
WHERE IT IS...AND WILL KEEP IT. MONSOONAL MOISTURE BEING DRAWN INTO THE
FORECAST AREA FROM UTAH AND WYOMING. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES OF 1.3
INCHES AT RAPID CITY AT 12Z. EAST FLOW SHOULD KEEP VALUES HIGH OVER THE
EAST HALF OF THE AREA. WILL INCLUDE HEAVY RAIN IN THE ZONES FIRST AND
SECOND PERIOD. TEMPERATURES LOOK ON TRACK. WILL UPDATE. HUMPHREY

.SAT...SUN...MON...TUE...WED...
THINGS ARE STILL LOOKING IMPRESSIVE FOR SATURDAY WITH PRELIMINARY
LIFTED INDICES ON THE AVN INDICATING -9 AND LAPSE RATES OVER 9C/KM FROM
700-500 MB.  WITH PWS REMAINING IN THE .75 TO 1.00 RANGE AND
FAVORABLE WIND PROFILES...FRONTAL LIFT AND HEIGHT FALLS DUE TO A STRONG
PACIFIC SHORTWAVE SWINGING ACROSS THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE STATE...A
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENT APPEARS TO BE TAKING SHAPE. LATEST
AVN CONTINUES TO KEEP SOUTHWEST FLOW IN THE PATTERN WITH A NEW UPPER
LOW DIGGING INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. NO CHANGES. BORSUM

    TDY FRI     SAT     SUN     MON     TUE     WED
-------------------------------------------------------
BIL 085 058/088 062/091 059/084 062/087 060/085 058/083
    4/T 42/T    34/T    43/T    33/T    33/T    33/T
LVM 085 054/087 059/088 056/081 059/084 057/082 057/080
    3/T 32/T    34/T    43/T    33/T    33/T    33/T
HDN 087 058/090 061/093 057/086 060/089 058/087 056/085
    4/T 42/T    34/T    43/T    33/T    33/T    33/T
MLS 086 062/088 064/094 064/087 064/090 062/088 060/086
    4/T 60/U    34/T    43/T    33/T    33/T    33/T
4BQ 087 062/089 063/093 063/086 063/089 061/087 059/085
    4/T 60/U    34/T    43/T    33/T    33/T    33/T
BHK 086 061/087 061/091 060/084 060/087 059/085 057/083
    4/T 60/U    34/T    43/T    33/T    33/T    33/T
SHR 087 058/089 059/091 057/085 059/088 057/086 055/084
    4/T 40/U    34/T    43/T    33/T    33/T    33/T

The radar

The Billings radar (KBLX), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:09 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Wheatland

When: July 26, 10:10 AM MST
Where: Wheatland County, 9 mi N of Shawmut
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.483, -109.517

Hail, Golden Valley

When: July 26, 11:40 AM MST
Where: Golden Valley County, 20 mi N of Lavina
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.567, -108.933

Hail, Treasure

When: July 26, 1:40 PM MST
Where: Treasure County, 25 mi N of Bighorn
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.533, -107.450

Hail, Treasure

When: July 26, 1:50 PM MST
Where: Treasure County, 20 mi W of Hysham
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.300, -107.650

Hail, Treasure

When: July 26, 2:30 PM MST
Where: Treasure County, 12 mi W of Hysham
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 46.300, -107.483

Hail, Treasure

When: July 26, 2:35 PM MST
Where: Treasure County, 11 mi NW of Hysham
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.417, -107.400

Hail, Yellowstone

When: July 26, 2:37 PM MST
Where: Yellowstone County, 5 mi N of Billings Logan Arpt
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.867, -108.533

Hail, Yellowstone

When: July 26, 2:55 PM MST
Where: Yellowstone County, Billings Hgts
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.817, -108.517

Hail, Musselshell

When: July 26, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Musselshell County, 8 mi N of Melstone
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.717, -107.883

Thunderstorm Wind, Rosebud

When: July 26, 4:30 PM MST
Where: Rosebud County, 2 mi E of Rosebud
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 46.230, -106.731 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Golf ball size hail and 60 mph winds

Hail, Big Horn

When: July 26, 4:55 PM MST
Where: Big Horn County, 1 mi S of Kirby
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.283, -106.983

Hail, Rosebud

When: July 26, 5:10 PM MST
Where: Rosebud County, Hathaway
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.267, -106.200

Baseball size hail with 70 to 80 mph winds resulting in broken windows

Hail, Rosebud

When: July 26, 5:24 PM MST
Where: Rosebud County, 1 mi W of Birney
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.317, -106.533

Thunderstorm Wind, Custer

When: July 26, 5:45 PM MST
Where: Custer County, 12 mi S of Miles City
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.253, -105.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nickel size hail with 70 mph wind gust resulting in broken windows

Flash Flood, Custer

When: July 26, 5:50 PM MST
Where: Custer County, 20 mi W of Miles City
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 46.253, -105.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Water over Interstate 94

Thunderstorm Wind, Custer

When: July 26, 5:55 PM MST
Where: Custer County, 12 mi S of Miles City
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.253, -105.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Quarter size hail along with 80 mph winds resulting in damage to trees

Hail, Rosebud

When: July 26, 6:10 PM MST
Where: Rosebud County, 12 mi SE of Birney
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.200, -106.350

Thunderstorm Wind, Fallon

When: July 26, 6:45 PM MST
Where: Fallon County, 30 mi SW of Baker
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.067, -104.733

Thunderstorm Wind, Custer

When: July 26, 6:55 PM MST
Where: Custer County, 7 mi S of Mizpah
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 46.150, -105.267

Thunderstorm Wind, Carter

When: July 26, 8:10 PM MST
Where: Carter County, 13 mi W of Ekalaka
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.883, -104.817

Flash Flood, Fallon

When: July 26, 10:50 PM MST
Where: Fallon County, Baker
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 46.334, -104.417 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Water 4 feet deep in the parks...as well...as running down the streets

What these are

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.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Montana in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, July 2001

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: 5258081, 5258082, 5258083, 5258084, 5258085, 5258086, 5258087, 5258088, 5258089, 5258090, 5258091, 5258092, 5258093, 5258094, 5258095, 5258096, 5258097, 5258098, 5258099, 5258178, 5258179.