Damaging Wind in Montana, July 23, 2002

Name: Damaging Wind in Montana, July 23, 2002
Start: 2002-07-23T19:55
End: 2002-07-23T19:55
Location: Montana

July 23, 2002 · NWS TFX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 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 Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 23, 7:55 PM MST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 23, 7:55 PM MST, 0 minutes before

SOUTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
855 PM MDT TUE JUL 23 2002

WILL UPDATE ZONES AND STATE FORECAST

.SHORT TERM...WIDESPREAD SEVERE CONVECTION IS WINDING DOWN ACROSS MY
CWA THIS EVENING. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH EXPIRES AT 9 PM...SPC
DISCUSSION INDICATES THAT NO ADDITIONAL WATCHES WILL BE ISSUED.
SATELLITE...RADAR AND LIGHTNING DATA ALL SHOWING SCATTERED CONVECTION
CONTINUING UPSTREAM OF MY CWA. 18Z MESO-ETA MODEL MOVES SEVERAL UPPER
DISTURBANCES OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN ROCKIES
OVERNIGHT. STRONGEST DISTURBANCE CURRENTLY OVER ID PANHANDLE WILL
MOVE THROUGH WEST CENTRAL MT AND INTO MY CWA SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT.
UPDATE WILL PRIMARILY DEAL WITH REMOVING MENTION OF SEVERE WEATHER
AND THE WATCH. PLAN ON KEEPING ISOLATED TO LOW CHANCE POPS OUT FOR
MOST AREAS DOWNSTREAM OF CURRENT CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY...BUT WILL WORD
FOR DECREASING ACTIVITY OVERNIGHT. WILL DROP ALL POPS FOR BEAVERHEAD
COUNTY AND OTHER SOUTHWEST ZONES SINCE IT LOOKS LIKE ACTION IS READY
TO EXIT THIS AREA. OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPS LOOK GOOD...SO NO CHANGES. MPJ

.EXTENDED...MODELS ARE COMING INTO BETTER AGREEMENT WITH UPPER LEVEL
FEATURES PROGGED TO AFFECT THE REGION THIS WEEKEND. TROUGH NOW
APPEARS TO BE BROADER AND APPEARS TO MOVE INTO THE STATE A BIT
FASTER THAN PREVIOUSLY PROGGED. ECMWF PROGRESSES THE TROUGH THROUGH
THE STATE BY MONDAY...WHILE THE MRF/AVN KEEPS THE TROUGH LINGERING
OVER CNTRL MT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING. STABILITY INDICES LOOK RATHER
UNIMPRESSIVE IN THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS...AND FLOW OVER THE STATE
MAY NOT BE MOIST ENOUGH FOR MUCH CONVECTION. STILL...WITH THE TROUGH
APPROACHING THE AREA WOULD EXPECT SOME SHOWERS...AND WILL KEEP A
SLIGHT CHANCE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. MONDAY AND TUESDAY SHOULD BE DRIER
AS THE FLOW BECOMES MORE NORTHWESTERLY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE A BIT
COOLER OVER THE WEEKEND AS THE TROUGH LOWERS THICKNESSES. MPJ

.CCF NUMBERS
GTF BB 058/088 058/088 055 16411
    BBBUU 084/052 079/051 080/052 083/050 080 12122221100
CTB BB 056/085 056/085 053 16111
    BBBUU 079/051 075/050 076/051 079/049 077 12122221100
HLN BB 060/090 060/090 057 16511
    BBBBB 087/054 081/052 082/051 085/055 082 22222221111
BZN BB 053/088 053/088 052 16511
    BBBBB 084/051 080/050 081/051 084/049 081 22222222111
WEY BB 046/082 043/082 044 16311
    BBBBB 079/042 074/041 075/042 077/041 074 22222222111
DLN BB 052/088 052/088 051 16311
    BBBBB 085/052 080/049 081/050 083/051 080 22222222111
HVR BB 058/088 058/088 055 16211
    BBBUU 085/053 079/051 081/052 085/051 082 12122221100
LWT BB 056/086 055/086 054 16511
    BBBUU 083/051 078/049 079/050 082/050 079 12122221100=

.TFX...NONE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 23, 4:21 PM MST, 3 hours 34 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
521 PM MDT TUE JUL 23 2002

TIME(MDT)  .....EVENT  LOCATION..... ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...........
           .....COUNTY LOCATION.....

0453 PM    3 N DILLON                MT   0.75 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   BEAVERHEAD                     TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS
                                          GROUND COMPLETELY WHITE
                                          FROM HAIL

0515 PM    6 N CHOTEAU               MT   0.88 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   TETON                          SPOTTER REPORT

NNNN

Local storm report, Jul 23, 5:09 PM MST, 2 hours 46 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
609 PM MDT TUE JUL 23 2002

TIME(MDT)  .....EVENT  LOCATION..... ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...........
           .....COUNTY LOCATION.....

0453 PM    3 N DILLON                MT   0.75 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   BEAVERHEAD                     TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS
                                          GROUND COMPLETELY WHITE
                                          FROM HAIL

0515 PM    6 N CHOTEAU               MT   0.88 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   TETON                          SPOTTER REPORT

0605 PM    2 S FT SHAW               MT   70 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        ALSO HEAVY RAIN...SPOTTER
                                          REPORT

NNNN

Local storm report, Jul 23, 6:43 PM MST, 1 hour 12 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
743 PM MDT TUE JUL 23 2002

TIME(MDT)  .....EVENT  LOCATION..... ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...........
           .....COUNTY LOCATION.....

0453 PM    3 N DILLON                MT   0.75 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   BEAVERHEAD                     TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS
                                          GROUND COMPLETELY WHITE
                                          FROM HAIL

0515 PM    6 N CHOTEAU               MT   0.88 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   TETON                          SPOTTER REPORT

0600 PM    2 S CHOTEAU               MT   RAIN
07/23/02   TETON                          0.60 INCHES OF RAIN IN LAST
                                          HOUR (5 PM THROUGH 6 PM).
                                          LITTLE THUNDER/LIGHTNING.
                                          NO HAIL/WIND.

0605 PM    2 S FT SHAW               MT   70 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        ALSO HEAVY RAINS...SPOTTER
                                          REPORT

0605 PM    FT SHAW                   MT   0.50 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   CASCADE                        30-35 MPH WINDS WITH ONE
                                          QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH
                                          DIAMETER HAIL. STORM JUST
                                          STARTING.

0605 PM    FT SHAW                   MT   35 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE

0620 PM    3 S VAUGHN                MT   65 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        60-65 MPH WIND GUSTS
                                          (ESTIMATED). NO HAIL YET.

0635 PM    8 E GREAT FALLS           MT   65 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        65 MPH WIND GUST
                                          (ESTIMATED) AT MALMSTROM
                                          AIR FORCE BASE.

0740 PM    1 E GEYSER                MT   60 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   JUDITH  BASIN                  ALSO HEAVY RAIN...SPOTTER
                                          REPORT

NNNN

Local storm report, Jul 23, 6:52 PM MST, 1 hour 3 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
752 PM MDT TUE JUL 23 2002

TIME(MDT)  .....EVENT  LOCATION..... ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...........
           .....COUNTY LOCATION.....

0453 PM    3 N DILLON                MT   0.75 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   BEAVERHEAD                     TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS
                                          GROUND COMPLETELY WHITE
                                          FROM HAIL

0515 PM    6 N CHOTEAU               MT   0.88 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   TETON                          SPOTTER REPORT

0600 PM    2 S CHOTEAU               MT   RAIN
07/23/02   TETON                          0.60 INCHES OF RAIN IN LAST
                                          HOUR (5 PM THROUGH 6 PM).
                                          LITTLE THUNDER/LIGHTNING.
                                          NO HAIL/WIND.

0605 PM    2 S FT SHAW               MT   70 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        ALSO HEAVY RAIN...SPOTTER
                                          REPORT

0605 PM    FT SHAW                   MT   0.50 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   CASCADE                        30-35 MPH WINDS WITH ONE
                                          QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH
                                          DIAMETER HAIL. STORM JUST
                                          STARTING.

0605 PM    FT SHAW                   MT   35 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE

0620 PM    3 S VAUGHN                MT   65 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        60-65 MPH WIND GUSTS
                                          (ESTIMATED). NO HAIL YET.

0635 PM    8 E GREAT FALLS           MT   65 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        65 MPH WIND GUST
                                          (ESTIMATED) AT MALMSTROM
                                          AIR FORCE BASE.

0720 PM    HIGHWOOD                  MT   60 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CHOUTEAU                       2 SPOTTER REPORTS

0740 PM    1 E GEYSER                MT   60 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   JUDITH  BASIN                  ALSO HEAVY RAIN...SPOTTER
                                          REPORT

NNNN

Local storm report, Jul 23, 6:58 PM MST, 57 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
758 PM MDT TUE JUL 23 2002

TIME(MDT)  .....EVENT  LOCATION..... ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...........
           .....COUNTY LOCATION.....

0453 PM    3 N DILLON                MT   0.75 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   BEAVERHEAD                     TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS
                                          GROUND COMPLETELY WHITE
                                          FROM HAIL

0515 PM    6 N CHOTEAU               MT   0.88 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   TETON                          SPOTTER REPORT

0600 PM    2 S CHOTEAU               MT   RAIN
07/23/02   TETON                          0.60 INCHES OF RAIN IN LAST
                                          HOUR (5 PM THROUGH 6 PM).
                                          LITTLE THUNDER/LIGHTNING.
                                          NO HAIL/WIND.

0605 PM    2 S FT SHAW               MT   70 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        ALSO HEAVY RAIN...SPOTTER
                                          REPORT

0605 PM    FT SHAW                   MT   0.50 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   CASCADE                        30-35 MPH WINDS WITH ONE
                                          QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH
                                          DIAMETER HAIL. STORM JUST
                                          STARTING.

0605 PM    FT SHAW                   MT   35 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE

0620 PM    3 S VAUGHN                MT   65 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        60-65 MPH WIND GUSTS
                                          (ESTIMATED). NO HAIL YET.

0635 PM    8 E GREAT FALLS           MT   65 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        65 MPH WIND GUST
                                          (ESTIMATED) AT MALMSTROM
                                          AIR FORCE BASE.

0715 PM    CANYON CREEK              MT   65 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   LEWIS  AND  CLARK              SPOTTER REPORT

0720 PM    HIGHWOOD                  MT   60 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CHOUTEAU                       2 SPOTTER REPORTS

0740 PM    1 E GEYSER                MT   60 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   JUDITH  BASIN                  ALSO HEAVY RAIN...SPOTTER
                                          REPORT

NNNN

Local storm report, Jul 23, 7:04 PM MST, 51 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
804 PM MDT TUE JUL 23 2002

TIME(MDT)  .....EVENT  LOCATION..... ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...........
           .....COUNTY LOCATION.....

0453 PM    3 N DILLON                MT   0.75 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   BEAVERHEAD                     TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS
                                          GROUND COMPLETELY WHITE
                                          FROM HAIL

0515 PM    6 N CHOTEAU               MT   0.88 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   TETON                          SPOTTER REPORT

0600 PM    2 S CHOTEAU               MT   RAIN
07/23/02   TETON                          0.60 INCHES OF RAIN IN LAST
                                          HOUR (5 PM THROUGH 6 PM).
                                          LITTLE THUNDER/LIGHTNING.
                                          NO HAIL/WIND.

0605 PM    2 S FT SHAW               MT   70 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        ALSO HEAVY RAIN...SPOTTER
                                          REPORT

0605 PM    FT SHAW                   MT   0.50 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   CASCADE                        30-35 MPH WINDS WITH ONE
                                          QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH
                                          DIAMETER HAIL. STORM JUST
                                          STARTING.

0605 PM    FT SHAW                   MT   35 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE

0620 PM    3 S VAUGHN                MT   65 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        60-65 MPH WIND GUSTS
                                          (ESTIMATED). NO HAIL YET.

0629 PM    GREAT FALLS               MT   54 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        KTFX ANEMOMETER

0632 PM    GREAT FALLS               MT   57 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        KRTV TELEVISION ANEMOMETER

0635 PM    8 E GREAT FALLS           MT   65 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CASCADE                        65 MPH WIND GUST
                                          (ESTIMATED) AT MALMSTROM
                                          AIR FORCE BASE.

0715 PM    CANYON CREEK              MT   65 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   LEWIS  AND  CLARK              SPOTTER REPORT

0715 PM    CANYON CREEK              MT   0.50 INCH HAIL
07/23/02   LEWIS  AND  CLARK

0720 PM    HIGHWOOD                  MT   60 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   CHOUTEAU                       2 SPOTTER REPORTS

0740 PM    1 E GEYSER                MT   60 MPH TSTM GUST
07/23/02   JUDITH  BASIN                  ALSO HEAVY RAIN...SPOTTER
                                          REPORT

NNNN

The radar

The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 152 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:52 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fergus

When: July 23, 7:55 PM MST
Where: Fergus County, Winifred
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 47.550, -109.367

A severe thunderstorm produced a 67 mph wind gust at Winifred.

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

Every storm in Montana in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, July 2002

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: 5307582.