Heat in Montana, August 11 to 16, 2003

Name: Heat in Montana, August 11 to 16, 2003
Start: 2003-08-11T06:00
End: 2003-08-16T20:00
Location: Montana

August 11 to 16, 2003 · NWS GGW · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 16 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: 16

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 GGW wrote it up.

The high temperature reached 100 degrees or higher for 6 consecutive days at Glasgow International Airport from August 11th-16th. This breaks the previous record of 5 consecutive days with highs of 100 degrees or higher set back in 1933. In addition, several record high minimum temperatures were recorded on the 12th through the 17th. The excessive heat was widespread across Northeast Montana with many cooperative observers reporting 6 consecutive days with high temperatures of 100 or higher. The highest temperature recorded during the record breaking heatwave was 106 which was recorded on the 16th at Downtown Glasgow and 4 miles southwest of Hinsdale, as well as Glendive on the 13th.

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 Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 11, 1:25 AM MST, 4 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 11, 1:25 AM MST, 4 hours 35 minutes before

NORTHEAST MONTANA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT
225 AM MDT MON AUG 11 2003

.SHORT TERM...MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...
UPPER RIDGE AXIS CURRENTLY OVER CENTRAL MONTANA WILL CONTINUE TO
DRIFT SLOWLY EASTWARD AND INTENSIFY. WARM TEMPERATURES A GIVEN EACH
DAY WITH A CHANCE FOR SOME TEMPERATURE RECORDS TO BE BROKEN BY THE
MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. NIGHTTIME TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO CONTINUE WELL
ABOVE NORMAL WITH RELATIVELY GOOD MIXING. STRONG WINDS ACROSS
CENTRAL AND EAST PORTION OF THE CWFA THIS MORNING SHOULD DIMINISH
SOMEWHAT BY SUNRISE BUT BECOME GUSTY AT TIMES DURING THE AFTERNOON
HOURS TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WINDS COULD APPROACH 20 MPH NEEDED
FOR RED FLAG WARNING WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES EXPECTED
TO REMAIN GENERALLY JUST ABOVE 20 PERCENT. A WEAK SHORTWAVE
INDICATED TO MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN
PERIPHERY OF STRONG UPPER HIGH TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. THUS,
CHANCE TO SLIGHT CHANCE POPS INDICATED ACROSS CWFA. SOME RESIDUAL
MOISTURE AND A VERY WEAK DISTURBANCE INDICATED ALONG NORTHERN
PORTION OF CWFA FOR TUESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY WED MORNING FOR
ADDITIONAL SLIGHT CHANCE POPS. ANY SIGNIFICANT THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
LIKELY TO BECOME SEVERE DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THETA E RIDGE. LYNN

.LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY
MODELS STILL IN DECENT DISAGREEMENT AS FAR AS THE MEDIUM RANGE IS
CONCERNED. HOWEVER...MORE AND MORE THEY SEEM TO BE COMING TO
SOMEWHAT OF A CONSENSUS THAT THE CURRENT PATTERN WILL BREAK DOWN BY
WEEKS END OR THE WEEKEND. UPPER HIGH FORECAST TO BE OVER THE HIGH
PLAINS BIG TIME THURSDAY...WITH MOISTURE AND ENERGY SHUNTED TO OUR
WEST IN NEARLY SOUTHERLY FLOW. THIS RIDGE THEN BEGINS TO BE BROKEN
DOWN EITHER FRIDAY OR SATURDAY BY INCOMING TROF. MODELS DIFFERING ON
THE FINER DETAILS LIKE TIMING AND HOW MUCH IT GETS BROKEN DOWN. SO
FEELING A LITTLE MORE CONFIDENT IN WEEKEND TEMPERATURES BEING
DECENTLY LOWER THAN MOST OF THIS WEEK. NOT VERY CONFIDENT ON MUCH
ELSE. THINK IT BEST TO MAINTAIN DRY FORECAST AT THIS POINT SINCE
MOST CURRENT SCENARIOS NOT FAVORING MUCH...IF ANY PRECIPITATION.
VALONE

KGGW BBB /100 069/097 065/099 7703221
     BBBB 063/098 057/087 059/086 059/086 059/ 78000000000
KGDV BBB /098 070/097 065/101 7702221
     BBBB 065/100 057/088 059/087 059/089 059/ 78000000000

.GGW...NONE.

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 11, 5:00 AM MST, 1 hour before

MTZ016>027-059>062-121200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT
600 AM MDT MON AUG 11 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA

.DAY ONE...
THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHEAST MONTANA FROM
LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE
SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 11, 5:00 AM MST, 1 hour before

MTZ016>027-059>062-111800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT
600 AM MDT MON AUG 11 2003

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT...

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHEAST MONTANA BEGINNING LATE
THIS AFTERNOON. SHOULD THESE STORMS DEVELOP...SOME COULD BECOME
SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL. THE MAIN THREAT WOULD BE
WEST OF A LINE FROM PLENTYWOOD...TO WOLF POINT...TO SOUTHEAST OF
JORDAN.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
DETAILS OR UPDATES.

VALONE

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Central and Se Phillips

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Central and Se Phillips forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.259, -107.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Central and Southern Valley

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Central and Southern Valley forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.365, -106.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Daniels

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Daniels forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.784, -105.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Dawson

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Dawson forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.266, -104.899 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Eastern Roosevelt

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Eastern Roosevelt forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.295, -105.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Garfield

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Garfield forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.278, -106.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Little Rocky Mountains

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Little Rocky Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.259, -107.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, McCone

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: McCone forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.645, -105.795 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Northern Phillips

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Northern Phillips forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.259, -107.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Northern Valley

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Northern Valley forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.365, -106.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Petroleum

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Petroleum forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.118, -108.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Prairie

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Prairie forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 46.861, -105.378 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Richland

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Richland forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.788, -104.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Sheridan

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Sheridan forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.721, -104.505 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Western Roosevelt

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Western Roosevelt forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.295, -105.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Wibaux

When: August 11, 6:00 AM MST to August 16, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Wibaux forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 46.965, -104.249 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heat: Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Montana in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, August 2003

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: 5374812, 5374813, 5374814, 5374815, 5374816, 5374817, 5374818, 5374819, 5374820, 5374821, 5374822, 5374885, 5374886, 5375196, 5375197, 5375198.