Montana, 2003

Wildfire and Damaging Winds in Montana, August 19, 2003

August 19, 2003 · NWS MSO · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

A line of thunderstorms moved across west central Montana during the evening hours, producing widespread outflow winds of 45 to 50 mph, with localized damaging winds of 60 to 70 mph. In Missoula County, thunderstorm winds blew down trees onto power lines and onto two vehicles causing power outages and damage to the vehicles.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$25,000
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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MSO wrote it up.

A line of thunderstorms moved across west central Montana during the evening hours, producing widespread outflow winds of 45 to 50 mph, with localized damaging winds of 60 to 70 mph. In Missoula County, thunderstorm winds blew down trees onto power lines and onto two vehicles causing power outages and damage to the vehicles. Near the confluence of Rock Creek and the Clark Fork River, thunderstorm winds of 71 mph caused roof damage and blew down trees. South of Seeley Lake, at the Boles Fire Camp, winds blew down tents. Near Dixon in Sanders County, thunderstorm winds of 59 mph caused roof damage to a trailer home. Power outages were reported in Ravalli County near Hamilton with trees blown down. In Mineral County, 50 mph winds caused the Fish Creek Fire to spread an additional 7000 acres, causing evacuation of homes in the Petty Creek area.

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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 19, 1:57 PM MST, 4 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 19, 1:57 PM MST, 4 hours 33 minutes before
WESTERN MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
257 PM MDT TUE AUG 19 2003

.SHORT TERM...WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS TONGUE OF MOISTURE MOVING
INTO WESTERN IDAHO FROM EASTERN OREGON.  RADAR INDICATES A BAND OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE IN SAME AREA.
MAIN SURFACE FRONT HAS MOVED INTO EASTERN WASHINGTON AND MODEL
TIMING INTO NORTHWEST MONTANA BETWEEN 6PM AND MIDNIGHT LOOKS GOOD.
THUNDERSTORMS WILL INITIALLY BE DRY BUT SHOULD TURN WET QUICKLY
AFTER CONVECTION STARTS...THOUGH I DONT THINK DRY VERSUS WET
THUNDERSTORMS WILL MAKE MUCH DIFFERENCE SINCE LIGHTNING ACTIVITY
SHOULD BE HIGH AND MOVEMENT WILL BE FAIRLY QUICK. THEREFORE...
SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL IS NOT EXPECTED. INSTABILITY...FRONTAL SURFACE
GRADIENT...AND UPPER LEVEL WINDS ARE ALL CONSPIRING TO MAKE THIS
EVENING AND TONIGHT PERIOD A WINDY ONE...PARTICULARLY IN
NORTHWEST MONTANA THIS EVENING THEN MOVING TO ALONG THE CONTINENTAL
DIVIDE BY EARLY MORNING WEDNESDAY.  RIDGE WILL BUILD WEDNESDAY AND
EARLY THURSDAY...THEN SOUTHWEST UPPER LEVEL FLOW AFFECTING THE
REGION ON THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.  AN UPPER LEVEL WAVE IS EXPECTED
OVERNIGHT THURSDAY FOR ISOLATED SHOWERS...THEN FRIDAY A MUCH
STRONGER SYSTEM IS FORECAST BY LATE AFTERNOON FOR SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS LATE FRIDAY AND HEADING INTO LONG TERM. MWJ

.LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY WE CONTINUE IN SOUTHWEST
FLOW WITH A CHANCE TO SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING
CONVECTION. MODELS NOT IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT AFTER SATURDAY
AFTERNOON. EACH MODEL HAS DIFFERENT IDEAS ON WHAT TO DO WITH THE LOW
MOVING DOWN THE BRITISH COLUMBIA COAST. SIDING WITH GFS TAKING LOW
NORTH OF US...STAYING IN MORE ZONAL FLOW. MONDAY AND TUESDAY A RIDGE
BEGINS TO BUILD ALONG THE WEST COAST FOR NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE
AREA. KOCH

.MSO...RED FLAG WARNING FOR INCREASING WEST WINDS THROUGH TONIGHT FOR
       FIRE WEATHER ZONES 102 > 109 AND THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF
       110...

...7-DAY SPOT TEMPS AND POPS...
LIB BUE 053/086 045/088 051/090 41200022
     BBUU 048/088 048/084 048/084 048/084 3621111000
FCA BUB 051/083 042/085 048/087 41200022
     BBUU 050/085 047/080 046/080 046/082 3621101000
POL BUB 054/080 046/082 052/084 41200022
     BBUU 053/082 050/078 049/081 049/078 3621100000
MSO UUB 053/085 047/087 053/089 41200023
     BBUU 054/087 051/084 050/085 050/088 3631100000
HMM UUB 051/086 046/088 052/090 41100023
     BBUU 054/088 051/085 050/086 050/088 3631100000
BTM UUB 049/083 042/085 048/087 41100022
     BBBB 049/085 049/080 048/081 047/083 3632210000
ORO UUE 057/092 052/094 058/096 41100022
     BBUU 056/092 056/088 055/089 055/090 3621110000
GRV UUE 052/087 046/089 052/091 41200022
     BBUU 051/087 051/084 050/085 050/087 3621110000
SMN UUB 052/087 044/089 050/091 41100023
     BBUU 051/089 051/084 050/085 049/087 3631110000
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 19, 5:00 AM MST, 13 hours 30 minutes before
MTZ001>007-043-IDZ005>010-201200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
600 AM MDT TUE AUG 19 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MONTANA AND NORTH
CENTRAL IDAHO

.DAY ONE... TODAY

BREEZY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. THESE WINDS...IN
COMBINATION WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS...WILL
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CREATE HAZARDOUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FOR
MORE INFORMATION SEE GTFRFWMSO.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA WEDNESDAY
THUS RESULTING IN HAZARDOUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FOR MORE
INFORMATION SEE GTFRFWMSO.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Missoula

When
August 19, 6:30 PM MST
Where
Missoula County, Missoula
Measured
44 kt (51 mph) measured gust
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
46.883, -114.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Sanders

When
August 19, 6:30 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where
Sanders County, 2 mi E of Dixon
Measured
51 kt (59 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
47.317, -114.267

Wildfire, Mineral

When
August 19, 6:30 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where
Mineral County, 2 mi SW of Alberton
Measured
44
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
47.147, -114.998 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Missoula

When
August 19, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Missoula County, 3 mi S of Clinton
Measured
62 kt (71 mph) measured gust
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
46.733, -113.733

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.
Wildfire
A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Montana in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5332853, 5332854, 5332855, 5332852.