High Wind in Montana, November 11, 2003

Name: High Wind in Montana, November 11, 2003
Start: 2003-11-11T15:00
End: 2003-11-11T17:00
Location: Montana

November 11, 2003 · NWS TFX · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

A high wind event occurred over Southwest Montana. Reported wind speeds include: 40 mph sustained winds at Bozeman Hill, 61 mph gust at Galena and a 59 mph gust at Bozeman.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 TFX wrote it up.

A high wind event occurred over Southwest Montana. Reported wind speeds include: 40 mph sustained winds at Bozeman Hill, 61 mph gust at Galena and a 59 mph gust at Bozeman.

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 Nov 11, 2:15 PM MST, 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 11, 2:15 PM MST, 45 minutes before

SOUTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
215 PM MST TUE NOV 11 2003

.DISCUSSION...

TONIGHT...UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE HAS ALREADY SWUNG ACROSS THE STATE.
SURFACE LOW PRESSSURE IS NOW IN EASTERN MONTANA AND A COLD FRONT IS
PUSHING SOUTH THROUGH MY NORTHWEST ZONES. MODELS DID NOT HANDLE THE
PUSH OF NORTH WINDS WITH ASSOCIATED UPSLOPE LOW CLOUDS AND SNOW. AS A
RESULT HAVE INCREASED EVENING POPS FOR UPSLOPE AREAS TO LIKELY OR
CATEGORICAL. NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS WILL ALSO CONTINUE IN SOUTHWEST
MONTANA MOUNTAINS. SATELLITE IMAGERY DOES SHOW THAT BEST MOISTURE
WILL BE SHORT LIVED...SO BY MIDNIGHT HAVE POPS DROPPING OFF
SIGNIFICANTLY AND BRING PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES IN FROM THE NORTHWEST.
ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL NOT BE VERY IMPRESSIVE...SO WILL
ALLOW THE WINTER STORM WARNING TO EXPIRE AT 5 PM AS PLANNED. WILL
ALSO CANCEL THE HIGH WIND WARNING SINCE BEST PRESSURE RISES AND MID
LEVEL WINDS ARE ALREADY OVER THE AREA...AND NOT MUCH IS HAPPENING.
TEMPERATURES WILL RUN ABOUT 10 TO 15 DEGREES COLDER TONIGHT THAN LAST
NIGHT...WHICH PUTS US FAIRLY CLOSE TO SEASONAL NORMS.

WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...UPPER LEVEL RIDGING MOVES OVER THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES. EXPECT PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES...WARMING TEMPERATURES
AND LIGHT TO MODERATE WEST WINDS. MPJ

THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT DURING THE
PERIOD WILL BRING A CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION ALONG THE CONTINENTAL
DIVIDE AND TO THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA EACH DAY. THE
WESTERLY FLOW WILL BRING DOWNSLOPE CONDITIONS TO THE PLAINS RESULTING
IN WARM...DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS. MEIER

.CCF NUMBERS
GTF BU 022/039 024/048 028 14500
    BBBNN 051/030 046/028 046/025 048/029 049 00000000000
CTB BU 023/040 025/045 026 14600
HLN BU 025/040 018/041 018 14600
    BBBNN 047/022 044/023 045/020 045/024 047 0000000-000
BZN UU 022/034 011/034 013 14600
    BBBEN 044/015 041/014 042/013 042/016 043 00000001000
WEY UU 014/032 007/031 009 14800
    BBEEE 034/012 034/011 033/010 034/016 039 00000013111
DLN UU 022/033 014/038 014 14500
    BBEEE 041/019 043/021 041/020 042/024 045 00000--2---
HVR BU 024/040 020/048 024 14300
    BBBNB 050/025 046/024 045/020 047/022 046 00000000000
LWT BU 023/038 020/047 026 14400
    BBBNB 046/025 044/024 042/023 044/026 048 00000000000

.TFX...NONE.

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 11, 6:10 AM MST, 8 hours 50 minutes before

MTZ008>015-044>055-121310-
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
610 AM MST TUE NOV 11 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA

.DAY ONE...TODAY

HIGH WIND WARNING FOR A PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL
MONTANA FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MST THIS EVENING. REFER TO
GTFNPWTFX FOR MORE DETAILS.

WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT ABOVE 5000 FEET FOR THE ROCKY
MOUNTAIN FRONT AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON. REFER TO GTFWSWTFX FOR MORE DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

HIGH WINDS ARE AGAIN LIKELY SUNDAY AND MONDAY. STRONG WESTERLY FLOW
WILL BRING STRONG WINDS TO THE AREA BY SUNDAY AGAIN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Jefferson

When: November 11, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Gallatin

When: November 11, 3:50 PM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Gallatin forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Gallatin

When: November 11, 4:27 PM MST
Where: Gallatin forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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, November 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: 5331643, 5331644, 5331542.