A strong west to east oriented jet stream moved into western Montana during the morning hours of January 30th. Isolated thunderstorms allowed strong winds aloft to mix down into the Missoula, northern Bitterroot and Upper Clark Fork River Valleys.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS MSO wrote it up.
A strong west to east oriented jet stream moved into western Montana during the morning hours of January 30th. Isolated thunderstorms allowed strong winds aloft to mix down into the Missoula, northern Bitterroot and Upper Clark Fork River Valleys. At the Missoula Airport, wind gusts to 60 MPH occurred at 937 AM. Shortly thereafter, estimated wind gusts of 55 to 60 MPH occurred in the northern Bitterroot Valley and at Gold Creek in Powell County, where downed trees and power lines caused power outages.
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 Jan 30, 7:36 AM MST, 2 hours 1 minute earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, January 2004
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: 5380351, 5380352.