Deep surface low pressure moved across Southern Canada and was responsible for gusty winds over a wide area of North Central Montana.
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 TFX wrote it up.
Deep surface low pressure moved across Southern Canada and was responsible for gusty winds over a wide area of North Central Montana.
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 Dec 13, 10:24 AM MST, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 1024 AM MST WED DEC 13 2006 UPDATED AVIATION SECTION .UPDATE... NO UPDATES THIS MORNING. CURRENT FORECAST HANDLING WINDS VERY WELL. LOWERED POPS SLIGHTLY OVER CENTRAL MONTANA FOR THIS MORNING AS MOST PRECIPITATION LIMITED TO MOUNTAINS. WARM AIR ADVECTION STILL ON TRACK SO NEED TO ADJUST TEMPERATURES. CAMP && .AVIATION... UPDATED 1724Z. STRONG WESTERLY WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WIND SPEEDS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO PICK UP ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION. TAF SITE KBZN WILL BE THE ONLY ONE EXEMPT FROM THE STRONGEST WINDS...ELSEWHERE SUSTAINED WINDS UP TO 40 KNOTS AND GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS CAN BE EXPECTED. WINDS WILL BE ESPECIALLY STRONG IN FAVORED AREAS SUCH AS ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. WIND SPEEDS WILL DECREASE SLIGHTLY DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. ASIDE FROM THE WINDS PRIMARY CONCERN WILL BE SNOW OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS...AT TIMES THE MOUNTAINS AND PASSES MAY BE OBSCURED BY MVFR OR IFR CEILINGS AND SNOW. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL OVER THE PLAINS. THOMSON && .PREV DISCUSSION... (ISSUED 500 AM MST WED DEC 13 2006) DISCUSSION... TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY...STRONG WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL PREVAIL OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES THROUGH FRIDAY. A DISTURBANCE EMBEDDED IN THIS FLOW WILL BRING SNOW TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND SCATTERED SNOW OVER SOUTHWEST MONTANA TODAY. IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW...THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG WINDS TO MOST OF THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT. WILL UPGRADE MOST OF THE HIGH WIND WATCH TO A HIGH WIND WARNING. OVER HILL AND BLAINE COUNTIES...MODELS ARE SHOWING THAT THE STRONG WINDS ALOFT MAY HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME REACHING THE SURFACE...THUS WILL NOT UPGRADE THE WARNING IN THIS AREA. WINDS AND SNOW WILL TAPER OFF BY THURSDAY MORNING AS WEAK RIDGING MOVES OVERHEAD IN THE WESTERLY FLOW. IN ADVANCE OF FRIDAYS SYSTEM...WIDESPREAD MOUNTAIN SNOW WILL SPREAD BACK OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. THE MOUNTAIN SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING BEFORE TAPERING OFF FRIDAY AFTERNOON. LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL SEE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION THURSDAY NIGHT BEFORE DOWNSLOPE WINDS ENDS THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION FRIDAY. DANGEROUSLY STRONG WINDS APPEAR ON TRACK TO HIT NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA FRIDAY. A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL RAPIDLY MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN ALBERTA AND SASKATCHEWAN FRIDAY. THIS WILL CREATE A VERY STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE AREA. COLD AIR ADVECTION AT THE LOWER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WILL HELP STRONG WINDS ALOFT SURFACE. MODELS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY INDICATING WINDS OF 55 TO 70 KNOTS BEING TRANSPORTED TO THE SURFACE. THEREFORE...WINDS SPEEDS FRIDAY WILL LIKELY REACH 35 TO 55 MPH WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 60 TO 80 MPH LIKELY ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. FAVORED AREAS ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT WILL LIKELY SEE WINDS GUSTS OVER 100 MPH. WILL STRONGLY WORD THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR THIS EVENT. MEIER FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...FRIDAYS SHORTWAVE WILL BE EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY FRIDAY NIGHT BUT COULD STILL BE SOME LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS. AN UPPER TROUGH WILL DEVELOP OVER THE SW U.S. OVER THE WEEKEND AND SHOULD NOT SEE ANY AFFECT ON THE FORECAST AREA. DO EXPECT A SHORTWAVE FROM CANADA TO MOVE SOUTHEAST OVER THE AREA OVER THE WEEKEND BUT IT APPEARS THERE WILL NOT BE MUCH THREAT OF PRECIPITATION WITH IT. FEEL 00Z GFS IS TOO SLOW WITH THIS FEATURE. BY EARLY NEXT WEEK THE FORECAST AREA WILL COME UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF AN UPSTREAM UPPER RIDGE. THIS SHOULD RESULT IN WARMER TEMPERATURES...DOWNSLOPE WINDS OVER THE PLAINS...AND LITTLE THREAT OF PRECIPITATION. LOWERED POPS SIGNIFICANTLY LATE IN THE WEEKEND THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. INHERITED TEMPERATURES LOOKED PRETTY GOOD BUT DID LOWER SOME OF THE SW VALLEYS SUN NIGHT AND MON NIGHT THINKING THERE WOULD BE GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING CONDITIONS. TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...MODELS IN ROUGH AGREEMENT DURING THIS PERIOD...DIFFERING IN MINOR FEATURES AND TIMING. I WENT WITH A COMPROMISE OF AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE MOVING ACROSS THE AREA TUESDAY. BEHIND THE RIDGE AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE...IN A FAIRLY STRONG NORTHWESTERLY FLOW...SWEEPS ACROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY MORNING. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS EARLY TUESDAY SPREAD TO THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS DURING THE DAY. PARTS OF THE PLAINS WILL HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS...HOWEVER DOWNSLOPE WINDS WILL KEEP THE PLAINS AND LARGER VALLEYS MOSTLY DRY. THESE WINDS WILL HELP MODERATE TEMPERATURES TO NEAR SEASONAL AVERAGES. EK && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 51 32 45 33 / 10 10 0 20 CTB 49 29 42 25 / 10 0 0 20 HLN 49 34 47 27 / 30 10 0 20 BZN 46 28 46 25 / 50 20 0 20 WEY 37 17 33 22 / 100 80 50 90 DLN 44 29 44 30 / 50 10 10 20 HVR 50 30 45 21 / 20 0 0 20 LWT 51 33 48 32 / 10 10 0 20 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST THURSDAY FOR MTZ010-012>014- 044>046-049>051-054. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST THURSDAY FOR MTZ009-048. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST THURSDAY FOR MTZ009-048. && UPDATE...CAMP SHORT TERM...MEIER LONG TERM...BLANK/EK AVIATION...THOMSON WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 521 AM MST WED DEC 13 2006 MTZ009-048-141230- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- 521 AM MST WED DEC 13 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG WINDS AND MOUNTAIN SNOW TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT TODAY AND TONIGHT. A HIGH WIND WARNING AND A WINTER STORM WARNING HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS SYSTEM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY DANGEROUSLY STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY AS A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM RACES ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 TO 60 MPH ARE LIKELY WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 80 MPH. FAVORED LOCATIONS MAY SEE WIND GUSTS UP TO 100 MPH. IN ADDITION TO THE DANGEROUSLY STRONG WINDS MOUNTAIN SNOW MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON THIS STORM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ010>014-044>047-049>051-054-141230- EASTERN GLACIER-HILL-CASCADE-CHOUTEAU- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-TOOLE-LIBERTY- EASTERN PONDERA-BLAINE-EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS-MEAGHER- 521 AM MST WED DEC 13 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA...NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG WINDS TO THE PLAINS OF NORTH CENTRAL LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. A HIGH WIND WARNING AND HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MOST OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA FOR THIS SYSTEM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY DANGEROUSLY STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY AS A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM RACES ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 60 MPH ARE LIKELY WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 80 MPH. THE STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP DURING THE MORNING AND PERSIST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ008-015-052-053-055-141230- BEAVERHEAD-MADISON-JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-GALLATIN- 521 AM MST WED DEC 13 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
12 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A gust to 77 mph was reported at the Macdonald Pass DOT site. Also, a gust to 62 mph was reported at Helena and a gust to 56 mph was reported at Silver City.
A gust to 64 mph was reported at the Choteau airport.
A gust to 64 mph was reported at the Choteau airport.
A gust to 58 mph was reported at Judith Gap. Strong winds also damaged the side of a grocery store in Hobson.
A gust to 62 mph was reported at the Great Falls ASOS site. Also, several trees were reported down at Neihart 7NW.
An estimated wind gust to 60 mph blew a worker off the roof of the Federal Building in downtown Bozeman resulting in his death (direct fatality).
A gust to 65 mph was reported at the Porphory Peak RAWS site.
A gust to 59 mph was reported at the Inverness DOT site.
A gust to 65 mph was reported at Harlem 16S.
A gust to 63 mph was reported at the Lewistown ASOS site. A gust to 59 mph was reported at Roy.
A gust to 71 mph was reported at the Deep Creek RAWS site.
A wind gust to 65 mph was reported at Browning 8NE. Other reported wind gusts include 63 mph at Browning and 59 mph at the Browning airport.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind, Gallatin | 2006-12-13 | Male | Permanent Structure | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, December 2006
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: 6643, 6648, 6649, 6658, 6642, 66290, 6662, 6644, 6646, 6661, 6639, 6641.