The first of two Chinook high wind events in 3 days occurred on November 13 in a strong southwest to west flow ahead of a low pressure system.
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.
The first of two Chinook high wind events in 3 days occurred on November 13 in a strong southwest to west flow ahead of a low pressure system.
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 13, 4:25 AM MST, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 425 AM MST MON NOV 13 2006 UPDATE TO AVIATION SECTION .DISCUSSION... TODAY AND TONIGHT...A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE REGION TODAY...BRINGING VERY WINDY CONDITIONS TO MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS. A STRONG SURFACE LOW...CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH WA...WILL EMERGE EAST OF THE ROCKIES OVER SOUTHERN AB THIS AFTERNOON AND TRACK EAST INTO SK THIS EVENING. MODELS ARE NOW IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH THE WIND FIELD TO THE SOUTH OF THE SURFACE LOW...SPREADING 60KT+ 10000 FT WINDS ACROSS MOST OF NORTH-CENTRAL MT TODAY. WESTERLY DOWNSLOPE AND MIXING THIS AFTERNOON AS COOLER AIR ALOFT MOVES IN SHOULD HELP THESE WINDS REACH THE SURFACE ACROSS MOST OF NORTH-CENTRAL MT. THUS WILL EXPAND THE HIGH WIND WIND WARNING INTO NE ZONES AS WELL. SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE ROCKY MTN FRONT...HEAVY AT TIMES THROUGH THIS MORNING...THEN BECOME MORE SHOWERY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WITH HIGH WINDS IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW THE WINTER STORM WARNING APPEARS TO BE ON TRACK. THE SURFACE LOW PULLS EAST TONIGHT WITH AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH CLOSING OFF OVER SK. THIS WILL ALLOW WINDS TO DIMINISH LATE THIS EVENING...HOWEVER MOIST CYCLONIC FLOW IN THE UPPER LEVELS WILL BRING A CONTINUED CHANCE OF SNOW OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. DOWNSLOPE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO LIMIT PRECIP CHANCES OVER THE PLAINS THROUGH TONIGHT. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS IN FROM THE WEST TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT FOR DRIER CONDITIONS. BREEZY WINDS WILL CONTINUE ON THE PLAINS AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. BY LATER WEDNESDAY...THE NEXT PACIFIC SYSTEM WILL COME ONSHORE. THIS WILL ONCE AGAIN BRING AN INCREASE IN WINDS WITH PRECIPITATION INCREASING OVER NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BY LATE WEDNESDAY. HOENISCH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY...ANOTHER SHORT WAVE MOVES THROUGH THE FLOW WITH THE SURFACE LOW JUST TO THE NORTH OF MONTANA. MODELS NOT IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION COMING OVER THE NORTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS. SNOW LEVELS START OUT HIGH AND PRECIPITATION COULD BE IN THE FORM OF ALL RAIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT TURNING TO SNOW BY THURSDAY MORNING. THIS SCENARIO WOULD CAUSE SOME HYDROLOGIC CONCERNS AND WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED CAREFULLY. THURSDAY LOOKS TO BE ANOTHER VERY WINDY DAY. THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...WESTERLY FLOW OVER THE AREA FOR MAINLY MOUNTAIN SHOWERS. FLATTENED UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WITH MINOR SHORT WAVES MOVING THROUGH THE FLOW. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGES THROUGH THE PERIOD. CAMP SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY...MODELS IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT DURING THIS PERIOD. AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE MOVES OVER THE MIDWEST...WHILE A TROUGH REMAINS OFF THE WEST COAST DURING THIS PERIOD. THIS RESULTS IN A FAIRLY MOIST BUT STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT OVER THE FORECAST AREA THAT IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS...MAINLY OVER AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. DOWNSLOPE WINDS SHOULD HELP KEEP THE PLAINS AND LARGER VALLEYS MOSTLY DRY. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO BE SEVERAL DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGES. EK && .AVIATION... UPDATED 1125Z. STRONG WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. EXPECT SURFACE WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 35 AND 45KTS WITH LOCAL GUSTS UP TO 55KTS. GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL KEEP THE PLAINS MOSTLY DRY EVEN AS A DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH THE FLOW. PRECIPITATION...MOSTLY SNOW...CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS OVER THE PLAINS WITH MVFR CEILINGS IN PRECIPITATION. CAMP && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 47 26 40 24 / 0 10 0 0 CTB 43 24 38 20 / 0 0 10 0 HLN 49 27 42 20 / 20 20 10 0 BZN 47 24 38 12 / 30 30 20 0 WEY 33 18 30 -1 / 90 80 60 0 DLN 44 23 35 16 / 20 20 10 0 HVR 51 25 41 18 / 20 10 20 0 LWT 48 26 37 20 / 10 10 20 0 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR MTZ009>014-044>051-054. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR MTZ009-048. && SHORT TERM...HOENISCH LONG TERM...CAMP/EK AVIATION...CAMP WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 501 AM MST MON NOV 13 2006 MTZ009-048-141215- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- 501 AM MST MON NOV 13 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT TODAY UNTIL 11 PM MST FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5000 FEET FOR THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM MST TO 8 PM MST TODAY FOR ELEVATIONS BELOW 5000 FEET FOR THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS 30 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 70 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ANOTHER MOIST PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT WEDNESDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL RISE. RAIN WITH THIS SYSTEM OVER THE SNOW PACK MAY PRODUCE HYDROLOGICAL CONCERNS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ010>014-044>047-049>051-054-141215- EASTERN GLACIER-HILL-CASCADE-CHOUTEAU- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-TOOLE-LIBERTY- EASTERN PONDERA-BLAINE-EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS-MEAGHER- 501 AM MST MON NOV 13 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA...NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM MST THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MST TONIGHT. SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS 30 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY FOR STRONG GUSTY WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ008-015-052-053-055-141215- BEAVERHEAD-MADISON-JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-GALLATIN- 501 AM MST MON NOV 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...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. WINDS WILL INCREASE ON THURSDAY FOR POSSIBLE BLOWING SNOW PROBLEMS FOR TRAVELERS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
13 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A gust to 69 mph was reported at Heart Butte. Also, a 62 mph gust was recorded near East Glacier at 835 am.
A gust to 68 mph was measured at Pendroy 18W. Also, a gust to 58 mph was measured at the Pendroy DOT sensor at 1048 am.
A period of high winds, with multiple reports of 58 to 68 mph gusts, occurred across the county between about 10 am and 2 pm. Winds damaged at least one roof, with some damage to vehicles from falling debris.
A gust to 58 mph was measured at the Pendroy DOT sensor at 1048 am.
Sustained winds of 44 mph were reported near Judith Gap.
A gust to 66 mph was reported at MacDonald Pass. Also, a 61 mph gust was measured near Silver City at 1204 pm.
A gust to 60 mph was reported at the Loma DOT sensor.
A gust to 59 mph was measured at the Cut Bank ASOS site.
A gust to 58 mph was reported at the Lewistown airport.
A gust to 58 mph was reported at the Inverness DOT sensor.
A gust to 73 mph was reported at Chinook 11S. Also, a 61 mph gust was reported at Fort Belknap.
A gust to 67 mph was reported at Rudyard 16SW.
Sustained winds of 43 mph were reported at the Sweet Grass DOT sensor.
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, November 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: 5881, 5911, 5974, 5996, 5984, 5989, 5990, 5991, 5992, 5993, 5995, 5994, 5997.