A strong westerly flow aloft combined with deep surface low pressure over southern Canada produced strong winds over a portion of North Central Montana. Wind gusts of 65 to 75 mph were common over the area.
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.
A strong westerly flow aloft combined with deep surface low pressure over southern Canada produced strong winds over a portion of North Central Montana. Wind gusts of 65 to 75 mph were common over the area.
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 Jan 7, 9:34 AM MST, 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 934 AM MST SUN JAN 7 2007 .UPDATE... A STRONG MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY AND INTO TONIGHT. A SHORT WAVE IS CURRENTLY ENTERING ALBERTA AND IT WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SNOW IS ALREADY FALLING ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY. WINDS ARE ALREADY GUSTY UP TO 50 MPH ALONG THE FRONT AND WILL INCREASE THROUGH OUT THE DAY. ST. MARY WEB CAMERA IS SHOWING WHITE OUT CONDITIONS AT THE PARK ENTRANCE. CALLS TO SPOTTERS IN GLACIER COUNTY INDICATE THE WHITE OUT CONDITIONS ARE LOCALIZED...THUS WILL CONTINUE WITH THE WINTER STORM WARNING AND HOLD OFF FROM UPGRADING IT TO A BLIZZARD WARNING. IF CONDITIONS BECOME WORSE DURING THE DAY WILL NEED TO UPGRADE IT TO A BLIZZARD WARNING. MAY CONCERN FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT IS STILL THE THREAT FOR DAMAGING WINDS ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND FOR THE ADJACENT PLAINS. LOCAL PROGRAM INDICATING 100 MPH WIND GUSTS ARE LIKELY ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN...THEREFORE WILL LEAVE THE STRONG WORDING IN THE HIGH WIND WARNING. THIS PROGRAM USES WIND SPEED AND STABILITY FROM THE SURFACE TO JUST ABOVE RIDGE TOP TO DETERMINE THE CHANCES OF MOUNTAIN WAVES SURFACING AND BRINGING TO VERY STRONG WINDS ALOFT TO THE SURFACE. FOR THE UPDATE...WILL DECREASE HIGH ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA BY ABOUT 4 TO 7 DEGREES. SOME WARM AIR ADVECTION WILL OCCUR TODAY BUT WITH OVERCAST SKIES THROUGH OUT THE DAY WARMING WILL BE SLOW. WILL ALSO TWEAK THE WEATHER WORDING IN THE ZONES. MEIER .AVIATION... UPDATED 1200Z. MOISTURE WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WILL REACH THE DIVIDE BY MID-MORNING WITH WIDESPREAD MOUNTAIN/PASS OBSCUREMENT IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. THAT SITUATION WILL PROBABLY NOT IMPROVE UNTIL LATE SUNDAY NIGHT. OVER THE PLAINS EXPECT GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT. SCATTERED SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER CENTRAL AND SW MONTANA LATE THIS MORNING INTO TONIGHT WITH LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS DUE TO BOTH CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES. AS WAS MENTIONED BEFORE THE BIG STORY TODAY INTO TONIGHT WILL BE THE UNUSUALLY STRONG WINDS. EXPECT WINDS TO INCREASE THIS MORNING INTO THIS AFTERNOON. BY LATE AFTERNOON EXPECT WIDESPREAD SUSTAINED WEST WINDS 30 TO 40 KNOTS WITH GUSTS NEAR 50 KNOTS. LOCAL SUSTAINED WEST WINDS NEAR 50 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 80 KNOTS ARE EXPECTED. WINDS WILL NOT DIMINISH MUCH OVERNIGHT AND OCCASIONAL SUSTAINED WEST WINDS OF 45 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE ANYWHERE OVER WESTERN AND CENTRAL MONTANA EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. BLANK && .PREV DISCUSSION... (ISSUED 500 AM MST SUN JAN 7 2007) DISCUSSION... TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY...THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT OVER MONTANA THIS MORNING WILL BECOME VERY STRONG AND VERY MOIST OVER NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA TODAY AND TONIGHT AS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES JUST TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA. THE SURFACE GRADIENT WILL STRENGTHEN AS WELL...TRANSLATING THE 60 TO 80 KT WINDS DOWN TO THE SURFACE ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. WILL THEREFORE CONTINUE THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE CWA THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON GUSTS UP TO 90 MPH THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN PASSES ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. MOISTURE WILL ALSO INCREASE AHEAD OF THIS SHORTWAVE...BUT THE STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS WILL LIMIT THE SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION TO THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS. 8 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOWFALL WITH SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW WILL OCCUR ABOVE 5000 FEET ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND INTO LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY THROUGH THIS EVENING. THEREFORE...WILL CONTINUE THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THERE AS WELL. THE MAIN BRUNT OF THE SYSTEM WILL EXIT THE AREA MONDAY...LEAVING ONLY A CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION OVER THE MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER...CONTINUED STRONG WINDS ALOFT AND COLD AIR ADVECTION ACROSS THE AREA WILL CONTINUE THE GUSTY WINDS. WILL MONITOR THIS SITUATION FURTHER TO DETERMINE IF THE HIGH WIND WARNING WILL NEED TO BE EXTENDED ACROSS THE EASTERN TFX ZONES. WINDS WILL DECREASE FURTHER MONDAY NIGHT AS UPPER LEVEL RIDGING MOVES INTO THE AREA. THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE AREA ON TUESDAY...FOR INCREASING WINDS ONCE AGAIN. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL DURING THE PERIOD...WITH THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES OCCURRING ON TUESDAY. COULSTON TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN MT TUESDAY NIGHT. IT WILL BE PRECEDED BY A FAIRLY STRONG PACIFIC COLD FRONT. HAVE RAISED POPS SOME OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ZONES FOR TUE NIGHT. ON WEDNESDAY THE UPPER TROUGH INTENSIFIES OVER THE NW U.S. THE ARCTIC FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTH THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE DAY. EXPECT SOME SNOW TO ACCOMPANY THE ARCTIC FRONT BUT AMOUNTS MIGHT NOT BE ALL THAT GREAT. WITH GUSTY NW WINDS EXPECTED ADDED A THREAT OF BLOWING SNOW. WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT MODELS AGREE ON A STRONG UPPER TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN U.S. WITH A STRONG UPPER RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN. BY FRIDAY MODELS DIFFER ON THE EXACT POSITION OF THE UPPER TROUGH WHICH WILL IMPACT THE FORECAST. SOME GUIDANCE INDICATES THE TROUGH WILL BE EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA WHILE OTHER GUIDANCE KEEPS THE UPPER TROUGH OVER THE FORECAST AREA. EXPECT THE UPPER TROUGH TO BE EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY FRIDAY SO HAVE CONTINUED THE IDEA OF LITTLE OR NO CHANCE OF SNOW. LOWERED TEMPERATURES SOME LATE IN THE WEEK BUT DID NOT GO AS COLD AS THE LATEST RUN OF THE GFS. BLANK SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...MODELS HAVE A COLD UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER THE WESTERN U.S. WITH AN ARCTIC SURFACE HIGH OVER EASTERN MONTANA FOR VERY COLD TEMPERATURES WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW...ESPECIALLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND THE MORE FAVORED UPSLOPE AREAS. GFS IS HINTING ON SOME MODERATION ON SUNDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OFF THE WEST COAST OF CANADA...MOVES INTO SOUTHERN CANADA AND A WEAK LEE SIDE TROUGH DEVELOPS ACROSS SOUTHERN ALBERTA INTO NORTHERN MONTANA. THUS...WILL RAISE TEMPERATURES A FEW DEGREES ON SUNDAY...MAINLY ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND ADJACENT PLAINS. WILLIAMSON DC && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 37 30 38 24 / 10 10 0 10 CTB 36 28 34 20 / 10 10 0 10 HLN 36 27 38 22 / 20 20 10 10 BZN 33 20 36 17 / 30 30 20 10 WEY 19 12 23 10 / 70 70 30 20 DLN 34 22 36 22 / 30 20 20 10 HVR 39 25 33 14 / 30 30 10 10 LWT 36 26 34 18 / 20 30 10 10 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST MONDAY FOR MTZ009-010-014-048. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT FOR MTZ009-014- 048. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST MONDAY FOR MTZ008-011>013-015- 044>047-049>055. && UPDATE...MEIER SHORT TERM...COULSTON LONG TERM...BLANK/WILLIAMSON DC AVIATION...BLANK WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 551 AM MST SUN JAN 7 2007 MTZ009-014-048-081300- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK- SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- 551 AM MST SUN JAN 7 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 5 AM MST MONDAY FOR THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT THROUGH MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT FOR THE SAME AREA. ANOTHER STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION TODAY AND TONIGHT. STRONG WINDS OF 30 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 70 MPH ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA. ISOLATED GUSTS OF OVER 90 MPH ARE ALSO POSSIBLE THROUGH FAVORED MOUNTAIN PASSES. HEAVY SNOW TOTALING 8 TO 14 INCHES IS ALSO EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH THIS EVENING. VISIBILITIES WILL BE LIMITED THERE DUE TO BLOWING SNOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY. THE LATEST MODEL TIMING HAS IT REACHING HIGHWAY 2 NEAR THE CANADIAN BORDER IN THE EARLY MORNING...THEN MOVING THROUGH FAR SOUTHERN MONTANA BY LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING. A PERIOD OF ACCUMULATING SNOW IS EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY THE ARCTIC FRONT. THIS SNOWFALL WILL CAUSE SOME ROADWAYS TO BECOME SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY...ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS. IN ADDITION...GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS ACCOMPANYING THE FRONT COULD CAUSE POOR VISIBILITIES DUE TO SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...ESPECIALLY THROUGH MOUNTAIN PASSES. WIND CHILLS OF 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO TO 40 DEGREES BELOW ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT OVER THE PLAINS AND ADJOINING MOUNTAINS. SUB ZERO TEMPERATURES WILL BE COMMON OVER MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA NEXT THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS THE ARCTIC AIRMASS SETTLES OVER THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ010-081300- EASTERN GLACIER- 551 AM MST SUN JAN 7 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 5 AM MST MONDAY FOR EASTERN GLACIER COUNTY. ANOTHER STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION TODAY AND TONIGHT. STRONG WINDS OF 30 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 70 MPH ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY. THE LATEST MODEL TIMING HAS IT REACHING HIGHWAY 2 NEAR THE CANADIAN BORDER IN THE EARLY MORNING...THEN MOVING THROUGH FAR SOUTHERN MONTANA BY LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING. A PERIOD OF ACCUMULATING SNOW IS EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY THE ARCTIC FRONT. THIS SNOWFALL WILL CAUSE SOME ROADWAYS TO BECOME SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY...ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS. IN ADDITION...GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS ACCOMPANYING THE FRONT COULD CAUSE POOR VISIBILITIES DUE TO SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...ESPECIALLY THROUGH MOUNTAIN PASSES. WIND CHILLS OF 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO TO 40 DEGREES BELOW ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT OVER THE PLAINS AND ADJOINING MOUNTAINS. SUB ZERO TEMPERATURES WILL BE COMMON OVER MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA NEXT THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS THE ARCTIC AIRMASS SETTLES OVER THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ008-011>013-015-044>047-049>055-081300- BEAVERHEAD-HILL-CASCADE-CHOUTEAU-MADISON-TOOLE-LIBERTY- EASTERN PONDERA-BLAINE-EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS- JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-MEAGHER-GALLATIN- 551 AM MST SUN JAN 7 2007 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 NOON MST TODAY THROUGH 5 AM MST MONDAY FOR MOST OF NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. ANOTHER STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION TODAY AND TONIGHT. STRONG WINDS OF 30 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 70 MPH ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY. THE LATEST MODEL TIMING HAS IT REACHING HIGHWAY 2 NEAR THE CANADIAN BORDER IN THE EARLY MORNING...THEN MOVING THROUGH FAR SOUTHERN MONTANA BY LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING. A PERIOD OF ACCUMULATING SNOW IS EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY THE ARCTIC FRONT. THIS SNOWFALL WILL CAUSE SOME ROADWAYS TO BECOME SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY...ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS. IN ADDITION...GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS ACCOMPANYING THE FRONT COULD CAUSE POOR VISIBILITIES DUE TO SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...ESPECIALLY THROUGH MOUNTAIN PASSES. WIND CHILLS OF 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO TO 40 DEGREES BELOW ARE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT OVER THE PLAINS AND ADJOINING MOUNTAINS. SUB ZERO TEMPERATURES WILL BE COMMON OVER MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA NEXT THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS THE ARCTIC AIRMASS SETTLES OVER THE AREA. .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 wind gust to 68 mph was reported at Babb. Additional wind reports include: a gust to 94 mph at the Deep Creek RAWS site, a gust to 91 mph at Logan Pass Visitor Center in Glacier Park, a gust to 77 mph at Browning and a gust to 75 mph at the Two Medicine DOT site.
Sustained winds of 47 mph were reported at the Cut Bank ASOS site.
A gust to 65 mph was reported at the Macdonald Pass DOT site.
A gust to 58 mph was reported at the Gleason RAWS site.
A gust to 59 mph was reported at the Pendroy DOT site. Also, sustained winds of 45 mph were reported.
Sustained winds of 45 mph were reported at the Loma DOT site.
A wind gust to 76 mph was reported at Cascade 5S.
A gust to 74 mph was reported at Sunburst 22ENE.
Sustained winds of 45 mph were reported at the Inverness DOT site.
Sustained winds of 45 mph were reported at the Inverness DOT site.
Sustained winds of 40 mph were reported at the Fort Belknap RAWS site.
Sustained winds of 45 mph were reported at the Judith Gap DOT site.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, January 2007
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: 7563, 7564, 7570, 7584, 7582, 7569, 7568, 8533, 7567, 7581, 7583, 7585.