A strong weather disturbance brought strong winds to the Northern Rocky Mountain Front. Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph were common.
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 weather disturbance brought strong winds to the Northern Rocky Mountain Front. Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph were common.
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 14, 4:51 PM MST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 451 PM MST MON JAN 14 2008 .DISCUSSION... TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...A VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE TROUGH...CURRENTLY DROPPING SE ALONG THE BC COAST WILL CONTINUE SOUTHEAST INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND ACROSS THE STATE ON TUESDAY...BRINING A SIGNIFICANT PATTERN CHANGE TO THE REGION. FIST IMPACT WILL BE STRONG WINDS...WHICH HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED ALONG THE ROCKY MTN FRONT AND WILL BE SPREADING EAST ONTO THE PLAINS TONIGHT AS THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM NEARS THE REGION. MOISTURE WILL INCREASE AS THE SYSTEM NEARS AND TEMPS ALOFT COOL OVERNIGHT WITH SNOW INCREASING OVER AREAS ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE OVERNIGHT...HOWEVER DOWNSLOPE WINDS WILL KEEP MOST OF THE PLAINS DRY THROUGH TONIGHT. MAIN ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TUESDAY MORNING WITH A COLD FRONT AT THE SURFACE DROPPING SOUTH THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL MT...USHERING IN A MUCH COOLER AIRMASS. DYNAMICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM AND NW UPSLOPE FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BRING A PERIOD OF SNOW TO MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL MT TUESDAY MORNING WITH LIGHT UPSLOPE SNOWS CONTINUING ON THE NORTH SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL MT MTNS INTO TUESDAY EVENING. WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE ROCKY MTN FRONT AND ADJACENT PLAINS WILL REMAIN INTACT TO HIGHLIGHT WIND THREAT TONIGHT AND SNOW/BLOWING SNOW POTENTIAL ON TUESDAY. FARTHER EAST WINTER STORM WATCH WILL BE CONVERTED TO A HIGH WIND WARNING TO HIGHLIGHT WINDS TONIGHT AND SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FOR THE REMAINDER OF NORTH-CENTRAL MT. SNOW AND WINDS WILL DIMINISH TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE SYSTEM PULLS AWAY FROM THE REGION. DRYING CONTINUES THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OVER THE REGION. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN MILD UNDER WINDY AND CLOUDY CONDITIONS BEFORE THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH BRINGING COOLING TUESDAY MORNING. THIS WILL MAKE TEMPERATURES TRICKY WITH TONIGHTS LOW AND TOMORROWS HIGH LIKELY OCCURRING SIMULTANEOUSLY EARLY TUESDAY MORNING WITH TEMPS COOLING THROUGH THE DAY. SOMEWHAT BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN OVER THE REGION TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. HOENISCH WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO PORTRAY THIS PERIOD AS UNSETTLED. A STRONG UPPER RIDGE WILL REMAIN ANCHORED ALONG THE WEST COAST WITH STRONG NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT OVER THE COUNTY WARNING AREA. THIS WILL RESULT IN PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY..WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS FALLING IN THE MOUNTAINS. A BRIEF RESPITE FROM THE SNOW OCCURS FRIDAY AS A LITTLE DRIER AIR MOVES OVER THE AREA. A STRONGER UPPER TROF WILL SLIDE OVER THE AREA LATE SATURDAY/SATURDAY NIGHT BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF SCATTERED SNOW. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGES. SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY...MODELS START OUT IN FAIR AGREEMENT BEFORE DIVERGING ON MONDAY. HOWEVER...RUN TO RUN INCONSISTENCIES FURTHER DETRACT FROM FORECAST CONFIDENCE. LATEST RUN NOT AS COLD ON BOTH GFS AND ECMWF. BOTH MODELS INDICATE AN ARCTIC FRONT PLUNGING SOUTH ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA SUNDAY. DUE TO UNCERTAINTY AT THIS POINT I WENT WITH MAINLY CHANCE POPS OF SNOW SPREADING ACROSS THE AREA...BUT THE POTENTIAL IS THERE FOR MORE WIDESPREAD SNOW. TEMPERATURES WILL STILL DROP DRAMATICALLY...AND COMBINED WITH GUSTY NORTHERLY SURFACE WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT...BITTER COLD WIND CHILLS CAN BE EXPECTED. EK && .AVIATION... A STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL SWING ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TONIGHT REACHING CENTRAL MONTANA BETWEEN 12 AND 15Z. SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE OVERNIGHT AS LOW PRESSURE STRENGTHENS IN ALBERTA. A POWERFUL SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL BLAST THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA WITH A WIND SHIFT TO THE WEST...NORTHWEST AND NORTH AROUND 12Z IN THE NORTHWEST AND AROUND 16Z IN MY SOUTHEASTER ZONES. THE FRONT WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LOW TO MID LEVEL CLOUDS AND A BLAST OF SNOW. PERIODS OF SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO MVFR CONDITIONS AT ALL STATIONS WITH IFR AND LIFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE AT TIMES. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE AFTER 21Z AT MOST LOCATIONS AS THE FRONT MOVES EAST ALLOWING WINDS TO DIMINISH AND SNOW TO TAPER OFF. MPJ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 27 28 8 25 / 10 70 30 10 CTB 25 27 3 28 / 20 100 10 10 HLN 25 30 9 25 / 30 60 10 10 BZN 23 32 5 23 / 20 60 20 10 WEY 15 19 -6 11 / 30 70 30 10 DLN 23 26 1 18 / 30 30 10 10 HVR 28 29 2 26 / 20 80 20 10 LWT 29 30 7 24 / 20 80 30 10 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 AM MST TUESDAY FOR MTZ012-013-045-050. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FROM 8 AM TO 5 PM MST TUESDAY FOR MTZ011>014-045-047-050-051-054. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 2 PM MST TUESDAY FOR MTZ009-010-044- 046-048-049. && SHORT TERM...HOENISCH LONG TERM...EMANUEL/EK AVIATION...MPJ WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 338 PM MST MON JAN 14 2008 MTZ009-010-044-046-048-049-151300- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN GLACIER-TOOLE- EASTERN PONDERA-SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN TETON- 338 PM MST MON JAN 14 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT UNTIL 2 PM TUESDAY MST FOR THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA ADJACENT TO THE FRONT. HIGH WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA...WHILE SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE WINTER STORM WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH 2 PM MST TUESDAY FOR THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA ADJACENT TO THE FRONT. HIGH WINDS...SNOW...AND BLOWING SNOW WILL BE LIKELY THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON TUESDAY. EXPECT MORE WINTER LIKE TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK...WITH WIND CHILL READINGS BELOW ZERO AT TIMES. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT TO MOVE INTO MONTANA NEXT SUNDAY OR MONDAY...POSSIBLY BRINGING IN THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE SEASON. VERY COLD TEMPERATURES...ALONG WITH AREAS OF SNOW...MAY ALSO OCCUR IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE FRONT NEXT WEEKEND. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS ON THIS SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ012-013-045-050-151300- CASCADE-CHOUTEAU-LIBERTY-JUDITH BASIN- 338 PM MST MON JAN 14 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM MST TONIGHT THROUGH 8 AM MST TUESDAY FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL MONTANA. THIS INCLUDES LIBERTY...CHOUTEAU...CASCADE...AND JUDITH BASIN COUNTIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE HIGH WIND WARNING WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 8 AM MST TUESDAY. A SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY WILL THEN GO INTO EFFECT AT 8 AM MST TUESDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH 5 PM MST TUESDAY FOR THIS SAME AREA. HIGH WINDS WILL DECREASE SOMEWHAT DURING THIS TIME. HOWEVER...SNOW WILL BEGIN OVER THE AREA...AND LINGERING WINDS WILL CAUSE WIDESPREAD BLOWING SNOW. EXPECT MORE WINTER LIKE TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK...WITH WIND CHILL READINGS BELOW ZERO AT TIMES. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT TO MOVE INTO MONTANA NEXT SUNDAY OR MONDAY...POSSIBLY BRINGING IN THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE SEASON. VERY COLD TEMPERATURES...ALONG WITH AREAS OF SNOW...MAY ALSO OCCUR IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE FRONT NEXT WEEKEND. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS ON THIS SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ011-014-047-051-054-151300- HILL-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-BLAINE-FERGUS-MEAGHER- 338 PM MST MON JAN 14 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA...NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER THROUGH TONIGHT IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM MST TUESDAY THROUGH 5 PM MST TUESDAY FOR MOST OF CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. THIS INCLUDES MEAGHER AND LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTIES...AS WELL AS HILL...BLAINE...AND FERGUS COUNTIES. EXPECT MORE WINTER LIKE TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK...WITH WIND CHILL READINGS BELOW ZERO AT TIMES. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT TO MOVE INTO MONTANA NEXT SUNDAY OR MONDAY...POSSIBLY BRINGING IN THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE SEASON. VERY COLD TEMPERATURES...ALONG WITH AREAS OF SNOW...MAY ALSO OCCUR IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE FRONT NEXT WEEKEND. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS ON THIS SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ008-015-052-053-055-151300- BEAVERHEAD-MADISON-JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-GALLATIN- 338 PM MST MON JAN 14 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER THROUGH TONIGHT IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT TO MOVE INTO MONTANA NEXT SUNDAY OR MONDAY...POSSIBLY BRINGING IN THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE SEASON. VERY COLD TEMPERATURES...ALONG WITH AREAS OF SNOW...MAY ALSO OCCUR IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE FRONT NEXT WEEKEND. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS ON THIS SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust to 66 mph was reported at the Two Medicine DOT site.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, January 2008
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: 68417.