An upper level trough and associated cold front moved across Western Montana on the evening of 07/04/2008. Along with the daytime heating which created strong instability, this resulted in severe thunderstorms across Western Montana.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
An upper level trough and associated cold front moved across Western Montana on the evening of 07/04/2008. Along with the daytime heating which created strong instability, this resulted in severe thunderstorms across Western 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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 4, 1:35 PM MST, 1 hour 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT 235 PM MDT FRI JUL 4 2008 .DISCUSSION...A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH THAT IS CURRENTLY MAKING ITS WAY INTO NORTHWEST MONTANA AND NORTHERN IDAHO WILL CONTINUE TO PASS THROUGH THE NORTHERN ROCKIES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE BEST INSTABILITY WILL QUICKLY PASS THROUGH WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA THIS AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WILL PASS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BULK SHEAR UP TO 50KTS...LIFTED INDICES UP TO NEGATIVE 2-5C...THETA-E LAPSE RATES NEGATIVE 2-5K/KM AND MUCAPE VALUES OF 1000-2000J/KM MAINLY IN WESTERN/SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA ALL POINT IN THE DIRECTION FOR THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON TO PRODUCE HAIL..BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS. THESE STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL QUICKLY MOVE THROUGH NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MONTANA...AS WELL AS LEMHI COUNTY BETWEEN AROUND 3PM TO 6PM. IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE THROUGH 9PM THIS EVENING. SKY COVER WILL DECREASE THIS EVENING STARTING IN NORTHWEST MONTANA...BUT SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA. SATURDAY WILL BE A LITTLE COOLER DUE TO SOME LINGERING CLOUDS AND SOME AIR MASS COOLING IN THE WAKE OF TONIGHTS DISTURBANCE. THERE IS STILL A THREAT OF LATE DAY CONVECTION OVER SOUTHWEST MONTANA AND LEMHI AND SOUTHERN IDAHO COUNTIES IN NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO AS THE SURFACE THERMAL BOUNDARY AND INSTABILITY PERSIST OVER THAT AREA. A SECOND WEAKER TROUGH PASSES OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES SUNDAY. THIS IS NOT EXPECTED TO PRODUCE MUCH...EXCEPT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE LINGERING INSTABILITY AGAIN MAINLY OVER SOUTHWEST MONTANA AND ADJACENT IDAHO COUNTIES. A LOW AMPLITUDE RIDGE WILL DEVELOP MONDAY AND PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF THE COMING WEEK. THIS WILL KEEP THE REGION DRY WHILE PUSHING TEMPERATURES A BIT EACH DAY. THERE IS A HINT OF THE RIDGE WEAKENING AROUND FRIDAY AS WE BEGIN TO GET SOME ENERGY OFF OF A GULF OF ALASKA TROUGH. WILL BE TOUGH TO HAVE MUCH CONFIDENCE IN THE TIMING OF THIS FOR A FEW MORE DAYS...HOWEVER...AND HAVE THUS LEFT THE WARM AND DRY FORECAST IN PLACE FOR NOW. && .AVIATION...THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING ACROSS ALL OF WESTERN MONTANA AND NORTHERN IDAHO. THE AREA OF GREATEST CONCERN FOR VERY STRONG STORMS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL WILL GENERALLY BE EAST OF A LINE FROM LEMHI COUNTY IN IDAHO TO FLATHEAD COUNTY IN MONTANA. MOST AREAS WILL SEE A DECREASE IN CONVECTION AFTER 00 UTC (1800 HRS MDT)...BUT THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER OVER SOUTHWEST MONTANA AND LEMHI COUNTY UNTIL AROUND DARK. && .MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: FLATHEAD...LAKE...POWELL...SILVER BOW...DEERLODGE...GRANITE... MISSOULA...AND RAVALLI UNTIL 10 PM MDT. ID...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR LEMHI COUNTY UNTIL 10 PM MDT. && SHORT TERM...KITSMILLER LONG TERM....WHITMORE AVIATION...WHITMORE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT 507 AM MDT FRI JUL 4 2008 IDZ006-MTZ002-005>007-043-042200- SOUTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS-WEST GLACIER REGION- MISSOULA/BITTERROOT VALLEYS-BITTERROOT/SAPPHIRE MOUNTAINS- BUTTE/BLACKFOOT REGION-POTOMAC/SEELEY LAKE REGION- 507 AM MDT FRI JUL 4 2008 /407 AM PDT FRI JUL 4 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO...NORTHWEST MONTANA AND WEST CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AS A WEATHER DISTURBANCE PASSES THROUGH THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE STRONG PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...DAMAGING WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE EVENING CONTINUING THE THREAT FOR BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL AND HAIL. HOWEVER THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS BUT DIMINISH IN INTENSITY WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL BEING THE MAIN THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. IDZ005-007-008-MTZ001-003-004-042200- NORTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS-OROFINO/GRANGEVILLE REGION- LOWER HELLS CANYON/SALMON RIVER REGION-KOOTENAI/CABINET REGION- FLATHEAD/MISSION VALLEYS-LOWER CLARK FORK REGION- 507 AM MDT FRI JUL 4 2008 /407 AM PDT FRI JUL 4 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO...NORTHWEST MONTANA AND WEST CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AS A WEATHER DISTURBANCE PASSES THROUGH THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE STRONG EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON...MAINLY IN THE CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS NEAR THE MONTANA BORDER...PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING KEEPING THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL. HOWEVER THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD DIMINISH IN INTENSITY AND COVERAGE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. IDZ009-010-042200- WESTERN LEMHI COUNTY-EASTERN LEMHI COUNTY- 507 AM MDT FRI JUL 4 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AS A WEATHER DISTURBANCE PASSES THROUGH THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AT THE ONSET OF CONVECTION. AS STRONG SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING THE MAIN THREAT WILL TRANSITION TO HEAVY RAIN...DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. HOWEVER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DIMINISH IN INTENSITY BUT CONTINUE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL BEING THE MAIN THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The Missoula radar (KMSX), 118 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:08 UTC.
10 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trained spotter reported up to 1 inch hail with winds up to 45 mph and damage to a camper.
Trained spotter in Essex reported 0.75 inch hail.
Fire lookout at 6629 feet reported 0.75 inch hail.
Car dealership 5 miles south of Ronan reported 0.88 inch hail and damage to vehicles in the car lot.
Spotter reported 1.50 inch hail 7 miles south of Ronan.
Public reported widespread tree damage near Lion Creek northeast of Condon. Many spruce trees 1.5 feet in diameter snapped.
Sheriff reported 30 trees blown down over Highway 83 10 miles northwest of Condon.
State employee 14 miles south of Philipsburg near Georgetown Lake reported 1.75 inch hail.
Public reported 1.75 inch hail 1 mile east of Jens along Interstate 90.
Trained spotter in Anaconda reported 0.75 inch hail.
Trained spotter in Anaconda reported 1.00 inch hail.
Trained spotter 5 miles west of Butte reported 1.25 inch hail.
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, July 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: 125232, 125209, 125213, 125208, 125216, 125203, 125205, 125180, 125198, 125168, 125164, 125162.