Hail in Montana, June 10, 2008

Name: Hail in Montana, June 10, 2008
Start: 2008-06-10T10:50
End: 2008-06-10T19:08
Location: Montana

June 10, 2008 · NWS TFX · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Judith Basin and Gallatin counties during the afternoon hours. Hail the size of half dollars was reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS TFX wrote it up.

Severe thunderstorms developed over Fergus...Judith Basin and Gallatin counties during the afternoon hours. Hail the size of half dollars was reported.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jun 10, 10:50 AM MST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 10, 10:50 AM MST, 0 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
1150 AM MDT TUE JUN 10 2008

DISCUSSION...
TODAY...ONE SHORTWAVE WAS MOVING OUT OF CENTRAL MONTANA AS OF MID-
MORNING AND THERE WAS AN AREA OF SHOWERS OVER BLAINE COUNTY. HAVE
BEEFED UP POPS OVER THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY. MEANWHILE
CONVECTION WAS BEGINNING TO FIRE OVER SW MONTANA. THIS CONVECTION
WILL SPREAD NORTHEAST THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. STILL EXPECT A FEW
STRONGER...IF NOT SEVERE...STORMS WITH THIS. HAVE DECIDED TO MOVE
UP THE TIMING OF THE HEAVY SNOW WARNING TO THIS MORNING AS
SNOW WAS MOVING TOWARDS THE WARNING AREA AS OF MID-MORNING. WILL
ALSO INCLUDE ALL OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT TO BETTER MATCH UP
WITH NEIGHBOR. A FEW PLACES WERE ALREADY ABOVE FORECAST AS OF MID-
MORNING. THOUGH DO NOT EXPECT THEM TO RISE MUCH THE REMAINDER OF THE
DAY DID GO AHEAD AND RAISE THEM A FEW DEGREES. BLANK

&&

.AVIATION...
UPDATED 1150Z.
A PACIFIC COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EASTWARD THROUGH THE
REGION TODAY. EXPECT RAIN/SNOW/SMALL HAIL/WIND GUSTS TO 45KTS/TO
AFFECT THE REGION AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. WIDESPREAD
MOUNTAIN SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...WITH LIFR
CONDITIONS EXPECTED. MANY MOUNTAIN PASSES WILL BE OBSCURED THROUGH
18Z WEDNESDAY. A MORE WIDESPREAD RAINFALL WILL AFFECT THE WESTERN
PORTIONS OF THE REGION AFTER 06Z TONIGHT THROUGH 18Z WED. WIDESPREAD
IFR CONDITIONS CAN THEN BE EXPECTED OVER THE PLAINS. BRUSDA

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
A STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE OVER NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA
TODAY AND WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH AT
LEAST THURSDAY. DURING THIS TIME FRAME...THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR
SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS TO ACCUMULATE ACROSS PORTIONS OF
NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. SOIL MOISTURE REMAINS ELEVATED
FROM PREVIOUS STORMS...SO THE POTENTIAL FOR FAST RUNOFF IS HIGH.
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME SMALL STREAMS...CREEKS AND RIVERS COULD
QUICKLY RISE ABOVE BANKFULL.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...
/ISSUED 550 AM MDT TUE JUN 10 2008/

TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY...DEEP UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL MOVE OVER THE
NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAINS TODAY. AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP
ACROSS MY FORECAST AREA WITH NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS. WIND PROFILES SUGGEST THAT AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM
IS POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG A LINE FROM BOZEMAN TO LEWISTOWN. THE
STORM SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO SPIN OVER MONTANA TONIGHT AND
WEDNESDAY THEN GRADUALLY SHIFTS EAST-NORTHEAST BY THURSDAY. THIS
SYSTEM IS UNSEASONABLY COLD AND SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TO NEAR 4500
FEET AT TIMES...AND POSSIBLY EVEN LOWER. IN ADDITION...VERY MOIST
UPSLOPE FLOW WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TONIGHT
THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SITUATION CONTINUES TO LOOK FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY
SNOW IN GLACIER PARK AND SOUTHWARD ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE.
WILL UPGRADE THE CURRENT WINTER STORM WATCH TO A HEAVY SNOW WARNING
FOR THIS REGION...AND WILL ALSO HOIST A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR
ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5000 FEET IN JEFFERSON AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK
COUNTIES. IN THIS REGION IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT 3 TO 6 INCHES OF
SNOW...AT LEAST...WILL FALL AT PASS LEVEL LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
MIDDAY WEDNESDAY. UNSEASONABLY COOL AND SHOWERY WEATHER WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. MPJ

FOR THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...SCATTERED PRECIP WILL
REMAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THURSDAY NIGHT...AS DEEP
MOISTURE AND ASCENT CONTINUE TO CYCLONICALLY WRAP AROUND THE
STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW AS IT MOVES NORTHEASTWARD OVER SOUTHERN
SASKATCHEWAN. A POSITIVELY-TILTED UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD
OVER THE FORECAST AREA FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...REDUCING PRECIP
CHANCES...WITH ONLY SCATTERED PRECIP EXPECTED OVER THE MOUNTAINS.
A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO DEVELOP FRIDAY AFTERNOON OVER NORTH
CENTRAL MONTANA...AS WEAK INSTABILITY DEVELOPS IN RESPONSE TO MID-
LEVEL COLD AIR ADVECTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH AN UPPER LEVEL LOW
MOVING EAST-SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALBERTA. AS
THIS LOW MOVES INTO SASKATCHEWAN...THE 500 MB HEIGHT GRADIENT ON
THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE LOW WILL INCREASE...SUPPORTING A
WESTERLY 500 MB JET OF 40 TO 50 KTS FOR SATURDAY AND SATURDAY
NIGHT. WEAK SHORTWAVE TROUGHS MOVING THROUGH THE FLOW WILL RESULT
IN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND AFTERNOON/EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ON
SATURDAY...PARTICULARLY OVER NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA...WHERE
INSTABILITY WILL BE GREATER WITH HIGHER BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE
AND VERTICAL WIND PROFILES APPEAR FAVORABLE FOR STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS. ON SUNDAY...MID-LEVEL FLOW AND FORCING DIMINISH
SOMEWHAT...BUT WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND AFTERNOON/EVENING
THUNDERSTORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND NORTH
CENTRAL MONTANA AS SOME MOISTURE PROGRESSES THROUGH WESTERLY FLOW
ALOFT AND INSTABILITY DEVELOPS IN THE AFTERNOON...THOUGH VERTICAL
WIND PROFILES DO NOT LOOK AS FAVORABLE FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.
OTHERWISE...TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARMING TOWARD SEASONAL AVERAGES
THROUGH THE PERIOD...WITH SURFACE WINDS GENERALLY FROM THE WEST
AND SOUTHWEST. COHEN

MONDAY AND TUESDAY...MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE
UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OVER EASTERN MONTANA AND
AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OFF THE WEST COAST. THIS WILL RESULT IN
AN UNSTABLE AND MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT...FOR ISOLATED TO
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING HOURS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR SEASONAL AVERAGE.
WILLIAMSON DC

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GTF  57  35  47  40 /  70  50  80  70
CTB  54  37  49  41 /  80  90  90  60
HLN  52  37  47  41 /  80  40  80  70
BZN  59  33  45  39 /  70  10  60  60
WEY  48  30  40  34 /  70  30  70  60
DLN  50  32  45  38 /  40  20  60  60
HVR  56  38  52  44 /  80  90  40  60
LWT  55  32  47  37 /  90  30  40  60

&&

.TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HEAVY SNOW WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR MTZ009-048.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON MDT
WEDNESDAY FOR MTZ014-052.

&&

SHORT TERM...BLANK
LONG TERM...BRUSDA
AVIATION...BRUSDA

WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 10, 9:00 AM MST, 1 hour 50 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
1000 AM MDT TUE JUN 10 2008

MTZ009-048-111200-
NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-
1000 AM MDT TUE JUN 10 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
MONTANA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A HEAVY SNOW WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL ELEVATIONS OVER THE ROCKY
MOUNTAIN FRONT FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THE HEAVY SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT WEDNESDAY
EVENING FOR ALL ELEVATIONS OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT.

SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS THROUGH THURSDAY COULD CAUSE
SMALL STREAMS...CREEKS...AND RIVERS TO QUICKLY RISE ABOVE
BANKFULL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

MTZ014-052-111200-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-JEFFERSON-
1000 AM MDT TUE JUN 10 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
MONTANA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING AT 6 PM MDT THIS
EVENING FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5000 FEET IN JEFFERSON...AND CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTIES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT
WEDNESDAY FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5000 FEET IN JEFFERSON...AND
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTIES.

SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS THROUGH THURSDAY COULD CAUSE
SMALL STREAMS...CREEKS...AND RIVERS TO QUICKLY RISE ABOVE
BANKFULL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

MTZ050-051-053>055-111200-
JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS-BROADWATER-MEAGHER-GALLATIN-
1000 AM MDT TUE JUN 10 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA
AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE REGION THIS
AFTERNOON...AND WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS AND
SMALL HAIL. AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND HAIL TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES...WILL ALSO
BE POSSIBLE...MOST LIKELY BETWEEN NOON AND 500 PM MDT TODAY.

A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE REGION BEGINNING
THIS EVENING...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW
ACCUMULATION IN THE MOUNTAINS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THE STORM SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE REGION THROUGH
THURSDAY. SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS COULD CAUSE SMALL
STREAMS...CREEKS...AND RIVERS TO QUICKLY RISE ABOVE BANKFULL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

MTZ008-010>013-015-044>047-049-111200-
BEAVERHEAD-EASTERN GLACIER-HILL-CASCADE-CHOUTEAU-MADISON-TOOLE-
LIBERTY-EASTERN PONDERA-BLAINE-EASTERN TETON-
1000 AM MDT TUE JUN 10 2008

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 AFFECT THE REGION BEGINNING
THIS EVENING...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW
ACCUMULATION IN THE MOUNTAINS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THE STORM SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE REGION THROUGH
THURSDAY. SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS COULD CAUSE SMALL
STREAMS...CREEKS...AND RIVERS TO QUICKLY RISE ABOVE BANKFULL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 10, 9:51 AM MST, 59 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jun 10, 10:08 AM MST, 42 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jun 10, 10:29 AM MST, 21 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jun 10, 10:43 AM MST, 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
1143 AM MDT TUE JUN 10 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1120 AM     TSTM WND GST     3 ENE HELENA            46.61N 111.96W
06/10/2008  M53 MPH          LEWIS AND CLARK    MT   ASOS

            53 MPH PEAK WIND GUST AT THE HELENA AIRPORT. RAIN
            STARTING TO CHANGE TO SNOW.

&&

BRUSDA

The radar

The Billings radar (KBLX), 190 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:49 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Gallatin

When: June 10, 10:50 AM MST
Where: Gallatin County, 6 mi S of Bozeman
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.593, -111.030

A severe thunderstorm dropped .88 inch diameter hail at Bozeman 6S.

Hail, Fergus

When: June 10, 1:25 PM MST
Where: Fergus County, 17 mi SE of Lewistown
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.896, -109.165

A severe thunderstorm dropped 1.25 inch diameter hail at Lewistown 17SE.

Hail, Judith Basin

When: June 10, 7:08 PM MST
Where: Judith Basin County, 8 mi S of Stanford
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.034, -110.230

A severe thunderstorm dropped 1 inch diameter hail at Stanford 8S.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Montana in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, June 2008

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 103764, 103770, 103767.