On a breezy day a dust devil damaged a shed 13 miles west northwest of Helena.
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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.
On a breezy day a dust devil damaged a shed 13 miles west northwest of Helena.
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 May 1, 1:31 PM MST, 2 hours 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 231 PM MDT THU MAY 1 2008 .DISCUSSION... TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...DEEP UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER THE HIGH PLAINS CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTHEAST. AN ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW IS ALSO OVER THE HIGH PLAINS AND AN INVERTED SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDS NORTHWEST THROUGH EASTERN MONTANA. THIS TROUGH AND AN UPPER LEVEL DEFORMATION ZONE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE UPPER LOW ARE WORKING TO SUPPORT A BROAD AREA OF PRECIPITATION ACROSS EASTERN MONTANA AT THIS TIME. MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT IN EDGING THIS MOISTURE INTO MY EASTERN ZONES OVERNIGHT BUT ARE A BIT FURTHER EAST THAN PREVIOUS RUNS HAVE BEEN. FORECAST PROBLEM FOR THIS AFTERNOON FOCUSES ON AMOUNT OF SNOW THAT WILL FALL ACROSS MY EASTERN ZONES OVERNIGHT. AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THAT THE PLAINS WILL ONLY RECEIVE AN INCH OR TWO AT THE MOST. HOWEVER...THE BIG SNOWY MOUNTAINS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO RECEIVE 6 TO 10 INCHES AS THIS BARRIER OBSTRUCTS AND LIFTS THE MOIST NORTHERLY FLOW. WILL ISSUE A HEAVY SNOW WARNING FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4500 IN FERGUS COUNTY. ON FRIDAY THE UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST REGION WITH A WEAK SHORTWAVE RIDGE BUILDING OVER MONTANA FOR A DIMINISHING CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND DURING THE DAY. GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS PREVAIL ACROSS MY CWA THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. BY LATE SATURDAY A SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST FOR AN INCREASING CHANCE OF SHOWERS OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS...BUT THE REMAINDER OF MY CWA SHOULD STAY DRY. MPJ SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...DID NOT MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THIS PERIOD. GENERAL WESTERLY FLOW PREVAILS DURING THIS PERIOD...BUT DISTURBANCES WILL MOVE THROUGH GIVING CHANCES OF SHOWERS. THE FIRST MOVES THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. POPS INCREASE SATURDAY NIGHT AND LINGER THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT AS ANOTHER SHORTWAVE MOVES INTO THE AREA. TEMPERATURES REMAIN A BIT BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THIS PERIOD. AN UPPER RIDGE DEVELOPS ON TUESDAY BRINGING IN DRIER AND WARMER AIR. DB WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...LATEST LONG RANGE MODELS ARE IN FAIR AGREEMENT WITH A QUICK MOVING PACIFIC DISTURBANCE EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION. A CHANCE FOR SCATTERED PRECIPITATION FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND THE NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS AS THE SYSTEM SWINGS THROUGH WEST/CENTRAL MONTANA. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE NEAR NORMAL FOR WEDNESDAY AND SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL THURSDAY AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH. SAUCIER && .AVIATION... A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER WYOMING WILL FEED WRAP-AROUND MOISTURE INTO THE REGION THROUGH THE NIGHT. EXPECT THE PRECIPITATION/LOW CLOUD SHIELD OVER EASTERN MONTANA TO BACK INTO KLWT AND KHVR BY 00Z...BUT WILL ONLY SEE SCATTERED SHOWERS FURTHER WEST AS THE LOW PULLS AWAY TO THE EAST. MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AROUND KLWT AND KHVR AND EASTWARD. WITH PREVAILING VFR CONDITIONS ELSEWHERE. AFTER 12Z FRIDAY THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL PULL FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM THE AREA FOR IMPROVING CONDITIONS. THOMSON && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 32 58 34 66 / 20 20 0 0 CTB 30 60 33 66 / 10 10 0 10 HLN 33 59 34 68 / 10 10 0 10 BZN 29 53 28 63 / 30 30 10 0 WEY 22 46 22 52 / 30 30 10 10 DLN 25 53 29 62 / 10 10 0 10 HVR 30 59 29 68 / 40 20 0 0 LWT 29 51 29 62 / 70 30 0 0 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAVY SNOW WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM MDT FRIDAY FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4500 FEET IN MTZ051. && SHORT TERM...MPJ LONG TERM...DB/SAUCIER AVIATION...THOMSON WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 256 PM MDT THU MAY 1 2008 MTZ051-021200- FERGUS- 256 PM MDT THU MAY 1 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A HEAVY SNOW WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4500 FEET IN FERGUS COUNTY TONIGHT. A STORM SYSTEM IN EASTERN MONTANA AND THE DAKOTAS WILL BRING RAIN AND SNOW TO THE PLAINS THIS EVENING...CHANGING TO ALL SNOW OVERNIGHT. EXPECT UP TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION OVER THE PLAINS...WITH 3 TO 6 INCHES IN THE FOOTHILLS...AND 6 TO 10 INCHES IN THE BIG SNOWY MOUNTAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ011>013-047-050-054-021200- HILL-CASCADE-CHOUTEAU-BLAINE-JUDITH BASIN-MEAGHER- 256 PM MDT THU MAY 1 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA...NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A STORM SYSTEM IN EASTERN MONTANA WILL BRING AN INCREASING CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS TO THE REGION THIS EVENING...AND A CHANCE OF SNOW OVERNIGHT. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OVER THE PLAINS WILL BE SPOTTY...WITH SOME LOCATIONS RECEIVING 1 TO 2 INCHES...AND OTHER LOCATIONS RECEIVING LITTLE OR NONE. MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS COULD RECEIVE UP TO 4 INCHES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ008>010-014-015-044>046-048-049-052-053-055-021200- BEAVERHEAD-NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN GLACIER- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-MADISON-TOOLE-LIBERTY- EASTERN PONDERA-SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN TETON- JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-GALLATIN- 256 PM MDT THU MAY 1 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 dust devil. Local standard time, as filed.
Dust devil blew off roof of shed and blew other objects around.
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, May 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: 87213.