Montana, 2008

High Wind in Montana, November 12, 2008

November 12, 2008 · NWS TFX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A Pacific storm system brought strong westerly winds to the Rocky Mountain Front and adjacent plains. Wind gusts in excess of 70 mph were reported.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

A Pacific storm system brought strong westerly winds to the Rocky Mountain Front and adjacent plains. Wind gusts in excess of 70 mph were 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 Nov 12, 5:00 AM MST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 12, 5:00 AM MST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 12, 5:05 AM MST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
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Event by event

4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, North Rocky Mountain Front

When
November 12, 6:10 AM MST
Where
North Rocky Mountain Front forecast zone
Measured
59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by
COOP Observer

A wind gust to 68 mph was reported at Babb. Additionally, wind gusts to 78 mph and 59 mph were reported at the DOT site at Two Medicine.

High Wind, Southern Rocky Mountain Front

When
November 12, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Rocky Mountain Front forecast zone
Measured
51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet

A wind gust to 59 mph was reported at Bynum 14W.

High Wind, Cascade

When
November 12, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Cascade forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
COOP Observer

A wind gust estimated to be 58 mph snapped tree limbs two inches in diameter.

High Wind, Southern Lewis and Clark

When
November 12, 3:23 PM MST
Where
Southern Lewis and Clark forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter

A wind gust to 58 mph was reported at Marysville 6ESE.

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Montana in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, November 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 139772, 139775, 139786, 139776.