A winter storm produced strong winds in the Little Belt Mountains of North Central Montana.
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 winter storm produced strong winds in the Little Belt Mountains of North Central 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 Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 28, 4:35 PM MST, 4 hours 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 435 PM MST WED JAN 28 2009 AVIATION SECTION UPDATED... .DISCUSSION... TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL PERSIST OVER THE AREA AS AN UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE WEST COAST. WEAK SHORT WAVE IMPULSES CONTINUE TO MOVE EMBEDDED WITHIN THE FLOW ALOFT AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR AREAS OF LIGHT SNOW...MAINLY IMPACTING HIGHER TERRAIN. DOWNSLOPE SURFACE GRADIENTS WILL KEEP GUSTY WINDS IN THE WEATHER PICTURE FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS AND WILL INHIBIT ANY PRECIPITATION OVER THE PLAINS. THE LEE SIDE TROF STRENGTHENS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND WINDS WILL INCREASE ACCORDINGLY...THOUGH WIND SPEEDS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW WARNING CRITERIA. AS THE UPPER RIDGE PUSHES SLOWLY INLAND...TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO WARM WITH AFTERNOON READINGS WELL ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGES. EMANUEL FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH MONDAY...ON FRIDAY SEASONABLY MILD TEMPERATURES WILL AGAIN PREVAIL OVER THE AREA THANKS TO THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE...BY LATE FRIDAY THE RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO GIVE WAY TO A FAST MOVING SHORTWAVE THAT WILL COME ON SHORE ONSHORE OVER BRITISH COLUMBIA FRIDAY NIGHT. WIND SPEEDS WILL INCREASE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS THE LOW PRESSURE GETS CLOSER TO OUR AREA. THE WIND SPEEDS PREDICTED BY THE MODELS ARE SUGGESTING A BORDERLINE WARNING EVENT AND ARE LIKELY GOING TO BE THE MAJOR FOCUS OVER THE WEEKEND. ON SATURDAY IT IS POSSIBLE TO SEE WIDESPREAD SNOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE SURFACE FRONT COUPLED TO THIS SHORTWAVE. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WITH A QUICK RECOVERY BACK ABOVE NORMAL ON MONDAY. THE MAIN THREAT OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY HOWEVER WITH THE SHORTWAVE MOVING QUICKLY TO THE EAST LARGE AMOUNTS OF PRECIPITATION IS DOUBTFUL WITH THIS EVENT. SUK TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE OVER THE INTER-MOUNTAIN WEST ON TUESDAY WITH THE RIDGE FLATTENING ON WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN ABOVE SEASONAL TEMPERATURES AND MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE A FEW DEGREES COOLER ON WEDNESDAY WITH SOME INCREASE IN MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS. VALLEY INVERSIONS ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES DOWN TO NEAR SEASONAL LEVELS. WILLIAMSON DC && .AVIATION... UPDATED 28/2335Z. MOIST NW FLOW CONTINUES OVER THE REGION THIS EVE WHICH WILL KEEP SKIES BKN TO OVC WITH A FEW ISOLD SNOWSHOWERS FROM KHVR TO KLWT TO KHLN UNTIL AROUND 03Z. CEILINGS SHOULD REMAIN VFR BUT MAY BRIEFLY DROP TO MVFR NEAR PRECIPITATION AREAS. LOWER CIGS AND MORE WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION OVER THE MTNS WILL MAINTAIN MVFR TO OCCASIONAL IFR CONDITIONS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AS WELL AS MTN OBSCUREMENT. SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR ARRIVES OVERNIGHT MEANING LESS CLOUD COVER. CURRENT BREEZY WINDS WILL DECREASE OVERNIGHT BUT RETURN TOMORROW AFTERNOON WITH LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE HIGHLINE. WARANAUSKAS && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 14 37 25 46 / 10 0 10 0 CTB 15 38 26 45 / 10 0 10 10 HLN 17 37 24 43 / 20 0 10 10 BZN 10 34 13 40 / 30 10 10 10 WEY -15 20 6 19 / 40 20 20 10 DLN 9 31 16 37 / 20 0 10 10 HVR 3 32 14 42 / 10 0 10 10 LWT 11 34 22 44 / 20 0 10 0 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...EMANUEL LONG TERM...SUK/WILLIAMSON DC AVIATION...HOENISCH WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 452 AM MST WED JAN 28 2009 MTZ055-291300- GALLATIN- 452 AM MST WED JAN 28 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE MORNING FOR THE WEST YELLOWSTONE AREA. A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW TO THE WEST YELLOWSTONE AREA. IN NORTHERN GALLATIN COUNTY...A CHANCE OF SNOW IS EXPECTED WITH AN INCH OR TWO OF SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY 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. MTZ008-015-052-053-291300- BEAVERHEAD-MADISON-JEFFERSON-BROADWATER- 452 AM MST WED JAN 28 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY 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. MTZ009-010-048-291300- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN GLACIER- SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- 452 AM MST WED JAN 28 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER TODAY AND TONIGHT IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WINDS WILL BECOME STRONG AND GUSTY ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND IN THE CUT BANK AREA THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. HIGHLIGHTS FOR HIGH WINDS MAY BECOME NECESSARY...ESPECIALLY ON FRIDAY WHEN GUSTS UP TO 75 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ011>014-044>047-049>051-054-291300- HILL-CASCADE-CHOUTEAU-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-TOOLE- LIBERTY-EASTERN PONDERA-BLAINE-EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS- MEAGHER- 452 AM MST WED JAN 28 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA...NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER TODAY AND TONIGHT IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WINDS WILL INCREASE AND BECOME GUSTY ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. AT THIS TIME...HIGHLIGHTS FOR HIGH WINDS ARE NOT EXPECTED. .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 108 mph was reported at Neihart. The 108 mph gust was reported at the top of a 60 foot tower. A gust to 89 mph was reported at roof-top level (approximately 20 feet). Damage was reported to the roof while the tower was blown over.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, January 2009
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: 153713.