High Wind in Montana, April 8, 2010

Name: High Wind in Montana, April 8, 2010
Start: 2010-04-08T09:40
End: 2010-04-08T20:00
Location: Montana

April 8, 2010 · NWS MSO · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A vigorous shortwave and associated cold front produced very strong winds in portions of western Montana on April 8th. Wind speeds up to 60 mph were reported with this system.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $24,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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 MSO wrote it up.

A vigorous shortwave and associated cold front produced very strong winds in portions of western Montana on April 8th. Wind speeds up to 60 mph were reported with this system. Damage to trees, powerlines, cars and property occured virtually area wide.

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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 8, 3:00 AM MST, 6 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 8, 3:00 AM MST, 6 hours 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
400 AM MDT THU APR 8 2010

.DISCUSSION...

...STRONG WINDS AND SOME SNOW EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION TODAY...

A VERY ENERGETIC COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES
THROUGH THE DAY. THIS FEATURE IS SET TO MOVE INTO NORTHERN IDAHO
NEAR SUN UP...THEN TO WESTERN MONTANA AT MIDDAY...AND FINALLY TO
THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA IN THE MID AFTERNOON.

THE MAIN IMPACT FROM THE FRONT WILL BE STRONG WINDS DUE TO THE
INTENSIFYING SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND STRONG LOW LEVEL WINDS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE FEATURE. WINDS WILL BE SOUTHERLY AHEAD OF THE
FRONT. THIS PRE-FRONTAL SOUTH WIND PATTERN IS PARTICULARLY GOOD FOR
STRONG WINDS IN THE GRANGEVILLE AREA. WEATHER STATIONS ABOVE
GRANGEVILLE ARE ALREADY REPORTING GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH...AND
THESE SHOULD MIX DOWN TO THE LOWER ELEVATIONS SHORTLY.

WINDS ACROSS WESTERN MONTANA WILL INCREASE OUT OF THE SOUTH AHEAD
OF THE FRONT...BUT WILL LIKELY BE STRONGEST OUT OF THE WEST THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING BEHIND THE FRONT. INSTABILITY IN THE WAKE OF
THE FRONT WILL BRING VERY STRONG MID LEVEL WINDS DOWN TO THE
VALLEY FLOORS. GUSTS TO NEAR 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE INTO EARLY EVENING.

THERE COULD ALSO BE A BURST OF INTENSE SNOW ALONG THE
FRONT...CAUSING BLOWING SNOW AND VISIBILITY PROBLEMS. FOR MOST
AREAS VISIBILITIES WILL BE MUCH MORE OF AN IMPACT THAN SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS...WHICH WILL GENERALLY BE LIGHT. HOWEVER...LOOKOUT
PASS WILL SEE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW THROUGH THE DAY.

THIS POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM WILL QUICKLY EXIT THE REGION BY EARLY
FRIDAY...WITH SNOW AND RAIN SHOWER ACTIVITY LINGERING ACROSS THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...A SHORT LIVED RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE
THROUGH THE WESTERLY FLOW FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. THIS WILL CAUSE
A COOL START TO SATURDAY BUT LOTS OF SUNSHINE AND WARMER AIR MOVING
INTO PLACE WILL PRODUCE SEASONAL AVERAGES FOR HIGHS. MODELS ARE
IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT THAT A TROUGH DIGGING OFF THE WEST COAST
WILL SEND A SURGE OF MOISTURE INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES ON SUNDAY.

MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...THE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE TO BE UNSETTLED
THROUGH MIDWEEK...WITH A SERIES OF SMALL DISTURBANCES MOVING THROUGH
THE REGION.

&&

.AVIATION...A STRONG SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE NORTHERN
ROCKIES BEGINNING TODAY. STRONG SOUTH WINDS WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF
THE FRONT LATE THIS MORNING...THEN SHIFT TO THE WEST BEHIND THE FRONT
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE
COMMON. PRECIPITATION WILL OCCUR WITH THE FRONT...AND CONVECTIVE
SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE BEHIND THE FRONT.

&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING
     MISSOULA/BITTERROOT VALLEYS.

     WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING
     FLATHEAD/MISSION VALLEYS.

     WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT
     WEST GLACIER REGION.

     HIGH WIND WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING
     BITTERROOT/SAPPHIRE MOUNTAINS.

     WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT
     POTOMAC/SEELEY LAKE REGION.

     HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO MIDNIGHT MDT
     TONIGHT BUTTE/BLACKFOOT REGION.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR I-90
     LOOKOUT PASS TO HAUGAN.

ID...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 2 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON LOWER HELLS
     CANYON/SALMON RIVER REGION...OROFINO/GRANGEVILLE REGION.

&&

WHITMORE

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Flathead/Mission Valleys

When: April 8, 9:40 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Flathead/Mission Valleys forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $4,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 47.872, -114.424 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Law enforcement reported several large trees down in Kalispell. Multiple power lines were down across Flathead County. A billboard was broken in half in Columbia Falls. A tree fell on a house on Sky Road in Whitefish. Observations in the area measured winds between 40 to 50 mph sustained with estimated gusts up to 58 mph.

High Wind, Potomac / Seeley Lake Region

When: April 8, 10:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Potomac / Seeley Lake Region forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 46.986, -113.597 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Law enforcement reported trees down on Highway 200 near Bonner. Winds were estimated at 40 to 50 mph with gusts up to 58 mph.

High Wind, Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys

When: April 8, 10:30 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys forecast zone
Measured: 43 kt (49 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $6,000
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 46.560, -114.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Missoula ASOS reported winds up to 52 mph. The amateur radio club reported two trees down on Highway 93 near Stevensville, shingles blown off a roof in Florence, and utility poles down in Lolo. Estimated winds in these areas were 40 to 50 mph sustained with gusts greater than 50 mph.

High Wind, Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains

When: April 8, 11:09 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.508, -113.828 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An observation site 6 miles east of Darby reported a wind gust to 59 mph. An observation site 4 miles west northwest of Darby reported wind gusts to 54 mph.

High Wind, Butte / Blackfoot Region

When: April 8, 12:20 PM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Butte / Blackfoot Region forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $4,000
Reported by: Utility Company
Coordinates: 46.306, -113.025 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A utility company construction site measured winds gusting up to 60 mph. The same utility company reported scattered power outages from trees down on power lines through Silver Bow County and the Butte area. Also, a tree fell on a vehicle in the Butte jail parking lot. A Ford F-150 sustained major damage to its windshield. Severe driving conditions were reported over MacDonald Pass by the Department of Transportation due to poor visibility in blowing and drifting snow.

High Wind, Kootenai/Cabinet Region

When: April 8, 1:30 PM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Kootenai/Cabinet Region forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.171, -114.863 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A member of the public reported an old barn was blown down near Eureka. Also, multiple trees were downed along Highway 37 and Highway 2.

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

Every storm in Montana in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, April 2010

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: 222915, 222917, 222912, 222913, 222914, 222918.