A strong westerly flow aloft produced high winds along the Rocky Mountain Front. Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph were reported.
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 strong westerly flow aloft produced high winds along the Rocky Mountain Front. Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph were reported.
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 Dec 11, 11:00 PM MST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 1100 PM MST SAT DEC 11 2010 UPDATED AVIATION SECTION .DISCUSSION... SNOW CONTINUES TO SPREAD NORTHEASTWARD THIS EVENING ACROSS SOUTHWEST MONTANA ASSOCIATED WITH MOIST OVERRUNNING/WARM ADVECTION PATTERN. SNOW HAS ALREADY BEGUN IN THE DILLON AND BUTTE AREAS AND ANTICIPATE SNOW TO BEGIN IN THE HELENA AND BOZEMAN AREAS AROUND MIDNIGHT...SPREADING NORTHWARD INTO NORTH CENTRAL MY BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. HAVE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO POPS TONIGHT...MAINLY TO RAISE TO CATEGORICAL VALUES IN AREAS WHERE SNOW IS ALREADY OR ABOUT TO OCCUR. PRECIP AMOUNTS THUS FAR HAVE BEEN FAIRLY LIGHT. TEMPS HAVE COOLED INTO THE 20S ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SW MT WHERE INCREASING CLOUD-COVER/PRECIP AND WARM ADVECTION WILL KEEP TEMPS FROM LOWERING MUCH FARTHER. COLD AIR IS ENTRENCHED OVER NORTHEAST ZONES...PARTICULARLY IN THE LOWER REACHES OF THE MISSOURI AND MILK RIVER VALLEYS WHERE TEMPS HAVE ALREADY FALLEN INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS. CURRENT SET OF WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS WILL REMAIN IN TACT AS SNOW CONTINUES TO SPREAD NORTHEAST WITH STRONGER WARM ADVECTION ARRIVING SUNDAY MORNING. THIS WILL BRING A TRANSITION TO RAIN FOR MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL MT...WITH A PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE BEFORE THE WARM AIR AND STRONG WINDS SURFACE. THE HAVRE/CHINOOK/BIG SANDY AREAS LOOKS TO HAVE THE GREATEST THREAT FOR A PROLONGED PERIOD OF FREEZING PRECIP SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS COLD AIR IN THOSE LOCATIONS WILL BE MORE RESISTANT TO SCOUR OUT. VERY WINDY CONDITIONS AND STRONG WARMING WILL LIKELY FOLLOW THE TRANSITION TO RAIN SUNDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION WITH VERY STRONG WINDS ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE ROCKIES. HOENISCH && .AVIATION... UPDATED 0600Z. A SURFACE WARM FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. THE WARM AIR OVERRUNNING THE COLD AIRMASS ALREADY IN PLACE HAS PRODUCED AREAS OF SNOW WHICH WILL INCREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE OVERNIGHT. IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW...AREAS OF RAIN AND FREEZING RAIN ARE POSSIBLE AFTER 12Z. SURFACE WINDS WILL BECOME VERY STRONG ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND ADJACENT PLAINS BEGINNING LATE SUNDAY MORNING. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL WITH INCREASING MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS AFTER 10Z DUE TO LOWERING CEILINGS AND PRECIPITATION. MOUNTAINS WILL BECOME OBSCURED AFTER 10Z. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 445 PM MST SAT DEC 11 2010/ SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY... THE FAIR WEATHER THAT HAS DOMINATED TODAY WILL BE QUICKLY USHERED OUT BY A WARM FRONT OVER RUNNING THE COLD AIR ASSOCIATED WITH YESTERDAYS COLD FRONT. THESE CONDITIONS WILL CREATE A CHANCE OF FREEZING RAIN ACROSS THE THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. HAVE LEFT THE WINTER STORM WATCH INTACT DUE TO UNCERTAINTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYSTEM NO UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE WILL BE MADE WITH THIS FORECAST SUITE. THE MAIN CONCERN WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL REMAIN TO BE FREEZING RAIN...HOWEVER DUE TO THE OTHER FORMS OF PRECIPITATION THAT ARE LIKELY TO FALL HAVE KEPT THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WORDING. HAVE UPGRADE THE HIGH WIND WATCH TO A HIGH WIND WARNING. HAVE ALSO EXTENDED THE WARNING TIME UNTIL MID MORNING MONDAY DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS FORECASTED IN ALL MODELS. WINDS SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE IN SOME FAVORED LOCATIONS ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. AFTER THIS SYSTEM PASSES SUNDAY NIGHT SOME DRYING CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP IN AS THE WARMING CONTINUES DUE THE LARGE SCALE RIDGE REMAINS CENTERED OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST. SUK MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...THE REGION WILL BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT MONDAY NIGHT HOWEVER SEVERAL DISTURBANCES MOVING THROUGH THE FLOW ALOFT WILL KEEP THE AIRMASS UNSETTLED. THE BEST CHANCE OF ACCUMULATING PRECIP WILL BE OVER THE ROCKIES AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. A LOW PRESSURE TROF WILL MOVE OVER THE WEST COAST BY TUESDAY MORNING AND HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL BEGIN TO WEAKEN. MOISTURE WILL INCREASE OVER OF THE AREA...THE CHANCE OF PRECIP WILL INCREASE BUT STILL REMAIN MAINLY OVER THE ROCKIES AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. A SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE OVER THE ROCKIES BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WILL CAUSE LOW PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE TO DEEPEN OVER ALBERTA AND A STRONG SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE ROCKIES AND ADJACENT PLAINS. STRONG SURFACE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. THE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN UNSETTLED DESPITE WEAK HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT BUT A NORTHERN LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING COLD AIR FROM CANADA INTO ACROSS THE BORDER THURSDAY. THE NORTHEASTERN ZONES WILL BE THE MOST AFFECTED BY THIS SYSTEM. A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL BE IN PLACE OVER THE ROCKIES THURSDAY NIGHT. AREAS WEST OF THE DIVIDE WILL SEE AN INCREASE IN MOISTURE WHICH WILL MOVE OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS AND THE SOUTHWEST ZONES LATE FRIDAY AND SPREAD EAST FRIDAY. THE AIRMASS WILL DRY AGAIN ON SATURDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ALOFT. TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN THE PERIOD ABOVE NORMALS BUT TREND DOWNWARDS BY WEDNESDAY AS THE LOW PRESSURE TROF APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. TEMPS WILL BE BELOW NORMALS THURSDAY AND REMAIN COOL THROUGH SATURDAY. ZELZER && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 26 42 38 47 / 40 80 20 20 CTB 17 38 35 43 / 20 80 20 10 HLN 22 35 29 39 / 90 80 20 20 BZN 21 38 24 41 / 70 80 20 30 WEY 22 33 27 34 / 90 90 30 30 DLN 24 38 29 39 / 100 80 10 30 HVR -2 30 27 37 / 10 80 70 10 LWT 16 41 35 44 / 10 70 40 10 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WATCH FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING BLAINE...CHOUTEAU...FERGUS...HILL...LIBERTY. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 AM TO 5 PM MST SUNDAY CASCADE... EASTERN GLACIER...EASTERN PONDERA...EASTERN TETON...JUDITH BASIN...MEAGHER...NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...TOOLE. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TO 3 PM MST SUNDAY BROADWATER...CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK...JEFFERSON. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM NOON SUNDAY TO 8 AM MST MONDAY EASTERN GLACIER...NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...TOOLE. && WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 518 AM MST SAT DEC 11 2010 MTZ012-014-046-049-050-052>054-121200- CASCADE-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-EASTERN PONDERA- EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN-JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-MEAGHER- 518 AM MST SAT DEC 11 2010 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 FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ009-010-044-048-121200- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN GLACIER-TOOLE- SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- 518 AM MST SAT DEC 11 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SUNDAY. A HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ011-013-045-047-051-121200- HILL-CHOUTEAU-LIBERTY-BLAINE-FERGUS- 518 AM MST SAT DEC 11 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ008-015-055-121200- BEAVERHEAD-MADISON-GALLATIN- 518 AM MST SAT DEC 11 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA EARLY ON SUNDAY. THE SNOW COULD CHANGE TO A SHORT PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN ON SUNDAY MORNING...BEFORE WARMER AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY FOR POSSIBLE WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS REGION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust to 67 mph was reported at East Glacier Park 1E (the Two Medicine DOT site).
A wind gust to 64 mph was reported at Bynum 14W (the Dellwo MSCN site).
A wind gust to 59 mph was reported at the Cut Bank ASOS site.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, December 2010
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: 267607, 267609, 267608.