Hail and Damaging Wind in Montana, July 1, 2010

Name: Hail and Damaging Wind in Montana, July 1, 2010
Start: 2010-07-01T12:45
End: 2010-07-01T17:45
Location: Montana

July 1, 2010 · NWS TFX · 8 events in 3 counties and zones

A very unstable airmass contributed to the development of numerous thunderstorms during the afternoon and early evening hours. Hail the size of ping pong balls, heavy rain, wind gusts to 60 mph, and funnel clouds were all reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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.

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 Jul 1, 10:55 AM MST, 1 hour 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 1, 10:55 AM MST, 1 hour 50 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 1, 3:14 AM MST, 9 hours 31 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 1, 12:23 PM MST, 22 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 1, 12:35 PM MST, 10 minutes before

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The radar

The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 148 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:45 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Jefferson

When: July 1, 12:45 PM MST
Where: Jefferson County, Basin
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.270, -112.270

A thunderstorm dropped 1 inch diameter hail at Basin.

Hail, Jefferson

When: July 1, 1:16 PM MST
Where: Jefferson County, Basin
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.270, -112.270

A thunderstorm dropped 1.5 inch diameter hail at Basin.

Hail, Jefferson

When: July 1, 1:22 PM MST
Where: Jefferson County, 1 mi E of Basin
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.270, -112.249

A thunderstorm dropped 1.5 inch diameter hail at Basin 1E.

Hail, Jefferson

When: July 1, 1:27 PM MST
Where: Jefferson County, 7 mi NE of Clancy
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.542, -111.876

A thunderstorm dropped 1 inch diameter hail at Clancy 7NE.

Hail, Jefferson

When: July 1, 1:27 PM MST
Where: Jefferson County, 1 mi E of Basin
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.270, -112.249

A thunderstorm dropped 1.5 inch diameter hail at Basin 1E.

Hail, Jefferson

When: July 1, 1:27 PM MST
Where: Jefferson County, 7 mi NE of Clancy
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.542, -111.876

A thunderstorm dropped 1 inch diameter hail at Clancy 7NE.

Hail, Judith Basin

When: July 1, 3:32 PM MST
Where: Judith Basin County, Stanford
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.150, -110.230

A thunderstorm dropped 1 inch diameter hail northwest of Stanford.

Thunderstorm Wind, Blaine

When: July 1, 5:45 PM MST
Where: Blaine County, 1 mi WSW of Chinook
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.575, -109.250

A thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 60 mph at Chinook 1WSW. A possible funnel cloud was also reported.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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, July 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 230002, 230003, 230004, 230005, 230006, 230007, 230008, 230009.