Hail in Montana, June 30, 2010

Name: Hail in Montana, June 30, 2010
Start: 2010-06-30T19:25
End: 2010-06-30T20:45
Location: Montana

June 30, 2010 · NWS MSO · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Strong southwest flow aloft coupled with a weak jet stream brought vast amounts of moisture and energy over the northern Rockies. A few severe thunderstorms formed across southwest Montana that produced large hail.

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: 3

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.

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 Jun 30, 4:50 PM MST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 30, 4:50 PM MST, 2 hours 35 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 30, 3:34 AM MST, 15 hours 51 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 30, 2:28 PM MST, 4 hours 57 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jun 30, 7:11 PM MST, 14 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jun 30, 7:14 PM MST, 11 minutes before

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The radar

The Missoula radar (KMSX), 109 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:26 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Deer Lodge

When: June 30, 7:25 PM MST to 8:15 PM MST
Where: Deer Lodge County, Southern Cross
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.200, -113.250

One inch hail estimated by the COOP observer in Georgetown Lake.

Hail, Powell

When: June 30, 8:08 PM MST to 8:45 PM MST
Where: Powell County, 0.95 mi E of Deer Lodge Arpt
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.400, -112.750

A trained spotter reported quarter sized hail coming down hard. He also received 0.35 inches of rain in five minutes.

Hail, Powell

When: June 30, 8:14 PM MST to 8:45 PM MST
Where: Powell County, 0.48 mi W of Deer Lodge
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 46.400, -112.730

The sheriffs office in Deer Lodge received one inch diameter hail.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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, June 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 242552, 242554, 242555.