A weather disturbance moving across southern Canada helped produce strong 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 weather disturbance moving across southern Canada helped produce strong 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 Mar 17, 10:00 AM MST, 1 hour earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 1100 AM MDT WED MAR 17 2010 .DISCUSSION... UPDATE FORTHCOMING. HAVE LOWERED POPS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING. SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATING VERY LITTLE MOISTURE MAKING ITS WAY TOWARD THE COUNTY WARNING AREA. WINDS REMAIN GUSTY ALONG THE NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT BUT SHOULD REMAIN BELOW WARNING CRITERIA. TEMPERATURES LOOK REASONABLE. EMANUEL && .AVIATION... UPDATED 1700Z. EXPECT INCREASING CLOUDS OVER THE REGION TODAY...AS VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL OVER THE PLAINS. LOW CLOUDS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES...OBSCURING VISIBILITIES WITH SOME IFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE PERIOD. EXPECT A SURFACE WIND SHIFT TO NORTHERLY WINDS TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION FROM NORTH TO SOUTH BEGINNING AFTER 06Z THURSDAY. BRUSDA && .PREV DISCUSSION...ISSUED 427 AM MDT WED MAR 17 2010 TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY...INCREASED MID-HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS AND CHINOOK ARCH NOTED THIS MORNING AS UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE FLATTENS IN RESPONSE TO APPROACHING PACIFIC TROUGH. MAIN FOCUS FOR TODAY IS THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WINDS ALONG THE NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND ADJACENT PLAINS AS SHORTWAVE ENERGY INTERACTS WITH STRONG WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. EVEN THOUGH GUSTY DOWNSLOPE WINDS WILL OCCUR TODAY...WIND GUSTS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW 50 KTS SO OPTED AGAINST HIGH WIND HIGHLIGHTS BUT WILL CLOSELY MONITOR THROUGH THE MORNING. COOLER AIR ALOFT WILL BEGIN TO DESCEND OVER THE FORECAST AREA LATER TODAY...HOWEVER DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOVE AVERAGE. MARGINAL INSTABILITY AND A WEAK SHORTWAVE MAY GENERATE A FEW RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA SO INCREASED POPS TO SLIGHT CHANCE OVER THIS AREA. THURSDAY WILL BE A TRANSITION PERIOD AS A SURFACE COLD FRONT AND STRONG SHORTWAVE MOVE THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA. MODELS STILL DIFFER ON THE TIMING OF THE FRONT AS WELL AS ITS ASSOCIATED MOISTURE...BUT FEEL CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO RAISE POPS TO LIKELY FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE PLAINS AND VALLEYS. AS FOR PRECIPITATION TYPE...VALLEYS AND PLAINS SHOULD BEGIN AS A RAIN/SNOW MIX AND THEN CHANGEOVER TO ALL SNOW AS COLDER AIR ARRIVES. IN THE MOUNTAINS...ALL SNOW IS EXPECTED HOWEVER AMOUNTS SHOULD BE LIGHT AND AT THIS TIME WINTER HIGHLIGHTS SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. ON FRIDAY...COLD NORTHERLY FLOW SHOULD PROMOTE LIGHT UPSLOPE FLOW FOR THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT..LITTLE/BIG BELTS AND SNOWIES BUT LIMITED MOISTURE WILL KEEP ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TO A MINIMUM. HIGH TEMPS ON FRIDAY ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE AROUND 10 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE. MLS FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...THE PERIOD STARTS OFF WITH A NORTHWEST TO NORTH FLOW ALOFT. THERE COULD BE SOME LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS IN THE WAKE OF A SHORTWAVE THAT IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA ON FRIDAY. A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPPER TROUGH MOVING SOUTHEAST THROUGH CENTRAL CANADA IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN ZONES SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE FRONT IS THEN EXPECTED TO MOVE FARTHER SOUTH SATURDAY NIGHT BUT MIGHT NOT MAKE IT INTO FAR SOUTHWEST MONTANA. MODELS INDICATE LITTLE MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE SO WILL CONTINUE WITH THE DRY FORECAST FOR SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY AS AN UPPER RIDGE APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. THIS UPPER RIDGE IS THEN FORECAST TO MOVE OVER THE AREA ON MONDAY BUT AT THE SAME TIME COULD SEE MOISTURE MOVE INTO THE AREA WELL AHEAD OF A PACIFIC UPPER TROUGH. WILL CONTINUE WITH THE INHERITED IDEA OF A CHANCE OF RAIN OR SNOW ON MONDAY. THE PACIFIC UPPER TROUGH IS FORECAST TO MOVE OVER THE AREA SOMETIME DURING THE TUESDAY/TUESDAY NIGHT TIME FRAME WITH A FURTHER INCREASE IN MOISTURE. MODELS DIFFER ON THE STRENGTH AND TIMING OF THE UPPER TROUGH BUT ALL HAVE SOME PRECIPITATION FOR THE FORECAST AREA. INCREASED THE CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION A LITTLE. WILL NOT SEE ANY COOLING OF TEMPERATURES ON SUNDAY BEHIND SATURDAY/SATURDAY NIGHTS COLD FRONT AS THE APPROACH OF THE UPPER RIDGE WILL RESULT IN MODERATING TEMPERATURES. THE COOLING TREND DURING THE PERIOD WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER TROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. LOOKING AHEAD TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK COULD SEE THE NEXT UPPER RIDGE APPROACH SO WENT WARMER WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES AND LOWER WITH THE CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION ON WEDNESDAY. BLANK && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 58 28 42 20 / 10 10 40 40 CTB 57 24 40 17 / 10 10 40 40 HLN 57 29 42 22 / 10 20 40 40 BZN 55 25 43 21 / 20 20 40 50 WEY 49 21 40 17 / 20 40 50 60 DLN 57 28 42 20 / 10 20 40 40 HVR 45 20 34 17 / 10 10 30 30 LWT 59 27 40 19 / 10 20 40 30 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 1200 PM MDT WED MAR 17 2010 MTZ009-010-048-181200- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN GLACIER- SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- 1200 PM MDT WED MAR 17 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND THE CUT BANK AREA UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A CANADIAN COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE REGION ON THURSDAY...AS COLDER TEMPERATURES MOVE BACK INTO TO THE REGION FOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY. EXPECT A CHANCE FOR RAIN OR SNOW AT LOWER ELEVATIONS AND SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS THIS SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH. WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS COULD BE POSSIBLE. THIS COLD SNAP WILL BE SHORT LIVED THOUGH...AS TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB BACK TO ABOVE NORMAL READINGS FOR THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ008-011>015-044>047-049>055-181200- BEAVERHEAD-HILL-CASCADE-CHOUTEAU- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-MADISON-TOOLE-LIBERTY- EASTERN PONDERA-BLAINE-EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS- JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-MEAGHER-GALLATIN- 1200 PM MDT WED MAR 17 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA...NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A CANADIAN COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE REGION ON THURSDAY...AS COLDER TEMPERATURES MOVE BACK INTO TO THE REGION FOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY. EXPECT A CHANCE FOR RAIN OR SNOW AT LOWER ELEVATIONS AND SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS THIS SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH. WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS COULD BE POSSIBLE. THIS COLD SNAP WILL BE SHORT LIVED THOUGH...AS TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB BACK TO ABOVE NORMAL READINGS FOR THE WEEKEND. .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 62 mph was reported at Browning. Also, a wind gust to 68 mph was reported at Heart Butte.
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, March 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: 214914.