The Beaver, Frenchmen and other creeks flooded across Phillips and Valley counties.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 GGW wrote it up.
The Beaver, Frenchmen and other creeks flooded across Phillips and Valley counties.
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 Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 13, 8:04 PM MST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 904 PM MDT WED APR 13 2011 .SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TONIGHT... ...UNSETTLED CONDITIONS TO RETURN TO NORTHEAST MONTANA TOMORROW... UPPER TROUGH APPROACHING FROM THE SW TENDING TO LOOK MORE ORGANIZED...WITH EXPANDING MOISTURE AND COLDER TOPPED CLOUDS. ONGOING FORECAST HAS THIS WELL COVERED WITH INCREASING POPS IN OUR WEST AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE AIRMASS IS TOO WARM FOR SNOW UNTIL VERY LATE TONIGHT AS SHOWN BY 00Z KGGW SOUNDING...BUT ALSO SHOWING THE DRY LOW LEVELS FOR EVAPORATIVE COOLING POTENTIAL. MODELS ALSO INDICATE SOME ADDITIONAL COOL ADVECTION FROM THE NORTH...AND EXPECT THAT THERE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT EVAPORATIVE AND DYNAMIC COOLING TOO WITH THE PRECIP THAT DOES ARRIVE...SO BOTH RAIN AND SNOW POSSIBLE BEFORE MORNING...AS MODELS SHOW 850 TEMPS FALL TO AROUND -2C BY 12Z. TIGHTEST SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENTS OCCURRING TONIGHT WITH HIGH CENTER AT ITS' CLOSEST OVER S MB AND LOW CENTER AROUND LVM. NO UPDATE. PREVIOUS SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY... A MOIST PACIFIC TROUGH CONTINUES TO PUSH INTO THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST. OVERNIGHT TONIGHT THE SOUTHERN HALF WILL SPIN UP A STRONG CYCLONE OVER THE FOUR CORNERS REGION THAT WILL GO ON TO BRING SEVERE WEATHER TO THE CENTRAL PLAINS TOMORROW. THE NORTHERN HALF WILL GO ON TO SPIN UP A CYCLONE OVER ALBERTA THAT WILL BRING WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW TO NORTHEAST MONTANA AS ITS DEVELOPING WARM FRONT PUSHES THROUGH. GUSTY EASTERLY WINDS WILL ALSO CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY THANKS TO THE DEVELOPING LOW. AGAIN TEMPERATURES WILL BE CRITICAL FOR PRECIP TYPE. AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS FORECASTERS LOGIC IN THINKING THAT SURFACE TEMPS WILL BE TOO WARM DURING THE DAY ON THURSDAY FOR REAL ACCUMULATIONS TO TAKE PLACE. INSTEAD EXPECT HEAVY WET MELTING SNOW FOR THE MOST PART...ALONG WITH SOME RAIN MIXED IN. WILL HAVE KEEP A CLOSE MONITOR ON THIS EVENT AS IT PLAYS OUT FOR THE REGION. STILL RANCHERS SHOULD TAKE THE PRECAUTIONS OF YOUNG LIVESTOCK WITH THIS SPRING STORM. THURSDAY NIGHT THE BEST PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL WILL BE ACROSS THE EAST AS THE UPGLIDE REGION PROGRESSES AS THE CYCLONE SPINS UP. BEHIND THE UPGLIDE REGION A WIND SHIFT WILL START TO OCCUR...WITH MORE WESTERLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. FRIDAY WILL BE UNSETTLED WITH THE STACKED LOW TO THE NORTH OVER SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN/ALBERTA. AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION WITH THE BETTER HEATING OF THE AFTERNOON. .LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY... MODELS CONTINUE TO KEEP MONTANA IN AN UNSETTLED PATTERN THROUGH THE ENTIRE EXTENDED FORECAST. A SERIES OF SHORTWAVES EJECTED FROM AN UPPER LOW OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA WILL MAKE THEIR WAY ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND THE INTER-MOUNTAIN WEST. EACH DISTURBANCE WILL BRING AN INFLUX OF MOISTURE ALOFT KEEPING CLOUD COVER OVER MUCH OF EASTERN MONTANA. THE DEVELOPMENT OF RAIN OR RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE IN NEARLY EVERY TIME PERIOD THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN THIS REGIME ALTHOUGH VERY LITTLE ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. THIS UNSETTLED PATTERN WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S AND 50S WHICH IS BELOW SEASONAL NORMAL. WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE NORTHERN ZONES...ESPECIALLY THE NORTHWEST... MELTING OF THE EXTENSIVE SNOWPACK WILL BE SLOW. THIS IN TURN WILL REINFORCE COOLER TEMPERATURES FOR THESE AREAS DURING THE EXTENDED FORECAST. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... SLIGHTLY COOL AND UNSETTLED IN THE LONG TERM. NO SIGNIFICANT RIDGING...BUT NO STRONG WEATHER SYSTEMS EITHER. THICKNESSES MOSTLY IN THE 520S OR 530S THRU THE PERIOD WILL MEAN BELOW NORMAL TEMPS...HOWEVER THERE WILL BE A MODEST AMOUNT OF SUNSHINE TOO...AND WINDS WILL BE ON THE LIGHT SIDE. POOR MODEL AGREEMENT WITH A FEW RATHER WEAK SHORTWAVES MOVING THRU THE AREA FROM THE WEST. THIS IS MAINLY IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE PERIOD FRI NIGHT THRU MON. GFS HAS BEEN STRONGER THAN OTHER MODELS WITH THE SUN NIGHT SYSTEM...BUT MOST ENSEMBLES ARE WEAKER...MORE LIKE THE CMC GEM OR ECMWF. THEREFORE WILL GO CONSERVATIVE AND BROAD BRUSHED WITH SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR SEVERAL PERIODS. MODELS INDICATE A BREAK ABOUT MON NIGHT AND TUE...THEN POSSIBLY ANOTHER SHORTWAVE LATE TUE NIGHT/WED...BUT LOTS OF DISAGREEMENT WITH THIS TOO. PRECIP CHARACTER WILL BE SHOWERY. PRECIP TYPE QUESTIONABLE...THERE WILL BE BOTH RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS. OVERNIGHT LOWS TO BE BELOW FREEZING...BUT HIGHS WELL ABOVE FREEZING...SO ACCUMS IF ANY LOOK TO BE LIGHT AND SHORT LIVED. TIME OF DAY AND ELEVATION INFLUENCE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT REGARDING ANY POTENTIAL SNOW ACCUMS. SIMONSEN && .AVIATION... VFR THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. MID AND HIGH CLOUDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE OVERNIGHT. GUSTY EAST WINDS WILL ALSO CONTINUE AT 20-30KTS WITH STRONGER GUSTS. EARLY THURSDAY MORNING PRECIPITATION IN THE FROM OF RAIN AND SNOW WILL BUILD IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST. EXPECT MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY...WITH PERIODS OF IFR AS THIS AREA OF PRECIP PUSHES THROUGH THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. STRONG EAST WINDS WILL REMAIN. GILCHRIST && .HYDROLOGY... THE SPRING THAWING AND RIVER RISES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AND PROBABLY INCREASE OVER THE WEEK. IT WILL BE AT LEAST 2 WEEKS BEFORE FLOOD ISSUES BEGIN TO SUBSIDE PERMANENTLY...THOUGH RIVER LEVELS MAY FLUCTUATE SOME. A FLOOD ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR SHERIDAN COUNTY AS BIG MUDDY CREEK AND LAKE CREEK WERE RUNNING OUT OF THEIR BANKS CAUSING SOME NEARBY ROADS TO BE INUNDATED. FLOODING IS MAINLY FROM RESERVE SOUTHWARD TO THE MISSOURI RIVER. THE AREAL FLOOD WARNING WILL CONTINUE FOR EASTERN PHILLIPS AND MUCH OF VALLEY COUNTY THROUGH THE WEEKEND... FOR FLOODING ALONG ANTELOPE CREEK...BRAZIL CREEK... BUFFALO CREEK... WILLOW CREEK... BEAVER CREEK AND LARB CREEK... AS WELL AS ALONG THE MILK RIVER. FLOODING IS ALSO BEGINNING TO OCCUR ON THE STREAMS FEEDING INTO THE MILK RIVER FROM THE NORTH...INCLUDING ROCK...BEAR AND BUGGY CREEKS. AREAS OF NORTHERN VALLEY AND PHILLIPS COUNTY STILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW COVER. SNOWMELT WILL LIKELY INCREASE FLOODING CONCERNS FOR NEARBY CREEKS AND STREAMS. A MAIN STEM FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SACO...TAMPICO... GLASGOW... AND NASHUA FORECAST POINTS ON THE MILK RIVER. SACO IS EXPECTED TO REACH MODERATE FLOOD STAGE BY TONIGHT. TAMPICO HAS REACHED MAJOR FLOOD STAGE THIS AFTERNOON. NEAR GLASGOW THE RIVER HAS REACHED MODERATE FLOOD STAGE AND WILL REACH MODERATE FLOOD STAGE AT NASHUA BY FRIDAY MORNING. RISES WERE ALSO BEGINNING ON THE POPLAR RIVER AND A FLOOD ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS RIVER. LOW LAND FLOODING IS ALSO OCCURRING ALONG THE MIDDLE FORK AND THERE IS STILL ICE ON THE WEST FORK FOR POTENTIAL ICE JAM FLOODING. && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 252 PM MDT WED APR 13 2011 MTZ016>020-059-061-062-141200- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY- DANIELS-SHERIDAN-WESTERN ROOSEVELT-NORTHERN PHILLIPS- NORTHERN VALLEY-EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 252 PM MDT WED APR 13 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE MILK RIVER IN VALLEY COUNTY...AND FLOOD WARNINGS OR ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR NUMEROUS SMALL STREAMS IN VALLEY...PHILLIPS...SHERIDAN...DANIELS...AND ROOSEVELT COUNTIES DUE TO CONTINUED SNOWMELT. WARM TEMPERATURES MOST OF THIS WEEK WILL CONTINUE MELTING THE REMAINING SNOW PACK AND SUPPORT CONTINUED FLOOD PROBLEMS. TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY...RAIN MIXED WITH SNOW...BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND A MODERATE EAST WIND WILL LEAD TO HAZARD WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR YOUNG LIVESTOCK ACROSS THE REGION. SOME ACCUMULATING HEAVY WET SNOW IS POSSIBLE AS WELL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOWMELT RUN OFF WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SMALL STREAM...CREEK AND RIVER FLOODING THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ021>027-060-141200- PETROLEUM-GARFIELD-MCCONE-RICHLAND-DAWSON-PRAIRIE-WIBAUX- SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS- 252 PM MDT WED APR 13 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY RAIN MIXED WITH SNOW...BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND A MODERATE EAST WIND WILL LEAD TO HAZARD WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR YOUNG LIVESTOCK ACROSS THE REGION. SOME ACCUMULATING HEAVY WET SNOW IS POSSIBLE AS WELL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Many creeks, mainly the Beaver and the Frenchmen continue to flood. Saco Flats flooding continues to surround Saco with flood waters.
The Milk River tributaries continued to flood. These tributaries included, but not limited to, Willow, Beaver, Brazil, Antelope and Rock Creeks. Many roads were flooded and closed including the North Tampico Road, 6th Avenue, Whately Road, Lenz Rd, Canal Rd and Rahlf Lane. After April 18th, the northern tributaries were especially flooding.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, April 2011
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: 307777, 307778.