Strong westerly winds aloft mixed down to the surface and produced high winds. 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.
Strong westerly winds aloft mixed down to the surface and produced high winds. 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 Feb 3, 4:40 AM MST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 440 AM MST THU FEB 3 2011 .DISCUSSION... TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE EXTENDING FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC INTO THE NW U.S. WILL BEGIN TO FLATTEN SOMEWHAT TODAY AS SHORTWAVE ENERGY MOVES INTO SW CANADA WITH A STEADY STREAM OF ADDITIONAL ENERGY EVENTUALLY BREAKING DOWN THE RIDGE FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT FOLLOWED BY AN INCREASINGLY MOIST AND SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE NW FLOW ALOFT OVER THE REGION BY SATURDAY. A HEALTHY PRESSURE GRADIENT ALREADY EXISTS ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL MT AND WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE GUSTY SW WINDS TODAY. INITIAL PIECE OF SHORTWAVE ENERGY MOVING ACROSS ALBERTA THIS MORNING WILL BRING INCREASING WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT TO AREAS ALONG THE ROCKY MTN FRONT AND ADJACENT PLAINS TODAY. WINDS ARE ALREADY GUSTING IN EXCESS OF 50KTS AT WATERTON GATE AB...AND EXPECT STRONG WINDS TO DEVELOP ALONG THE NORTHERN ROCKY MTN FRONT AREA THIS MORNING...SPREADING INTO THE SOUTHERN ROCKY MTN AND EASTERN GLACIER COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON AS HIGH WIND WARNINGS GO INTO EFFECT FOR THOSE LOCATIONS. STRONG WINDS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING WITH A SLIGHT DECREASE IN WINDS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT BEFORE ADDITIONAL ENERGY ARRIVES FROM THE NW ON FRIDAY CAUSING WINDS TO INCREASE AGAIN. CLOUD-COVER WILL INCREASE FROM NW TO SE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY WITH SOME LIGHT OROGRAPHIC SNOW DEVELOPING LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT IN THE GLACIER AND YELLOWSTONE PARK AREAS. MOISTURE INCREASES SOME ON FRIDAY FOR SOMEWHAT BETTER CHANCES FOR MAINLY LIGHT SNOWFALL IN THE MTNS WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS FARTHER EAST ON THE PLAINS AS WELL. LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY...A MORE SUBSTANTIAL SHORTWAVE AND UPPER LEVEL JET ENERGY ARRIVE WITH COOLING ALOFT BRINGING LOWERING SNOW LEVELS AND SLIGHTLY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS IN THE MID LEVELS. THE MOIST/UNSTABLE NW FLOW PATTERN WILL LIKELY BRING LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS TO MUCH OF THE THE FORECAST AREA WITH SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE IN THE MTNS...ESPECIALLY THE LITTLE BELT...BIG SNOWY AND BRIDGER RANGES. WARMING ALOFT AND WESTERLY WINDS WILL PRODUCE ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA TODAY...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME THE SW MT VALLEYS. TEMPERATURES PEAK ON FRIDAY BEFORE COOLING ARRIVES WITH THE DEVELOPING COOLER AND MORE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN ON SATURDAY. HOENISCH SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW SOME CONSISTENCY WITH THEIR SOLUTIONS. MOIST AND UNSTABLE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT TO START THE PERIOD WILL BRING ACCUMULATING SNOW TO THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD SOUTH OUT OF CANADA ON SUNDAY AND USHER IN ANOTHER ROUND OF COLD TEMPERATURES. MODELS ARE IN BETTER AGREEMENT WITH PLACING THE SURFACE HIGH CENTER OVER NORTHEAST MONTANA BY MONDAY MORNING. TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE COUNTY WARNING AREA WILL BE WELL BELOW ZERO. THE COLD WILL BE SHORT-LIVED AS TEMPERATURES REBOUND BY MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE TEENS EXCEPT OVER THE NORTHEAST WHERE THE COLD AIR WILL REMAIN ENTRENCHED. ISOLATED LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE MONDAY. WEAK SHORT WAVE ENERGY EMBEDDED WITHIN THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ON TUESDAY WILL BRING SCATTERED LIGHT SNOW TO THE AREA. BY WEDNESDAY THE UPPER RIDGE BUILDING ALONG THE WEST COAST MOVES INLAND A BIT AND DRIER AIR MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE CONFINED TO THE WESTERN AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AS THE UPPER RIDGE MOVES OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST...KEEPING THE AREA UNDER NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. TEMPERATURES WILL START OUT WELL BELOW SEASONAL AVERAGES BUT SLOWLY MODERATE THROUGH THE PERIOD. AFTERNOON READINGS WILL APPROACH SEASONAL AVERAGES BY LATE IN THE WEEK. && .AVIATION... UPDATED 1140Z. MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE. HIGH CLOUDS WILL INCREASE OVER THE AREA TODAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE APPROACHES. SCATTERED LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE WESTERN AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS AFTER 00Z. SURFACE WINDS WILL BECOME STRONG ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT WITH GUSTY WINDS SPREADING EAST OVER THE PLAINS DURING THE DAY. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL WITH INCREASING MVFR CONDITIONS DUE TO SNOW OVER THE MOUNTAINS AFTER 00Z. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 40 29 46 28 / 0 10 10 30 CTB 42 25 44 27 / 0 10 10 50 HLN 28 28 47 32 / 0 10 10 30 BZN 27 25 44 31 / 0 20 30 40 WEY 20 3 25 17 / 10 60 60 70 DLN 34 28 40 28 / 0 10 10 20 HVR 35 27 39 28 / 0 10 20 40 LWT 41 28 42 29 / 0 10 30 40 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM MST FRIDAY EASTERN GLACIER...SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MST FRIDAY NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. && SHORT TERM...HOENISCH LONG TERM...EMANUEL AVIATION...EMANUEL WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 459 AM MST THU FEB 3 2011 MTZ009-010-048-041300- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN GLACIER- SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- 459 AM MST THU FEB 3 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND ADJACENT PLAINS...INCLUDING EASTERN GLACIER COUNTY TODAY THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A COOLER AND MORE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL DEVELOP ONCE AGAIN THIS WEEKEND. ACCUMULATING SNOW IS LIKELY WITH SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS. MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO RETURN BY SUNDAY AS ANOTHER COLD CANADIAN AIRMASS SURGES INTO THE REGION. THE COLD AND ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ008-011-014-015-044>047-049-052-053-041300- BEAVERHEAD-HILL-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-MADISON- TOOLE-LIBERTY-EASTERN PONDERA-BLAINE-EASTERN TETON-JEFFERSON- BROADWATER- 459 AM MST THU FEB 3 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER TODAY AND TONIGHT IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A COOLER AND MORE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL DEVELOP ONCE AGAIN THIS WEEKEND. ACCUMULATING SNOW IS LIKELY WITH SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS. MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO RETURN BY SUNDAY AS ANOTHER COLD CANADIAN AIRMASS SURGES INTO THE REGION. THE COLD AND ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ012-013-050-051-054-055-041300- CASCADE-CHOUTEAU-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS-MEAGHER-GALLATIN- 459 AM MST THU FEB 3 2011 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 TODAY AND TONIGHT IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A COOLER AND MORE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL DEVELOP ONCE AGAIN THIS WEEKEND. ACCUMULATING SNOW IS LIKELY WITH SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS. WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS MAY BE NEEDED...ESPECIALLY FOR THE MOUNTAINS WHERE HEAVY SNOW IS A POSSIBILITY ON SATURDAY. MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO RETURN BY SUNDAY AS ANOTHER COLD CANADIAN AIRMASS SURGES INTO THE REGION. THE COLD AND ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust to 72 mph was reported at East Glacier Park 8SE (the Deep Creek RAWS site).
A wind gust to 64 mph was reported at Bynum 13W (the Dellwo MSCN site).
A wind gust to 58 mph was reported at Basin 4SSE (the Galena RAWS site - elevation 6860 feet).
A wind gust to 60 mph was reported at Wolf Creek 7NW.
A wind gust to 61 mph was reported at Cascade 1SW.
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, February 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: 282034, 282037, 282039, 282036, 282035.