A very tight surface gradient produced high winds along the Northern rocky Mountain Front. Wind gusts to 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 very tight surface gradient produced high winds along the Northern rocky Mountain Front. Wind gusts to 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 8, 10:40 PM MST, 4 hours 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 1040 PM MST TUE FEB 8 2011 ...UPDATE TO AVIATION... .UPDATE... LOWERED TEMPERATURES DRAMATICALLY OVER MOST OF NORTH-CENTRAL MONTANA AS A WEAK AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS CENTERED OVER CENTRAL MONTANA RESULTING IN CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS. THOUGH WINDS WILL BE LIGHT THROUGH MOST OF THE NIGHT...AM ANTICIPATING WINDS TO INCREASE TOWARDS DAWN WHICH WILL CAUSE VERY COLD WIND CHILL VALUES AND THUS CONTINUED CURRENT WIND CHILL ADVISORY. BY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING...AM EXPECTED WINDS TO SHIFT WEST- SOUTHWESTERLY WITH SLIGHTLY INCREASING TEMPERATURES AS A RESULT. AREAS OF PATCHY FREEZING FOG IS ALSO POSSIBLE TONIGHT...PARTICULARLY IN AREA RIVER VALLEYS. REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST IS ON TRACK SO MADE NO FURTHER CHANGES. MLS && .AVIATION... UPDATED 0540Z. MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES ARE PREVAILING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA LATE TONIGHT...BUT HIGH CLOUDS WILL INCREASE FROM THE WEST TOWARDS MORNING. PATCHY FOG REMAINS POSSIBLE IN LOW LYING AREAS OVERNIGHT AND COULD CREATE LOCAL LIFR/IFR CONDITIONS AT TIMES. BY 12Z TUESDAY SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE ROCKIES...WITH GUSTY WINDS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE EAST SLOPES WEDNESDAY MORNING SPREADING OUT OVER THE PLAINS THROUGH THE DAYTIME HOURS BEFORE DIMINISHING SOMEWHAT AFTER 00Z THURSDAY. MPJ && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 445 PM MST TUE FEB 8 2011/ THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING...QUIET WEATHER CONDITIONS CONTINUE OVER THE REGION THIS AFTN AS STRONG SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IS CENTERED BETWEEN GREAT FALLS AND LEWISTOWN. MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MT HAS SEEN CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES TODAY...EXCEPT FOR AREAS AROUND AND WEST/SOUTHWEST OF GREAT FALLS AND LEWISTOWN AND SOME OF THE ELEVATED VALLEYS IN SOUTHWEST MT WHERE INVERSIONS HAVE TRAPPED LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE...PRODUCING PERSISTENT OVERCAST SKIES. THE HIGH PRESSURE CENTER WILL DRIFT SLOWLY EASTWARD TONIGHT WHICH WILL KEEP WINDS BLOWING FROM THE WEST-SOUTHWEST...HOPEFULLY WITH ENOUGH MIXING TO GRADUALLY DISSIPATE SOME OF THE LOW CLOUDS. EXPECT ONE MORE NIGHT OF CHILLY TEMPERATURES TONIGHT...WITH LOWS IN THE TEENS BELOW ZERO ACROSS THE HILINE AND THE TYPICALLY COLD SOUTHWEST VALLEYS (BIG HOLE/WEST YELLOWSTONE) AND SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE/BELOW ZERO ELSEWHERE. SINCE WINDS OVER THE HILINE AND CENTRAL COUNTIES ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BREEZY TONIGHT...HAVE ISSUED A WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR THIS EVENING THRU LATE WED MORNING. THE LARGE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD FROM THE PACIFIC COAST INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES ON WED & THUR...KEEPING CONDITIONS GENERALLY DRY...EXCEPT FOR OCCASIONAL SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE ROCKY MTN FRONT AS POCKETS OF MOISTURE CROSS OVER THE TOP OF THE RIDGE. MILDER PACIFIC AIR BEGINS TO ARRIVE TOMORROW AND WILL COMBINE WITH INCREASING DOWNSLOPE FLOW TO PROVIDE A STEADY RISE IN TEMPERATURES BOTH DAYS. HIGHS ON WED WILL MAKE IT INTO THE MID-UPPER 20S AND MID-UPPER 30S ON THURS. WARANAUSKAS THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...A RELATIVELY QUIET PATTERN IS EXPECTED. THE PERIOD WILL START OFF WITH AN UPPER RIDGE UPSTREAM OF MONTANA. THIS RIDGE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA EARLY IN THE WEEKEND. LATER IN THE WEEKEND A WEATHER DISTURBANCE ALOFT IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH. LIKE YESTERDAY THE ECMWF MODEL IS SLOWER WITH THE DISTURBANCE THAN THE GFS MODEL. ON MONDAY RIDGING REDEVELOPS OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. THE RIDGE MOVES EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA ON TUESDAY WITH SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT DEVELOPING OVER MONTANA. AS FOR THE CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION..THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT EXPECT DRY CONDITIONS EXCEPT FOR A THREAT OF SNOW OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION INCREASE OVER THE AREA SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT DUE TO THE WEATHER DISTURBANCE MENTIONED ABOVE. SNOW IS LIKELY OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF THE ROCKY FRONT WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW FOR SOUTHWEST MONTANA. WITH EXPECTED DOWNSLOPE FLOW THE PLAINS SHOULD STAY MOSTLY DRY. CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION DECREASE ON MONDAY WITH THE UPPER RIDGING. MOISTURE EMBEDDED IN THE SOUTHWEST FLOW SHOULD NOT REALLY INCREASE OVER THE AREA UNTIL MIDWEEK SO KEPT THE CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION ON THE LOW SIDE TUESDAY. THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WINDS OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT FROM FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND IS THE MAIN WEATHER CONCERN AND HAVE A RELATIVELY HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN AT THIS TIME. MODELS CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE STRONG FLOW ALOFT DURING THIS PERIOD AND BOTH THE ECMWF AND GFS MODELS TEND TO HAVE STRONGER WINDS THAN WHAT THEY FORECAST YESTERDAY. THE PROBLEM IS THE GFS AND ECMWF MODELS DIFFER ON WHEN AND WHERE THEY FORECAST THE STRONGEST WINDS. AT THIS TIME HAVE LOW CONFIDENCE THAT HIGH WINDS WILL AFFECT THE PLAINS. BLANK && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF -18 31 14 38 / 0 0 0 10 CTB -14 28 15 37 / 0 0 0 10 HLN -4 26 10 35 / 10 10 10 10 BZN -12 22 3 31 / 10 20 10 30 WEY -20 15 -5 19 / 0 10 20 30 DLN -2 24 6 31 / 10 10 10 10 HVR -18 19 8 33 / 0 0 0 10 LWT -21 25 11 33 / 0 0 0 10 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM MST WEDNESDAY BLAINE...CASCADE... CHOUTEAU...EASTERN GLACIER...EASTERN PONDERA...EASTERN TETON... FERGUS...HILL...JUDITH BASIN...LIBERTY...TOOLE. && WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 219 PM MST TUE FEB 8 2011 MTZ009-014-048-092130- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK- SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- 219 PM MST TUE FEB 8 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY IS LOW FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT IS FORECAST TO INCREASE LATE FRIDAY OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MONTANA AND BECOME STRONG FRIDAY NIGHT. THE FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE STRONG AT TIMES FROM SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WINDS AND HIGH WIND HIGHLIGHTS COULD BE ISSUED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ008-015-052>055-092130- BEAVERHEAD-MADISON-JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-MEAGHER-GALLATIN- 219 PM MST TUE FEB 8 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ011>013-044>047-049>051-092130- HILL-CASCADE-CHOUTEAU-TOOLE-LIBERTY-EASTERN PONDERA-BLAINE- EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS- 219 PM MST TUE FEB 8 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT COLD TEMPERATURES AND INCREASING WINDS WILL CAUSE DANGEROUS WIND CHILL VALUES OF 25 TO 35 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ010-092130- EASTERN GLACIER- 219 PM MST TUE FEB 8 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT COLD TEMPERATURES AND INCREASING WINDS WILL CAUSE DANGEROUS WIND CHILL VALUES OF 25 TO 35 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING. WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT IS FORECAST TO INCREASE LATE FRIDAY OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MONTANA AND BECOME STRONG FRIDAY NIGHT. THE FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE STRONG AT TIMES FROM SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WINDS AND HIGH WIND HIGHLIGHTS COULD BE ISSUED. .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 60 mph was reported at east Glacier Park 8SE (the Deep Creek RAWS site - elevation 5341 feet).
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: 282040.