Strong westerly winds aloft produced high winds along the Rocky Mountain front and Adjacent Plains. Wind gusts to 90 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 produced high winds along the Rocky Mountain front and Adjacent Plains. Wind gusts to 90 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 Jan 22, 9:40 PM MST, 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 940 PM MST SAT JAN 22 2011 .UPDATE... CURRENT SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS THE SHORTWAVE TROF COMING DOWN THE FRONT SIDE OF THE PACIFIC UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS ALMOST TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...WITH LEADING EDGE OF HIGH CLOUDS ALREADY EXTENDING WELL INTO CENTRAL PORTION OF MONTANA. FORECAST STILL ON TRACK FOR STRONG WINDS ALONG THE ROCKY MTN FRONT AS THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS AND MID-LEVEL WINDS MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE TONIGHT INTO SUN MORNING. HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE FRONT REMAINS IN EFFECT WITH NO CHANGES. ONLY MINOR FORECAST ADJUSTMENTS MADE THIS EVE...MAINLY TO REDUCE CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST MTNS. WARANAUSKAS .DISCUSSION... SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...WARM AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AS A CHINOOK WIND DEVELOPS ACROSS MUCH OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND MOVES ACROSS THE ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS OF CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. HAVE ISSUED A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT ALONG WITH SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY EXCEPT FOR THE HELENA VALLEY. WINDS WILL DECREASE IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS, HOWEVER THE WARM AND DRY PATTERN WILL PERSIST WITH TEMPERATURES REMAINING ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGES AS WE REMAIN UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OFF THE PACIFIC COAST. SUK MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...A WEATHER DISTURBANCE ALOFT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA MONDAY NIGHT AND BRING WIDESPREAD SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS WITH A THREAT OF MAINLY SNOW TO THE PLAINS AND VALLEYS. HAVE INCREASED THE CHANCES OF SNOW A FAIR AMOUNT OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND LESS SO FOR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE ROCKIES AND SOUTHWEST VALLEYS. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH ON TUESDAY. BLANK TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...AS THE DISTURBANCE MENTIONED ABOVE EXITS THE REGION TUESDAY EVENING...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. EXPECT DRY CONDITIONS...WITH MUCH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES OVER THE REGION. AFTERNOON HIGHS WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE UPPER 40S TO NEAR 50 DEGREES ACROSS THE REGION. FOR FRIDAY THE ECMWF/GFS CONTINUE TO DIFFER IN HOW FAST AND HOW FAR WEST A CANADIAN COLD WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION. THE ECMWF BRINGS THE COLD FRONT ALL THE WAY WEST TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...WHILE THE GFS KEEPS THE COLD FRONT MAINLY EAST OF A LINE FROM HAVRE TO LEWISTOWN. EITHER WAY...TEMPERATURES SHOULD COOL BACK DOWN TO NORMAL FOR FRIDAY AND INTO SATURDAY...AS THE CHANCES FOR PRECIP INCREASE A BIT...ESPECIALLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS. BRUSDA && .AVIATION... UPDATED 0000Z. MAIN IMPACT TO AVIATION THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HRS WILL BE INCREASING WINDS TONIGHT WITH A PERIOD OF STRONG WINDS OCCURRING ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE ROCKIES LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. HIGH CLOUDS WILL INCREASE FROM NW TO SE TONIGHT AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES INTO BRITISH COLUMBIA WHILE A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE REGION THIS EVENING MOVES OFF TO THE SE. WINDS ALOFT STEADILY INCREASE AHEAD OF THE UPPER DISTURBANCE WITH SURFACE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50KTS POSSIBLE OVER AREAS OVER THE ROCKY MTN FRONT AND ADJACENT PLAINS VERY LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. WINDS DIMINISH SLIGHTLY LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND VEER TO MORE WEST/NORTHWEST AS THE DISTURBANCE PASSES. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL HOENISCH && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 31 42 26 43 / 0 10 20 10 CTB 28 40 20 43 / 0 10 20 0 HLN 23 40 21 38 / 10 10 20 10 BZN 17 38 16 36 / 10 20 20 10 WEY 6 23 6 26 / 30 30 40 40 DLN 20 34 21 34 / 10 10 10 10 HVR 22 35 9 33 / 10 20 10 10 LWT 23 38 20 40 / 10 20 20 10 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 2 PM MST SUNDAY CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK...NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. && SHORT TERM...SUK LONG TERM...BLANK AVIATION...HOENISCH WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 239 PM MST SAT JAN 22 2011 MTZ009-014-048-232145- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK- SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- 239 PM MST SAT JAN 22 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING AT 8 PM THIS EVENING AND CONTINUING THROUGH TONIGHT. WINDS GUSTS OF 60 TO 70 MILES PER HOUR ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR. THE STRONG WINDS MAY ALSO CREATE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW THAT WILL CAUSE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS DUE TO VISIBILITIES BEING LESS THAN ONE HALF MILE AT TIMES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW FOR MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND IMPACTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN GREAT FALLS. MTZ008-010>013-015-044>047-049>055-232145- BEAVERHEAD-EASTERN GLACIER-HILL-CASCADE-CHOUTEAU-MADISON-TOOLE- LIBERTY-EASTERN PONDERA-BLAINE-EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS- JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-MEAGHER-GALLATIN- 239 PM MST SAT JAN 22 2011 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 IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND IMPACTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN GREAT FALLS.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
436 PM MST SAT JAN 22 2011
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 PM HEAVY SNOW 11 N TURNER 49.00N 108.41W
01/22/2011 M6.0 INCH BLAINE MT CO-OP OBSERVER
ELEVATION 3900
&&
WILLIAMSONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
439 PM MST SAT JAN 22 2011
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0100 PM HEAVY SNOW 11 WNW LLOYD 48.33N 109.58W
01/22/2011 E7.0 INCH HILL MT TRAINED SPOTTER
ALSO FREEZING RAIN LAST NIGHT CHANGE TO SNOW AT 5AM AND
ENDED AT 1 PM. ELE 3900
&&
WILLIAMSONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
440 PM MST SAT JAN 22 2011
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 PM HEAVY SNOW 11 N TURNER 49.00N 108.41W
01/22/2011 M6.0 INCH BLAINE MT CO-OP OBSERVER
ELEVATION 2980
&&
CORRECTED REMARKS
WILLIAMSONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
452 PM MST SAT JAN 22 2011
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1130 AM HEAVY SNOW 5 S LLOYD 48.21N 109.36W
01/22/2011 E8.0 INCH BLAINE MT TRAINED SPOTTER
HEAVY FREEZING RAIN AROUND 11 PM LAST NIGHT.
&&
WILLIAMSON5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Sustained wind speeds of 45 mph were reported for an hour at east Glacier Park 1E (the Two Medicine DOT site). A wind gust to 90 mph was also reported at Heart Butte 1NW.
A wind gust to 58 mph was reported at Bynum 13W (the Dellwo MSCN site).
Sustained wind speeds of 43 mph were reported for over an hour at the Cut Bank ASOS site.
Sustained winds of 47 mph were reported for over an hour at Wolf Creek 8SSW (DOT site).
A wind gust to 62 mph was reported at Cascade 4S.
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, January 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: 278457, 278460, 278458, 278461, 278459.