Stong westerly winds aloft produced high winds along the Rocky Mountain Front and Eastern Glacier County. Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph was 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.
Stong westerly winds aloft produced high winds along the Rocky Mountain Front and Eastern Glacier County. Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph was 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 25, 10:36 PM MST, 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 1036 PM MST TUE JAN 25 2011 UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION .UPDATE... LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS CLEAR SKIES OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL MT WITH SOME AREAS OF LOW CLOUD PERSISTING OVER THE ROCKY MTN FRONT AND SOUTHWEST MT. A WEAK UPPER LEVEL TROF SLIDING THROUGH CENTRAL ALBERTA WILL PUSH A NARROW BAND OF HIGH CLOUDS ACROSS THE HILINE OVERNIGHT BUT NOT EXPECTING ANY PRECIPITATION FROM THAT SYSTEM OR THE AFOREMENTIONED LOW CLOUDS. HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE ROCKY MTN FRONT AND ADJACENT PLAINS REMAINS IN EFFECT WITH NO CHANGES AT THIS TIME. STILL FORECASTING WINDS TO GRADUALLY INCREASE OVERNIGHT AND INCREASE MORE QUICKLY STARTING LATE WED MORNING WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 60 MPH EXPECTED BY MIDDAY. WARANAUSKAS .DISCUSSION... TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A STRONG UPPER RIDGE THAT WILL BE OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND WESTERN CANADA. THIS WILL KEEP THE AIRMASS STABLE WITH DAYTIME TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL AND ESPECIALLY SO OVER THE EAST SLOPES OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. EXPECT AREAS OF MOISTURE TO BE EMBEDDED IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE FORECAST AREA WHICH WILL BRING PERIODS OF CLOUDINESS. HOWEVER THE STABLE AIRMASS AND LACK OF SIGNIFICANT LIFT SHOULD KEEP THE PERIOD MOSTLY DRY. ABOUT THE ONLY THREAT OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND SOUTHERN GALLATIN COUNTY. THE MAIN FORECAST CONCERN DURING THE PERIOD WILL BE HIGH WINDS IN THE NORTHWEST. WINDS WILL INCREASE TONIGHT OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND HAVE UPGRADED THE HIGH WIND WATCH THERE TO A HIGH WIND WARNING. WILL DELAY THE START OF THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR EASTERN GLACIER COUNTY UNTIL WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WINDS IN THE WARNING AREA MIGHT DIMINISH WEDNESDAY NIGHT BUT WILL INCREASE ON THURSDAY WITH WINDS EXPECTED TO BE EVEN STRONGER THAN ON WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL BE THE RESULT OF A STRONG SHORTWAVE MOVING INTO WESTERN CANADA WHICH WILL INCREASE THE FLOW ALOFT. THIS STRONGER FLOW ALOFT WILL SPREAD FARTHER EAST OVER THE PLAINS BY LATE THURSDAY BUT DO NOT SEE A GOOD MECHANISM TO MIX THE STRONG WINDS DOWN TO THE SURFACE IN THIS LATTER AREA. FOR THAT REASON WILL HOLD OFF ON ISSUING ANY HIGH WIND HIGHLIGHTS NEAR AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 15. BLANK THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...A CANADIAN COOL FRONT WILL BEGIN TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN COOLER AIR SLOWLY MOVING BACK INTO THE REGION ON FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL FOR MOST AREAS ON FRIDAY...AS THE CHANCES FOR SHOWERS INCREASE BY LATE IN THE DAY. FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...BOTH THE ECMWF/GFS START TO BRING THE BRUNT OF THE COOLER AIRMASS INTO THE REGION...ALONG WITH INCREASED CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION. THE BEST CHANCES FOR SNOW LOOK TO BE IN THE MOUNTAINS ON SATURDAY...AS AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES FALL BELOW NORMAL FOR MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. FOR SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE COMING INTO SLIGHTLY BETTER AGREEMENT WITH THE SOLUTION ON THE 12Z MODEL RUNS. THE GFS IS BRINGING SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR INTO THE AREA...WHILE THE ECMWF HAS WARMED IT SLIGHTLY. ALSO...THEY SEEM TO BOTH WANT TO KEEP A CHANCE OF SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS...THOUGH THE FLOW ALOFT IS NOT VERY CYCLONIC. THEREFORE...FOR THE AFTERNOON FORECAST PACKAGE...HAVE KEPT A LOW CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION MAINLY IN THE MOUNTAINS SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT...THEN JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD. HAVE ALSO COOLED TEMPERATURES A FEW DEGREES DURING THIS TIME TO REFLECT THE COOLING GFS. BRUSDA/COULSTON && .AVIATION... UPDATED 0600Z. MAIN IMPACT TO AVIATION WILL BE GUSTY WINDS DEVELOPING ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND ADJACENT PLAINS LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE REGION WILL KEEP MOST OF THE AREA DRY THROUGH THE NEXT 24HRS WITH CLEAR SKIES EARLY TONIGHT FOLLOWED BY INCREASING MAINLY HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY. FLOW ALOFT FROM THE WEST TO NORTHWEST WILL STEADILY INCREASE LATER TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH STRONG WINDS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE ROCKY MTN FRONT AND IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT PLAINS AREAS LATE TONIGHT...SPREADING FURTHER EAST ACROSS WESTERN PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MT DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY. HOENSICH && .HYDROLOGY... DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY WARM THROUGH THURSDAY...REACHING BETWEEN 15 AND 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE RESULTING SNOWMELT MAY CAUSE AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RISE SOMEWHAT...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER...OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL BELOW FREEZING...LIMITING ANY OVERALL RISES. THIS SITUATION WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 33 50 38 55 / 0 0 0 0 CTB 30 50 36 54 / 0 0 0 0 HLN 26 40 27 45 / 0 0 0 0 BZN 18 38 23 41 / 10 0 0 0 WEY 7 27 10 30 / 20 10 10 10 DLN 22 40 25 42 / 10 0 0 0 HVR 23 40 28 45 / 0 0 0 0 LWT 26 48 34 51 / 10 0 0 0 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 AM WEDNESDAY TO 5 AM MST FRIDAY EASTERN GLACIER. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 5 AM MST FRIDAY NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. && SHORT TERM...BLANK LONG TERM...COULSTON AVIATION...HOENISCH WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 235 PM MST TUE JAN 25 2011 MTZ009-048-261300- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- 235 PM MST TUE JAN 25 2011 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...BEGINNING AT MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM MST FRIDAY MORNING. DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY WARM THROUGH THURSDAY... REACHING BETWEEN 15 AND 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL BY THURSDAY. THE RESULTING SNOWMELT MAY CAUSE AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RISE SOMEWHAT...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER...OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL BELOW FREEZING...LIMITING ANY OVERALL RISES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ010-261300- EASTERN GLACIER- 235 PM MST TUE JAN 25 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER THROUGH TONIGHT IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN GLACIER COUNTY FROM 11 AM MST WEDNESDAY MORNING UNTIL 5 AM MST FRIDAY MORNING. DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY WARM THROUGH THURSDAY... REACHING BETWEEN 15 AND 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL BY THURSDAY. THE RESULTING SNOWMELT MAY CAUSE AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RISE SOMEWHAT...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER...OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL BELOW FREEZING...LIMITING ANY OVERALL RISES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ008-011>015-044>047-049>055-261300- 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- 235 PM MST TUE JAN 25 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 THROUGH TONIGHT IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY WARM THROUGH THURSDAY... REACHING BETWEEN 15 AND 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL BY THURSDAY. THE RESULTING SNOWMELT MAY CAUSE AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RISE SOMEWHAT...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER...OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL BELOW FREEZING...LIMITING ANY OVERALL RISES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust to 61 mph was reported at East Glacier Park 8SE (the Deep Creek RAWS site).
Sustaind wind speeds of 42 mph were reported for over an hour at Bynum 13W (the Dellwo MSCN site).
A wind gust to 64 mph was reported at the Cut Bank ASOS site. Sustained winds of 47 mph were also reported for more than an hour.
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: 278463, 278466, 278465.