An increasing westerly flow aloft produced high winds at the surface. Sustained wind speeds in excess of 40 mph and wind gusts over 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.
An increasing westerly flow aloft produced high winds at the surface. Sustained wind speeds in excess of 40 mph and wind gusts over 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 Mar 30, 8:46 AM MST, 2 hours 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 946 AM MDT WED MAR 30 2011 .UPDATE...NO CHANGE TO THE CURRENT FORECAST. && .DISCUSSION...NO CHANGE TO THE CURRENT FORECAST. && .AVIATION... UPDATED 1130Z. A FAST AND MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. STRONG AND GUSTY WESTERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP TODAY ALONG EAST SLOPES OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. WIDESPREAD MOUNTAIN SNOWS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WITH OBSCURED MOUNTAINS AND LIFR/IFR CONDITIONS. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL ALSO MOVE OUT OVER THE PLAINS AND INTO THE VALLEYS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA FOR POSSIBLE IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT. MPJ && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 530 AM MDT WED MAR 30 2011/ TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY...IN A NUTSHELL MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE OVER THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. THE APPROACH OF AN UPPER RIDGE ON FRIDAY COULD LEAD TO SOME DRYING ON FRIDAY. MOUNTAINS WILL CONTINUE TO SEE SNOW INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. AM COMING UP WITH HEAVY AMOUNTS OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT, THIS SNOWFALL HAS PROMPTED THE ISSUANCE OF A WINTER STORM WARNING. FOR THE SOUTHWEST VALLEYS IT APPEARS MOST OF THE SNOW WILL BE PICKED OFF BY THE ADJOINING MOUNTAINS AND DO NOT SEE A GOOD MECHANISM TO DEVELOP RAIN OR SNOW AT THE SURFACE SO HAVE KEPT JUST A CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION THERE. OVER THE PLAINS A CANADIAN COLD FRONT MOVING SOUTH ON THURSDAY SHOULD INTERACT WITH THE MOISTURE TO PRODUCE A BAND OF PRECIPITATION WHICH WILL LAST INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. MODELS DIFFER ON WHERE THE PRECIPITATION BAND WILL BE BUT FEEL CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO RAISE THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION INTO THE LIKELY CATEGORY. DEPENDING ON TEMPERATURES COULD POSSIBLY SEE A COUPLE OF INCHES ALONG THE U.S. ROUTE 2 CORRIDOR. AS FOR THE HIGH WIND WARNING WILL CONTINUE IT. OTHER THAN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT HIGH WINDS WILL BE CONFINED MAINLY TO THE MOUNTAINS AND FAVORED CANYONS AS DO NOT SEE A GOOD MECHANISM TO MIX HIGHER WINDS ALOFT TO THE SURFACE. WILL GO AHEAD AND UPGRADE THE HIGH WIND WATCH FOR BEAVER HEAD AND MADISON COUNTIES TO A HIGH WIND WARNING. AGAIN THINK THERE WILL BE SOME STRONG GUSTS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FAVORED CANYONS BUT AM NOT EXPECTING WIDESPREAD HIGH WINDS OVER THOSE COUNTIES. BLANK FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE BEGINNING TO COME INTO AGREEMENT WITH REGARD TO THIS WEEKENDS WEATHER SYSTEM. WEAK SHORTWAVE RIDGING IS EXPECTED TO BE OVER MONTANA FRIDAY NIGHT WITH MOIST WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT BRINGING SCATTERED SHOWERS TO THE MOUNTAINS. STRONG SHORTWAVE ENERGY MOVING INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ON SATURDAY WILL CARVE OUT A POSITIVE-TILT TROUGH OVER THE REGION WITH A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CENTERED SOMEWHERE NEAR THE MONTANA-WYOMING BORDER. MODELS ARE NOW SHOWING WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION OVER THE FORECAST AREA ON SATURDAY...ALTHOUGH SOME DISAGREEMENT IN PF LOCATION AND AMOUNTS ARISE FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. WITH BETTER AGREEMENT BEGINNING TO ARISE IN UPPER LEVEL AND SURFACE PATTERNS FOR THIS TIME PERIOD FELT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO INCREASE POPS FOR THE SATURDAY TIME FRAME THEN TREND TOWARD THE WETTER GS SOLUTION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND. WITH TEMPERATURES TRENDING DOWNWARD DUE TO THE TROUGH MOVING OVER THE REGION IT APPEARS THAT A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOULD BE EXPECTED AT LOWER ELEVATIONS ON SATURDAY WITH PRECIPITATION CHANGING TO ALL SNOW FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. PRELIMINARY PF/SNOW AMOUNT FORECASTS SUGGEST THAT NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA COULD SEE 2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW AT LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH 6 TO 12 INCHES POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS. HOWEVER...EVEN A SLIGHT VARIATION IN SURFACE TEMPERATURES COULD CAUSE ACCUMULATIONS TO BE MUCH LESS THAN CURRENT FORECASTS SUGGEST. AS NOTED BEFORE...CONFIDENCE IN THIS FORECAST IS TRENDING UPWARD BUT STILL REMAINS LESS THAN I WOULD PREFER BEFORE STATING THAT HIGHLIGHTS WILL BE REQUIRED. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE LONG TERM A MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH OCCASIONAL IMPULSES IN THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW TRIGGERING ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AT TIMES. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN GENERALLY BELOW SEASONAL AVERAGES THROUGH THE PERIOD. MP && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 49 36 48 32 / 10 20 60 50 CTB 49 35 45 32 / 10 10 60 60 HLN 50 39 53 35 / 40 40 50 40 BZN 49 35 54 35 / 50 50 60 30 WEY 38 30 40 27 / 80 70 50 40 DLN 51 36 54 35 / 40 40 30 30 HVR 44 33 40 27 / 30 50 60 50 LWT 43 34 42 30 / 50 50 60 60 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MDT THURSDAY CASCADE...EASTERN PONDERA...EASTERN TETON...FERGUS...JUDITH BASIN. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MDT THURSDAY CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK...EASTERN GLACIER...NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MDT THURSDAY FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6500 FEET FOR NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 AM MDT THURSDAY BEAVERHEAD...MADISON. && SHORT TERM... LONG TERM... AVIATION... WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 517 AM MDT WED MAR 30 2011 MTZ009-010-048-311130- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN GLACIER- SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- 517 AM MDT WED MAR 30 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT BELOW 6500 FEET. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT ABOVE 6500 FEET. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE HIGH WIND WARNING AND WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUE THROUGH 600 PM MDT THURSDAY. A WEATHER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. AT THIS TIME A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW IS EXPECTED FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS ON SATURDAY WHICH SHOULD TURN TO SNOW SATURDAY NIGHT. MOUNTAINS WILL SEE ALL SNOW. MODELS DIFFER ON WHERE THE PRECIPITATION WILL FALL AND HOW MUCH PRECIPITATION WILL FALL BUT AT THIS TIME SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AND UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS COULD BE ISSUED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS OF STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY SNOW ARE ALWAYS GREATLY APPRECIATED. MTZ014-311130- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK- 517 AM MDT WED MAR 30 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES THROUGH 600 PM MDT THURSDAY. A WEATHER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. AT THIS TIME A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW IS EXPECTED FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS ON SATURDAY WHICH SHOULD TURN TO SNOW SATURDAY NIGHT. MOUNTAINS WILL SEE ALL SNOW. MODELS DIFFER ON WHERE THE PRECIPITATION WILL FALL AND HOW MUCH PRECIPITATION WILL FALL BUT AT THIS TIME SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AND UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS COULD BE ISSUED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS OF STRONG WINDS ARE ALWAYS GREATLY APPRECIATED. MTZ012-046-049-050-311130- CASCADE-EASTERN PONDERA-EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN- 517 AM MDT WED MAR 30 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM MDT THURSDAY. A WEATHER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. AT THIS TIME A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW IS EXPECTED FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS ON SATURDAY WHICH SHOULD TURN TO SNOW SATURDAY NIGHT. MOUNTAINS WILL SEE ALL SNOW. MODELS DIFFER ON WHERE THE PRECIPITATION WILL FALL AND HOW MUCH PRECIPITATION WILL FALL BUT AT THIS TIME SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AND UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS COULD BE ISSUED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS OF STRONG WINDS ARE ALWAYS GREATLY APPRECIATED. MTZ011-013-044-045-047-051>055-311130- HILL-CHOUTEAU-TOOLE-LIBERTY-BLAINE-FERGUS-JEFFERSON-BROADWATER- MEAGHER-GALLATIN- 517 AM MDT WED MAR 30 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA...NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A LOW PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A WEATHER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. AT THIS TIME A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW IS EXPECTED FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS ON SATURDAY WHICH SHOULD TURN TO SNOW SATURDAY NIGHT. MOUNTAINS WILL SEE ALL SNOW. MODELS DIFFER ON WHERE THE PRECIPITATION WILL FALL AND HOW MUCH PRECIPITATION WILL FALL BUT AT THIS TIME SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AND UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS COULD BE ISSUED. FOR HILL AND BLAINE COUNTIES...TEMPERATURES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE AS WARM AS WAS EARLIER EXPECTED. ALTHOUGH SOME INCREASE IN SNOWMELT IS EXPECTED...SHOULD THERE BE ANY RISES IN STREAMS AND CREEKS...ONLY MINOR RISES ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MTZ008-015-311130- BEAVERHEAD-MADISON- 517 AM MDT WED MAR 30 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 6 AM MDT THURSDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A WEATHER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. AT THIS TIME A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW IS EXPECTED FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS ON SATURDAY WHICH SHOULD TURN TO SNOW SATURDAY NIGHT. MOUNTAINS WILL SEE ALL SNOW. MODELS DIFFER ON WHERE THE PRECIPITATION WILL FALL AND HOW MUCH PRECIPITATION WILL FALL BUT AT THIS TIME SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AND UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS COULD BE ISSUED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS OF STRONG WINDS ARE ALWAYS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust to 58 mph was reported at east Glacier Park 1E (the Two Medicine DOT site). Sustained wind speeds of 48 mph were also reported for more than one hour.
A wind gust to 61 mph was reported at Kevin 1WSW. Sustained wind speeds of 43 mph were also reported for more than one hour at the same site.
A wind gust to 61 mph was reported at Townsend 3WNW (the Ginger RAWS site - elevation 4370 feet).
A wind gust to 65 mph was reported at Cameron 22SW (the Burnt Creek RAWS site - elevation 6954 feet).
A wind gust to 58 mph was reported at the Helena ASOS site.
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, March 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: 286130, 286132, 286133, 286137, 286131.