High Wind, Gallatin
- When
- May 14, 7:36 PM MST
- Where
- Gallatin forecast zone
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Public
A wind gust to 62 mph was reported at Belgrade 6ENE.
High Wind in Montana, May 14 to 15, 2011
High surface pressure over Canada as well as low surface pressure along the Rocky Mountain Front resulted in a strong easterly flow at the surface. Wind gusts in excess of 70 mph were reported.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 6
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.
What happened
The episode as NWS TFX wrote it up.
High surface pressure over Canada as well as low surface pressure along the Rocky Mountain Front resulted in a strong easterly flow at the surface. Wind gusts in excess of 70 mph were reported.
What forecasters said that day
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 May 14, 4:50 PM MST, 2 hours 46 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 14, 4:50 PM MST, 2 hours 46 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 550 PM MDT SAT MAY 14 2011 ...UPDATE TO AVIATION... .DISCUSSION... TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...EXPECT WINDY CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE OVER THE NORTH...WHILE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER SOUTHWEST MONTANA. OVER THE NORTH...THE WINDS WILL INTENSIFY OVERNIGHT...BECOMING STRONG AT RIDGE TOPS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...THEN INCREASING AND REACHING WARNING CRITERIA AT LOWER ELEVATIONS BY LATE SUNDAY MORNING. AGAIN THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE LEWISTOWN...FORT BENTON AND HAVRE AREAS. IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA...THE CHANCES FOR SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING...BEFORE TAPERING OFF A BIT AFTER MIDNIGHT. EXPECT SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS TO REDEVELOP ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON OVER THE SOUTHWEST AGAIN...AS A WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES INTO THE REGION. GENERALLY SEASONABLE CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED ON SUNDAY NIGHT...BUT BY MONDAY THERE WILL BE AN INCREASED CHANCE FOR SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION...WHILE SNOW LEVELS LOWER TO JUST ABOVE 6000 FEET BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. THE BEST CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION WILL BE OVER WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA...WITH A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS SPREADING INTO NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA BY LATE IN THE DAY. EXPECT GENERALLY SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE COOLEST TEMPERATURES ACROSS SOUTHWEST MONTANA. ADDITIONALLY...EXPECT WINDS TO SWITCH TO THE WEST ON MONDAY...WITH FAIRLY STRONG WEST WINDS EXPECTED IN THE CUT BANK REGION. BRUSDA MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...AN UNSETTLED PATTERN WILL HOLD OVER THE REGION THROUGH MOST OF THE LONG TERM FORECAST AS HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BREAK DOWN AND A MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW DEVELOPS. MODELS ARE CONSISTENT WITH SLOWLY BRINGING A DEEPENING PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM IN OVER THE WEST COAST THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF THE COMING WEEK. HAVE RAISED POPS SOMEWHAT BUT PRECIP LOOKS AS IF IT WILL BE SHOWERY SO IT REMAINS TOUGH TO REALLY MAKE A STRONG CALL ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. STRONG SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS ACROSS THE EASTERN PORTION OF CENTRAL MONTANA WILL EXIST THROUGH MID MONDAY. AS THE UPPER LOW GRADUALLY MOVES EAST...SOME INSTABILITY IN THE FLOW WILL DEVELOP SO KEPT THE CHANCE OF AFTERNOON THUNDER IN THE AFTERNOON/EVENING HOURS FOR A FEW OF THE DAYS. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL MOSTLY BE AROUND SEASONAL AVERAGES. MODELS CONTINUE TO HAVE SOME DISAGREEMENT ON INTENSITY OF THE PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM BUT TIMING LOOKS FAIRLY EVEN BETWEEN THE GFS AND ECMWF. BY THE END OF THE PERIOD THE MODELS DIVERGE WITH THE ECMWF BRINGING A WEAK RIDGE IN OVER ALL OF MONTANA SUNDAY WHILE THE GFS KEEPS A STRONGER RIDGE OVER EASTERN MONTANA. && .AVIATION... UPDATED 2350Z. VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHWEST...CENTRAL...AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA THROUGH THE DAY ON SUNDAY. A NARROW UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE AREA WILL KEEP ANY CONVECTIVE SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SOUTH AND WEST OF A KMSO-KWYS LINE OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER...SCATTERED MID LEVEL CLOUDINESS (BASES MOSTLY 040-060 AGL) WILL INCREASE ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA OVERNIGHT...CAUSING AREAS OF MOUNTAIN TOP OBSCURATION. GUSTY EASTERLY WINDS WILL DECOUPLE SOMEWHAT OVERNIGHT (ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHWEST VALLEYS - INCLUDING KHLN AND KBZN)...BUT THE WINDS WILL REMAIN BREEZY ACROSS THE PLAINS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL MONTANA. EASTERLY WINDS WILL BECOME QUITE BREEZY AND GUSTY ON SUNDAY ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA...WITH GUSTS POSSIBLY REACHING UP TO 50 KT AT TIMES IN THE EAST (KHVR KLWT). CLOUDS WILL BREAK UP OVER THE PLAINS...BUT THERE WILL BE AN INCREASING CHANCE OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHWEST MONTANA AS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BEGINS MOVING OFF TO THE EAST. COULSTON && .HYDROLOGY... A NEW REPORT TODAY FROM BOTH THE SMITH RIVER SOUTH OF ULM...AND BELT CREEK IN THE BELT AREA SAYS THAT BOTH STREAMS HAVE RISEN QUITE A BIT OVERNIGHT...WITH THE STREAMS EXCEEDING BANKFULL IN A FEW PLACES. MINOR SMALL STREAM FLOODING CONTINUES IN JUDITH BASIN AND FERGUS COUNTY AS WELL. THUS THE SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA. BRUSDA && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 34 67 44 64 / 0 10 20 30 CTB 33 64 38 62 / 0 10 30 30 HLN 38 69 43 62 / 10 10 30 30 BZN 36 68 40 62 / 20 20 30 30 WEY 30 58 32 46 / 40 50 60 30 DLN 37 67 37 55 / 30 30 40 30 HVR 37 66 41 69 / 0 10 10 20 LWT 34 60 39 64 / 10 10 10 20 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO MIDNIGHT MDT SUNDAY NIGHT BLAINE...CHOUTEAU...FERGUS...HILL...LIBERTY. SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE FOR CASCADE...FERGUS...AND JUDITH BASIN COUNTIES. && WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
Hazardous weather outlook, May 14, 1:15 PM MST, 6 hours 21 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 215 PM MDT SAT MAY 14 2011 MTZ051-151200- FERGUS- 215 PM MDT SAT MAY 14 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. THE HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES THROUGH LATE SUNDAY EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS OF STRONG WINDS OR WIND DAMAGE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. MTZ008>010-014-015-044-046-048-049-052>055-151200- BEAVERHEAD-NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN GLACIER- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-MADISON-TOOLE- EASTERN PONDERA-SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN TETON- JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-MEAGHER-GALLATIN- 215 PM MDT SAT MAY 14 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 IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MTZ011-013-045-047-151200- HILL-CHOUTEAU-LIBERTY-BLAINE- 215 PM MDT SAT MAY 14 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES THROUGH LATE SUNDAY EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS OF STRONG WINDS OR WIND DAMAGE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. MTZ012-050-151200- CASCADE-JUDITH BASIN- 215 PM MDT SAT MAY 14 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
Event by event
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Fergus
- When
- May 15, 3:50 PM MST
- Where
- Fergus forecast zone
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
A wind gust to 65 mph was reported at Lewistown 2E.
High Wind, Blaine
- When
- May 15, 4:00 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
- Where
- Blaine forecast zone
- Measured
- 39 kt (45 mph) estimated sustained
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
Sustained winds of 45 mph were reported at Lodge Pole 16NNW.
High Wind, Chouteau
- When
- May 15, 4:29 PM MST
- Where
- Chouteau forecast zone
- Measured
- 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Public
A wind gust to 68 mph was reported at Big Sandy 13W.
High Wind, Cascade
- When
- May 15, 5:00 PM MST
- Where
- Cascade forecast zone
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
A wind gust to 65 mph was reported at Highwood 7SW.
High Wind, Hill
- When
- May 15, 6:12 PM MST to 9:12 PM MST
- Where
- Hill forecast zone
- Measured
- 43 kt (49 mph) estimated sustained
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
Sustained wind speeds greater than 50 mph were reported at Rocky Boy 7SE.
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Florida, May 14, 2011
- Rip Current in Texas, May 14, 2011
- Debris Flow and Flooding in Washington, May 14 to 23, 2011
- Flash Flood and Flooding in Oregon, May 14 to 18, 2011
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Indiana, May 14 to 15, 2011
- Flash Flood and Debris Flow in Puerto Rico, May 14 to 18, 2011
- Debris Flow in Wyoming, May 14 to 25, 2011
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Ohio, May 14 to 15, 2011
- High Wind in Michigan, May 14 to 15, 2011
- Lightning Strike in Michigan, May 14, 2011
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, May 14, 2011
- Flash Flood in West Virginia, May 14, 2011
More
Every storm in Montana in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, May 2011
Sources
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: 316803, 316799, 316794, 316792, 316788, 316785.