High winds over the Continental Divide were measured at warning level along both the Rocky Mountain Front and Southwest Montana.
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.
High winds over the Continental Divide were measured at warning level along both the Rocky Mountain Front and Southwest Montana.
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 Dec 16, 10:35 PM MST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 1035 PM MST Sun Dec 16 2012 ...UPDATE TO AVIATION... .UPDATE... Made additional adjustments to temp/dewpoint grids during the overnight hours. Expecting temps to remain a bit warmer than previously forecast across southern portions of the forecast area as cloud cover and winds continue to increase. Foltz && .AVIATION... UPDATED 0535Z. VFR conditions should prevail at most forecast terminals through the forecast period. A strong jet streak brings another round of snow showers to the western mountains and much of southwest Montana from 06Z to around 14Z. Mountains will likely see widespread obscurations with possible LIFR/MVFR conditions expected in snow showers at KHLN and KBZN. Downslope winds over north central Montana will limit precipitation to isolated showers over the plains with scattered to numerous showers expected over the central Montana island ranges. Strong southwest winds develop across central Montana after 15z with gusts over 30 kts likely through 01Z Tuesday. mpj && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 435 PM MST Sun Dec 16 2012/ THIS AFTERNOON THRU TUESDAY EVENING...Current analysis shows weakening shortwave trof located thru central MT and moving steadily eastward. Other than isolated light snow showers over the Big/Little Belt Mtns and breezy winds over much of the central and Hiline counties this aftn, the trof's passage across our region has been uneventful. The more notable weather system for the short-term period is the stronger Pacific trof currently making its way through WA/OR and will arrive in MT later tonight. Moisture at the ern edge of this system is already producing areas of light snow along and west of the Continental Divide. Additional widespread moisture will move into the western and southwestern mountains during the overnight hours bringing periods of light to occasionally moderate snow that will continue thru Mon night. Thus, a winter weather advisory for snow/blowing snow remains in effect for both of these mountain areas. Forecast models continue to show some scattered snow over the central and southwest plains/valleys tomorrow morning but most accumulations at the lower elevations will only reach an inch or less. Gusty winds will also impact a large portion of the forecast area as Montana will be on the northern edge of very strong jet stream winds (over 170 mph along the Idaho/Nevada state line) and a moderately strong surface pressure gradient along the US/Can border. So have upgraded the earlier high wind watch to a warning and included additional counties in central MT to the warning area. Winds will remain strong into Mon eve but then gradually decrease Mon night. Likewise, snow showers from the Pacific system will taper off across the region by Tues morning, though a smaller area of snow is expected over ern portions of the Hiline Tues aftn/eve as a weak secondary trof swings through far southern Alberta/ Saskatchewan. Warming associated with strengthening southwest flow ahead of the Pacific trof will allow high temps to reach the upper 30s to low 40s tomorrow before a cold front arrives Mon evening. The Canadian airmass behind the front will drop temps into the upper 20s for Tues. Waranauskas TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...Expect northwest flow aloft to develop Tuesday night as an upper ridge moves over the Pacific Northwest. Snow should be confined to the mountains but there will be a small chance over north central Montana. Wednesday and Wednesday night an upper ridge will move through the forecast area. Models differ on how much moisture will flow through the ridge. Although think it should be dry except for possibly the Glacier Park area can not rule out a threat of snow over mountains farther south. After the upper ridge moves east expect southwest flow aloft. Models in general are still looking fairly dry for the forecast area from Thursday on. The GFS has a weather disturbance aloft moving through western and central Montana Saturday along with precipitation for a good portion of western and central Montana. Since other models do not show this and are dry except for northwest Montana will keep the chances of snow low. Latest models are now bringing some cooler Canadian air at least into the far northern zones Thursday night and Friday. Models differ on how far south the cool air will go. Far southwest Montana should stay relatively mild. The battleground area will be central Montana and the battle should go on from Friday into the weekend. As an example of the large forecast differences the GFS model has a high in Great Falls in the single digits Saturday while the ECMWF has a high in the upper 30s. For forecast highs have taken a middle-of- the-road approach not going as cold as the GFS nor as warm as the ECMWF. Blank && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 21 40 20 29 / 20 40 10 10 CTB 15 37 16 27 / 20 30 20 10 HLN 18 38 17 28 / 50 50 10 10 BZN 16 37 14 25 / 40 70 20 10 WEY 17 29 9 17 / 100 100 80 30 DLN 20 37 13 24 / 50 60 20 10 HVR 13 35 17 28 / 10 20 20 20 LWT 14 39 15 27 / 20 40 10 10 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING from 11 AM to 11 PM MST Monday Cascade... Chouteau...Fergus...Judith Basin...Liberty. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from Midnight tonight to 5 PM MST Tuesday FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET FOR Beaverhead... Gallatin...Madison. HIGH WIND WARNING from Midnight tonight to 11 PM MST Monday Broadwater...Central and Southern Lewis and Clark...Jefferson... Madison. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from Midnight tonight to 5 PM MST Tuesday FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5000 FEET FOR Central and Southern Lewis and Clark...Jefferson...Northern Rocky Mountain Front... Southern Rocky Mountain Front. HIGH WIND WARNING from 5 AM Monday to 5 AM MST Tuesday Eastern Glacier...Eastern Pondera...Eastern Teton...Northern Rocky Mountain Front...Southern Rocky Mountain Front...Toole. && UPDATE...FOLTZ SHORT TERM...WARANAUSKAS LONG TERM...BLANK AVIATION...MPJ weather.gov/greatfalls
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 514 AM MST SUN DEC 16 2012 MTZ011>013-045-047-050-051-054-171215- HILL-CASCADE-CHOUTEAU-LIBERTY-BLAINE-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS-MEAGHER- 514 AM MST SUN DEC 16 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA...NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY IS LOW FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY GUSTY WINDS AND LIGHT SNOW ARE POSSIBLE ON MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MTZ009-010-014-044-046-048-049-052-053-171215- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN GLACIER- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-TOOLE-EASTERN PONDERA- SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN TETON-JEFFERSON-BROADWATER- 514 AM MST SUN DEC 16 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING MIDNIGHT MONDAY. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ALSO BEGINS MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5000 FEET. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY STRONG WINDS AND SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT AND MAY CAUSE DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS OVER AREA MOUNTAIN PASSES AND CANYONS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MTZ015-171215- MADISON- 514 AM MST SUN DEC 16 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORRIS HILL BEGINNING AT MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ALSO BEGINS AT MIDNIGHT MONDAY FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY STRONG WINDS AND SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT AND MAY CAUSE DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MTZ008-055-171215- BEAVERHEAD-GALLATIN- 514 AM MST SUN DEC 16 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT AND MAY CAUSE DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High sustained winds of 36KT (42MPH) was reported 4 miles NNE of McAllister, MT at the Norris Hill DOT sensor.
Peak high wind gust of 71KT (88MPH) was reported 13 miles W of Bynum, MT.
High wind gust of 51KT (59MPH) was reported 17 miles W of Pendroy, MT at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch.
High wind gust of 50KT (58MPH) was reported 2 miles WNW of Pendroy, MT at the Pendroy DOT site.
High wind gust of 50KT (58MPH) was reported 1 mile E of East Glacier Park, MT at the Two Medicine Bridge DOT site.
High wind gust of 52KT (61MPH) was reported at Heart Butte, MT.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, December 2012
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: 426402, 426396, 426397, 426399, 426400, 426401.