A strong area of low pressure moved across the area resulting in high winds for portions of the Billings Forecast Area.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 BYZ wrote it up.
A strong area of low pressure moved across the area resulting in high winds for portions of the Billings Forecast Area.
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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 2, 3:57 AM MST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
357 AM MST SUN DEC 2 2012
.SHORT TERM...VALID FOR TDY AND MON...
SIGNIFICANT SURFACE PRESSURE FALLS ARE BEING OBSERVED ALREADY THIS
MORNING ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES...WHICH IS A HARBINGER OF HIGH
WINDS THAT WILL OCCUR TODAY AND THIS EVENING ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTH
CENTRAL MT. THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY IN THE DETAILS OF THIS
WIND EVENT AS A RELATIVELY DEEP SURFACE LOW SCOOTS ACROSS NORTHERN
MT...BUT WE ARE VERY CONFIDENT THAT AT LEAST THE LIVINGSTON TO NYE
AND BIG TIMBER AREAS WILL HAVE VERY STRONG WINDS.
TODAY...LOW- AND MID-LEVEL SOUTHWEST FLOW RAMPS UP QUICKLY...WHICH
YIELDS 700-HPA WINDS ON THE ORDER OF 70 TO 80 KT AROUND LIVINGSTON
DURING THE MORNING. FORECAST SOUNDINGS STILL CALL FOR A RELATIVELY
STABLE LAYER NEAR THE MOUNTAIN-TOP LAYER...AND SINCE GAP WINDS ARE
ALREADY INCREASING AS OF 10 UTC...THAT IDEA IS LIKELY CORRECT. THE
SCENARIO SHOULD EASILY YIELD SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR 50 MPH AND GUSTS
PERHAPS CLOSE TO 80 MPH AROUND LIVINGSTON...ESPECIALLY DURING LATE
MORNING WHEN 5 HPA/3 HOUR SURFACE PRESSURE FALLS ARE CENTERED OVER
NORTHERN ID. BY 18 UTC...THE BOUNDARY LAYER WILL BECOME WELL-MIXED
AND CAUSE WINDS EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE GAP AREAS TO GET STRONG...WITH
BIG TIMBER THEN LIKELY TO TAP INTO 50 KT FLOW ABOVE THE GROUND. WE
DID...HOWEVER...DECIDE TO CANCEL THE HIGH WIND WATCH FOR HARLOWTON
AND RYEGATE BECAUSE THE 00 UTC NAM AND RECENT RAP AND HRRR RUNS DO
NOT REVEAL QUITE ENOUGH PRE-FRONTAL LOW-LEVEL WIND FOR A WARNING.
NOTE THAT THE 00 UTC GFS...WHICH IS A BIT OF AN OUTLIER...SHOWS 60
KT 500 M AGL WINDS IN THOSE AREAS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON THOUGH. WE
DID DECIDE TO GO WITH A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR JUDITH GAP...BANKING
ON TERRAIN ENHANCEMENT OF SOUTHERLY FLOW IN THAT AREA TO PUSH WIND
SPEEDS UP AS THE PRESSURE FALLS PASS NORTH OF THE AREA. WE WILL BE
KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE PARADISE VALLEY FOR THAT TOO...BUT MOST
HIGH-RESOLUTION GUIDANCE SUGGESTED SPEEDS JUST SHORT OF WHAT WOULD
BE NEEDED FOR A WARNING THERE. ADMITTEDLY...WE DO NOT HAVE MUCH IN
THE WAY OF ANALOGS FOR HIGH WINDS IN THE PARADISE VALLEY...AND OUR
CONFIDENCE IN THAT DECISION IS THUS LOW.
IN THE MOUNTAINS...THE WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN PLACE...AND
IT STILL LOOKS LIKE THE MAIN IMPACT WILL BE FROM VERY STRONG WINDS
IN COMBINATION WITH SNOW /WHICH ITSELF WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH FOR THE
WARNING/. MOUNTAIN-TOP WINDS FROM THE HIGHER-RESOLUTION MODELS ARE
STILL ON THE ORDER OF 80 KT. GUIDANCE STILL DID NOT SHOW ENOUGH OF
A WELL-DEFINED CRITICAL LAYER OF SPEED SHEAR TO MAKE US ANTICIPATE
MOUNTAIN-WAVE-INDUCED HIGH WINDS AT RED LODGE...BUT THE 00 UTC NAM
DID ACTUALLY SUGGEST A BIT MORE MOMENTUM TRANSFER DOWN THE SLOPES.
THUS...WE WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON THAT DURING THE DAY TODAY.
TONIGHT...A SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA...WHICH WILL BE
ACCOMPANIED BY 5-7 HPA/3 HOUR SURFACE PRESSURE RISES...MAINLY FROM
HARLOWTON AND LIVINGSTON TO BILLINGS AND SHERIDAN. THE ISALLOBARIC
COMPONENT OF THE WINDS THUS COULD BE SIGNIFICANT...WHICH DOES MAKE
US CONCERNED THAT WE COULD END UP WITH HIGH POST-FRONTAL WINDS FOR
A TIME. FORECAST SOUNDINGS...ESPECIALLY FROM THE 00 UTC NAM...EVEN
KEEP THE BOUNDARY LAYER WELL-MIXED WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. WINDS
IN THE MIXED LAYER PEAK JUST UNDER 50 KT THOUGH...SO THERE WAS NOT
ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO ADD ANY WIND HEADLINES IN AREAS LIKE BILLINGS
OR SHERIDAN OVERNIGHT. ACTUALLY...WE WILL HAVE TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE
ON SHERIDAN FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY NEAR THE
FRONTAL PASSAGE TOO...THOUGH AGAIN MODEL-DERIVED CROSS SECTIONS DO
NOT SHOW A STRONG SIGNATURE FOR MOMENTUM TRANSFER ALL THE WAY DOWN
TO THE SURFACE IN THE LEE OF THE BIG HORNS. THERE WERE A FEW HINTS
IN THE 00 UTC GUIDANCE OF GREATER MOMENTUM TRANSFER THAN WHAT PAST
RUNS SUGGESTED THOUGH. OUTSIDE OF WIND ISSUES...WE DID MAINTAIN 20
TO 30 POPS WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE LOW- AND MID-LEVEL FRONT...WITH
SOME CLUSTERING OF MODEL QPF OUTPUT EVEN NOTED AROUND BROADUS.
MON...WESTERLY LOW- AND MID-LEVEL FLOW WILL BE IN PLACE...AND THAT
DOWNSLOPE SIGNATURE AND EFFICIENT MIXING TO AROUND 700 HPA WILL BE
ENOUGH TO PUSH HIGHS ON THE PLAINS OVER 50 F AGAIN. THE SUBSIDENCE
ALOFT SHOWN BY 500-300 HPA Q-VECTOR DIVERGENCE SUGGESTS THERE WILL
EVEN BE A GOOD AMOUNT OF SUN TO HELP OUT...SO WE ADJUSTED FORECAST
HIGHS UPWARD...CLOSE TO THE 00 UTC MAV OUTPUT. THAT MOS OFTEN DOES
WELL ON DAYS WITH DOWNSLOPE-AIDED WARMING DURING THE WINTER ON THE
HIGH PLAINS AND FRONT RANGE WHEN THERE IS SUNSHINE. THE 00 UTC GFS
AND NAM BOTH CALL FOR MIXED-LAYER WINDS OF 30 T0 35 KT...WITH PEAK
SPEEDS AT ITS TOP NEAR 45 KT...SO IT WILL DEFINITELY BE WINDY. THE
LACK OF NOTABLE COLD AIR ADVECTION SUGGESTS HEADLINE-WORTHY SPEEDS
ARE UNLIKELY OVER THE PLAINS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN MT.
HOWEVER...THE 00 UTC MET AND MAV MOS BOTH SUGGEST WE COULD NEED AN
ADVISORY AROUND LIVINGSTON AGAIN. SCHULTZ
.LONG TERM...VALID FOR TUE...WED...THU...FRI...SAT...
MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE IN RELATIVELY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH MUCH OF
THE PERIOD UNTIL MODELS DIVERGE A BIT LATE IN THE WEEK AND INTO
THE WEEKEND. THE GFS BEGINNING TO ADVERTISE A VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE
TROUGH DIGGING ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES...DEEPENING THE TROUGH
AND OPENING THE DOOR FOR COLDER AIR TO SLIDE SOUTH OUT OF CANADA.
LATEST ECMWF SEEMS TO BE FALLING IN LINE WITH THIS SOLUTIONS BUT
THE TIMING BETWEEN THE TWO IS OUT OF PHASE. SEEMS LIKE THE BEST
THAT CAN BE SAID AT THIS POINT IS MODELS ARE SUGGESTIVE OF MORE
AMPLIFIED NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT BY LATE WEEK AND INTO NEXT WEEKEND
WHICH IS SUPPORTIVE OF COOLER TEMPERATURE AT OR BELOW SEASONAL
NORMALS. THIS ALSO INCREASE THE THREAT FOR AT LEAST THE
POSSIBILITY OF SOME LIGHT SNOW AS LOW-LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE WOULD
BE DRAPED ACROSS THE AREA.
EARLIER IN THE PERIOD...WEAK PACIFIC SHORTWAVES ARE SLATED TO MOVE
ACROSS THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY. HAVE
INDICATED BETTER THREAT FOR AT LEAST SOME SHOWERS ACROSS THE AREA
DURING THIS TIME. AT THIS POINT...COULD NOT ISOLATE A PARTICULAR
12 HOUR PERIOD..BUT INSTEAD BROADBRUSHED THE 36 HOUR PERIOD AS THE
BEST THREAT FOR SOME PRECIPITATION.
INCREASED THREAT FOR PRECIPITATION AGAIN ON SATURDAY AND INTO
SUNDAY TO INDICATE POSSIBILITY OF COLD FRONT SLIPPING SOUTHWARD
FROM CANADA BRINGING POSSIBILITY OF SOME LIGHT SNOW. THE WEEKEND
PERIOD WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED CLOSELY TO SEE HOW THIS EVOLVES.
MEIER
&&
.AVIATION...
MAIN AVIATION HAZARD TODAY AND TONIGHT WILL BE WINDS. OTHERWISE
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL ACROSS THE AREA...WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF OVER THE BEARTOOTH AND ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS WHERE SNOW
AND WIND WILL COMBINE TO REDUCE VISIBILITIES.
ALREADY GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS MORNING FROM
LIVINGSTON AND ALONG THE FOOTHILLS OF THE BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS.
EXPECT WINDS TO GUST AS HIGH AS 65 KNOTS IN THE VICINITY OF
LIVINGSTON...WITH GUSTS 35 TO 50 KNOTS FROM BIG TIMBER NORTH TO
JUDITH GAP. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST INTO THE SUNDAY
EVENING...BEFORE SWITCHING TO WESTERLY AND REMAINING FAIRLY GUSTY
SUNDAY NIGHT...ESPECIALLY THOSE AREAS WEST OF BILLINGS. MEIER
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...
TDY MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
-------------------------------------------------------
BIL 059 038/054 031/049 035/053 032/041 025/041 027/037
0/N 20/N 00/B 01/B 32/W 32/W 11/B
LVM 057 038/047 032/047 033/053 030/041 019/040 026/032
3/W 41/N 11/N 12/W 32/W 22/J 12/W
HDN 058 034/057 026/048 030/054 029/042 025/040 022/037
0/N 20/N 00/U 01/B 32/W 32/W 12/W
MLS 059 036/053 025/047 029/052 029/039 019/036 021/035
0/B 30/N 00/U 01/B 32/W 22/J 12/J
4BQ 061 036/055 026/049 030/055 030/042 021/037 021/036
0/N 30/N 00/U 01/B 32/W 32/J 02/J
BHK 059 035/049 024/045 028/049 025/035 016/032 021/031
0/B 30/N 00/U 00/B 22/J 22/J 02/J
SHR 060 030/048 022/045 028/050 025/037 020/034 017/031
0/N 20/N 00/U 01/B 33/J 33/J 12/J
&&
.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM MST
THIS EVENING FOR ZONE 41.
HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM
MST THIS EVENING FOR ZONE 63.
HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR
ZONES 65-66.
WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM MST MONDAY ABOVE
7000 FEET FOR ZONE 67.
WY...NONE.
&&
WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGSHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT 421 AM MST SUN DEC 2 2012 MTZ029>039-056>058-WYZ098-099-031130- MUSSELSHELL-TREASURE-NORTHERN ROSEBUD-CUSTER-FALLON- NORTHERN STILLWATER-YELLOWSTONE-POWDER RIVER-CARTER- SOUTHERN BIG HORN-EASTERN CARBON-RED LODGE FOOTHILLS- NORTHERN BIG HORN-SOUTHERN ROSEBUD-NORTHEAST BIG HORN MOUNTAINS- SHERIDAN FOOTHILLS- 421 AM MST SUN DEC 2 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA...SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA...SOUTHEAST MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE RED LODGE...DAYTON...AND SHERIDAN AREAS COULD HAVE ERRATIC WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH TODAY AND THIS EVENING...ESPECIALLY IN THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAIN SLOPES NEAR THOSE LOCATIONS. THE REST OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MONTANA...SUCH AS AT BILLINGS...FORSYTH...MILES CITY...AND BAKER...COULD HAVE WEST WINDS GUSTING FROM 40 TO 50 MPH FOR A TIME TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ028-040>042-063>068-031130- SOUTHERN WHEATLAND-NORTHERN PARK-NORTHERN SWEET GRASS- GOLDEN VALLEY-JUDITH GAP-PARADISE VALLEY-LIVINGSTON AREA- BEARTOOTH FOOTHILLS-ABSAROKA/BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS-CRAZY MOUNTAINS- 421 AM MST SUN DEC 2 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE LIVINGSTON AND NYE AREAS WILL HAVE SOUTHWEST WINDS SUSTAINED NEAR 50 MPH...WITH GUSTS OF 65 TO 80 MPH TODAY AND THIS EVENING. THE BIG TIMBER AND JUDITH GAP AREAS WILL HAVE SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH. WINDS WILL BECOME WESTERLY IN THE EVENING...AND EVEN THE HARLOWTON AND RYEGATE AREAS WILL THEN HAVE WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH FOR A TIME. TRAVEL FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES WILL BE HAZARDOUS. LOOSE OBJECTS COULD BECOME AIRBORNE. IN THE BEARTOOTH AND ABSAROKA MOUNTAINS...A WINTER STORM WITH UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW...STRONG WINDS...AND BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL OCCUR TODAY AND TONIGHT. RECREATION WILL BE HAZARDOUS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. CJS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Sustained winds of 40-55 mph with a gust to 76 mph were reported at the Stillwater Mine.
A wind gust of 67 mph occurred in the Paradise Valley.
A wind gust of 77 mph was recorded at the West Livingston DOT sensor.
A wind gust of 59 mph was reported at the Billings Airport.
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: 418273, 418276, 418275, 418615.