A high wind event over much of Central Montana produced numerous reports of warning criteria winds.
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.
A high wind event over much of Central Montana produced numerous reports of warning criteria winds.
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 4, 2:55 PM MST, 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 255 PM MST TUE DEC 4 2012 .DISCUSSION... TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...A WEAK SHORTWAVE RIDGE IS OVER EASTERN MONTANA THIS AFTERNOON WHILE A TROUGH REMAINS OVER THE WEST COAST. ABUNDANT MOISTURE IN THE SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL KEEP PRECIPITATION GOING OVER THE WESTERN AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS WEST YELLOWSTONE. HOWEVER...PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS DO NOT APPEAR SUFFICIENT TO WARRANT ANY WINTER WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS ALTHOUGH THERE WILL LIKELY BE BLOWING SNOW OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. THE RIDGE MOVES INTO THE UPPER HIGH PLAINS OVERNIGHT AS THE TROUGH MOVES INLAND BRINGING STRONG MID-LEVEL WINDS AND A SURFACE COLD FRONT TO THE REGION FOR WEDNESDAY. HIGH WIND WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND EASTERN GLACIER COUNTY AS WELL AS THE NORRIS HILL AREA IN MADISON COUNTY. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING IN ITS WAKE. THE TROUGH CONTINUES TO MOVE EAST WITH A COOL AND SOMEWHAT MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT SETTING UP OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. SHORTWAVE ENERGY IN THE FLOW ALOFT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THURSDAY AFTERNOON WITH AN INCREASING CHANCE OF SHOWERS EXPECTED OVER SOUTHWEST AND SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA. MPJ THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...THE PERIOD BEGINS THURSDAY NIGHT WITH A LOW PRESSURE TROF OVER ALASKA AND A SHORTWAVE APPROACHING THE WEST COAST. OVER THE ZONES...ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SHORTWAVE WILL BE KEEPING THE AIRMASS MOIST...WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF PRECIP OVER THE SOUTHWEST ZONES. A COLD SURFACE AIRMASS OVER ALBERTA AND SASKATCHEWAN WILL MOVE EAST BUT LIKELY CLIP THE NORTHEAST ZONES...MAIN EFFECT WILL BE TO BRING COLD TEMPERATURES AND PERHAPS SOME LOW VISIBILITIES AND CLOUD COVER ACROSS THE AREA. THE FLOW ALOFT WILL REMAIN BROADLY CYCLONIC...AND UNSETTLED. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE WILL CROSS THE ROCKIES FRIDAY NIGHT...FOLLOWED SATURDAY BY YET ANOTHER. THIS WILL DEEPEN THE LOW OVER THE ZONES AND BRING AN ASSOCIATED CANADIAN COLD FRONT SOUTH ACROSS THE BORDER. COLD...MOIST...UPSLOPE FLOW SHOULD BRING PRECIP ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE DYNAMICS OF THE LOW PRESSURE TROF WILL BE SOUTH OF THE ZONES. THE TROF CONTINUES TO DEEPEN BEFORE FINALLY MOVING EAST SUNDAY. THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL REMAIN UNSETTLED AND SHOWERS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES...WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST. THE MODELS ARE QUITE SIMILAR THROUGH SUNDAY...WITH THE ECMWF ONLY SLIGHTLY FASTER...BUT FOR THIS FAR OUT IN THE FORECAST PERIOD PATTERNS ARE IN GOOD ALIGNMENT. BY LATE SUNDAY...A STRONGER SHORTWAVE MOVING THROUGH THE FLOW ALOFT WILL DEEPEN A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE TROF ACROSS THE LEE OF THE ROCKIES...AND BRISK WINDS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND ADJACENT PLAINS. WINDS WILL REMAIN BRISK BUT TREND DOWNWARDS BY TUESDAY. TEMPS WILL BEGIN THE PERIOD NEAR SEASONAL NORMALS BUT DROP FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO THE ZONES. TEMPS WILL BE SLOW TO RECOVER UNDERNEATH THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT...AND STRUGGLE TO REACH NEAR SEASONAL NORMALS AGAIN BY TUESDAY. ZELZER && .AVIATION... UPDATED 1745Z. STRONG WINDS ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD INTO THE AREA TODAY AHEAD OF A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM. SURFACE WINDS WILL BECOME GUSTY ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND ADJACENT PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION CAN BE EXPECTED DUE TO SHOWERS IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT THE TAF SITES THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. LANGLIEB && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 43 53 28 37 / 0 10 10 20 CTB 36 47 24 32 / 0 10 10 20 HLN 37 49 26 35 / 10 10 10 30 BZN 35 52 26 36 / 10 10 20 50 WEY 31 37 25 30 / 100 80 60 60 DLN 36 48 27 34 / 10 10 10 30 HVR 34 46 23 31 / 10 20 0 20 LWT 40 52 24 34 / 10 10 10 40 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MST WEDNESDAY NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 6 AM TO 6 PM MST WEDNESDAY EASTERN GLACIER. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR ROUTE 287 OVER NORRIS HILL IN MADISON COUNTY. && WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 727 AM MST TUE DEC 4 2012 MTZ009-048-051200- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- 727 AM MST TUE DEC 4 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 6 PM MST WEDNESDAY. STRONG WINDS WILL BE ISOLATED TODAY BUT INCREASE AND BECOME WIDESPREAD TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. RAIN AND SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE MOUNTAINS TODAY WITH SNOW LEVELS RISING TO AROUND 7000 FEET THIS AFTERNOON. MINOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE OVER MARIAS PASS BEFORE CHANGING TO RAIN THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES THROUGH 6 PM MST WEDNESDAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW POSSIBLE OVER MARIAS PASS BEFORE SNOW DECREASES WEDNESDAY EVENING. A WEATHER PATTERN CHANGE WILL OCCUR LATE THIS WEEK AND THIS WEEKEND WITH A RETURN TO MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND CHANCE FOR LIGHT ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ANY SPOTTER REPORTS OF HIGH WINDS...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OR BLOWING SNOW WOULD GREATLY BE APPRECIATED. MTZ010-051200- EASTERN GLACIER- 727 AM MST TUE DEC 4 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A HIGH WIND WATCH CONTINUES THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. A WEATHER PATTERN CHANGE WILL OCCUR LATE THIS WEEK AND THIS WEEKEND WITH A RETURN TO MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND CHANCE FOR LIGHT ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ANY SPOTTER REPORTS OF HIGH WINDS WOULD GREATLY BE APPRECIATED. MTZ015-051200- MADISON- 727 AM MST TUE DEC 4 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORRIS HILL AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORRIS HILL AREA UNTIL 6 PM WEDNESDAY. A WEATHER PATTERN CHANGE WILL OCCUR LATE THIS WEEK AND THIS WEEKEND WITH A RETURN TO MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND CHANCE FOR LIGHT ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ANY SPOTTER REPORTS OF HIGH WINDS WOULD GREATLY BE APPRECIATED. MTZ008-011>014-044>047-049>055-051200- BEAVERHEAD-HILL-CASCADE-CHOUTEAU- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-TOOLE-LIBERTY- EASTERN PONDERA-BLAINE-EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS- JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-MEAGHER-GALLATIN- 727 AM MST TUE DEC 4 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA...NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER FOR TODAY IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A WEATHER PATTERN CHANGE WILL OCCUR LATE THIS WEEK AND THIS WEEKEND WITH A RETURN TO MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND CHANCE FOR LIGHT ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
13 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High wind gust of 52KT (61MPH) was reported at East Glacier Park DOT sensor.
High sustained wind 38KT (44MPH) was reported 13 miles W of Bynum, MT.
High wind gust of 51KT (59MPH) was reported 13 miles W of Bynum, MT.
High wind gust of 56KT (64MPH) was reported at Heart Butte, MT.
High wind gust of 52KT (60MPH) was reported at the Cut Bank Airport ASOS.
High wind gust of 55KT (63MPH) was reported at the Cut Bank Airport ASOS.
High wind gust of 52KT (60MPH) was reported 5 miles SW of Great Falls, MT at the Great Falls NWS Office. Blowing dust to NW of office reducing visibility.
High wind gust of 50KT (58MPH) was reported 24 miles N of Havre, MT.
High wind gust of 51KT (59MPH) was reported 7 miles SE of Hilger, MT at the Judith Peak RAWS.
High wind gust of 59KT (68MPH) was reported 10 miles S of Chinook, MT.
High wind gust of 56KT (64MPH) was reported 17 miles W of Pendroy, MT at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch.
High wind gust of 62KT (71MPH) was reported 13 miles W of Bynum, MT at Dellwo.
High wind gust of 56KT (64MPH) was reported at Whitlash, 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: 426356, 426359, 426357, 426360, 426361, 426366, 426365, 426368, 426370, 426372, 426374, 426375, 426378.