A vigorous upper jet strengthened winds aloft and resulted in high winds across a wide area of North Central Montana. Wind gusts in excess of 70 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.
A vigorous upper jet strengthened winds aloft and resulted in high winds across a wide area of North Central Montana. Wind gusts in excess of 70 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 Jan 24, 4:30 PM MST, 2 hours 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 430 PM MST TUE JAN 24 2012 UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION .DISCUSSION... TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...FORECAST MODELS ARE STILL ON TRACK WITH BRINGING STRONG WINDS TO THE AREA BEGINNING TONIGHT. A DISTURBANCE IN THE STRONG WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL ENHANCE SURFACE WINDS OVERNIGHT AND INTO WEDNESDAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL LIKELY OCCUR ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...THE ADJACENT PLAINS...AND ACROSS THE MOUNTAIN AREAS OF CENTRAL MONTANA. AM EXPECTING THE MOUNTAINS TO BE THE MAIN TRIGGER TO BRING THESE STRONG WINDS ALOFT TO THE SURFACE...SO HAVE LEFT THE HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS. THERE IS LESS OF A SIMILAR OPPORTUNITY FOR TRANSLATION OF WINDS TO THE SURFACE ACROSS THE PLAINS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA...BUT CANNOT TOTALLY RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY...SO HAVE LEFT THE HIGH WIND WATCH IN PLACE FOR THESE AREAS. BECAUSE OF THESE DOWNSLOPING WINDS...PRECIPITATION WILL BE LIMITED TO THE MOUNTAIN AREAS OF WESTERN AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA...WITH LESSER CHANCES FOR THE VALLEYS. THE COMBINATION OF WIND AND SNOW THROUGH MOUNTAIN PASSES WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTY THROUGH THURSDAY. THERE WILL BE LESS WIND AND SNOW IN THE VALLEYS OF LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY...INCLUDING THE HELENA VALLEY...BUT MANY ROADS THERE ARE STILL SLICK FROM PREVIOUS SNOWFALL...SO ANY BLOWING SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTY. THEREFORE...HAVE ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4500 FEET ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY THROUGH THURSDAY. THE SYSTEM WILL EXIT THE AREA ON THURSDAY FOR DECREASING PRECIPITATION/WIND. AS WINDS INCREASE OVERNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY...TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO WARM ACROSS MOST AREAS. HOWEVER...THE SOUTHWEST VALLEYS WILL BE SLOWER TO MIX OUT...SO HAVE ADDED POSSIBILITY OF FREEZING RAIN THERE TONIGHT. TEMPERATURES ON WEDNESDAY WILL MOSTLY BE ABOUT 10 TO 15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...EXCEPT FOR SOME SOUTHWEST VALLEYS. AS THE SYSTEM EXITS THE AREA...THE RESULTING NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL BRING SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES TO THE AREA. COULSTON THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...EXPECT SOME SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS TO BE COMING TO AN END OVER THE REGION THURSDAY NIGHT...AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE EXITS THE REGION. FAIRLY QUIET WEATHER AND SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. BY SATURDAY NIGHT...ANOTHER FAST MOVING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL START TO AFFECT THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT REGION. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WINDS OVER THE FRONT RANGE AGAIN ON SATURDAY NIGHT...AS SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ALSO DEVELOP. EXPECT RAIN OR SNOW SHOWERS TO SPREAD OUT OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION ON SUNDAY. FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY...THE EC/GFS BOTH HAVE SOME UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVING THROUGH THE REGION...BUT THE TIMING AND LOCATIONS OF THE PRECIP REMAIN A BIT DIFFERENT. THUS WENT MORE WITH CLIMO POPS FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK...ALONG WITH SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES. AT THIS POINT...SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS DO NOT LOOK TO BE SIGNIFICANT FROM SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...BUT A FEW INCHES (1 TO 3 INCHES) OF SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SEEMS REASONABLE IN THE MOUNTAINS EACH DAY...WITH AN INCH OR SO POSSIBLE IN SCATTERED AREAS AT LOWER ELEVATIONS. BRUSDA && .AVIATION... UPDATED 0000Z. PACIFIC WEATHER SYSTEM AND STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET STREAM WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES TONIGHT. CLOUDS AND MOISTURE WILL INCREASE THROUGH THIS EVENING WITH SNOW AND MTN OBSCURATIONS INCREASING OVER THE MTNS AROUND MIDNIGHT WHILE PLAINS/VALLEYS SHOULD GENERALLY REMAIN DRY WITH VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MAIN IMPACT TO AVIATION WILL BE STRONG WINDS ANTICIPATED LATER TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...ESPECIALLY AT N-CENTRAL MT SITES WHERE GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50KTS ARE LIKELY AT KCTB AND KGTF AND POSSIBLE AT KHVR...KLWT AND KHLN. MTN WAVE TURBULENCE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT LATER TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. HOENISCH && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 34 49 28 41 / 10 10 20 20 CTB 32 45 23 37 / 10 10 20 20 HLN 13 40 26 40 / 20 20 20 20 BZN 17 48 23 40 / 20 30 20 20 WEY 2 33 20 32 / 60 70 50 70 DLN 23 44 25 38 / 30 30 20 30 HVR 26 46 24 37 / 10 10 10 20 LWT 27 46 26 38 / 10 10 20 20 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST THURSDAY CASCADE...EASTERN GLACIER...EASTERN PONDERA...EASTERN TETON...FERGUS...JUDITH BASIN...TOOLE. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST THURSDAY NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST THURSDAY FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4500 FEET FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK... NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. HIGH WIND WATCH THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK. HIGH WIND WATCH THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT BLAINE...CHOUTEAU... HILL...LIBERTY. FLOOD WARNING FOR BROADWATER COUNTY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. && SHORT TERM...COULSTON LONG TERM...BRUSDA/WARANAUSKAS AVIATION...HOENISCH WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 519 AM MST TUE JAN 24 2012 MTZ053-251230- BROADWATER- 519 AM MST TUE JAN 24 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FLOOD WARNING FOR THE MISSOURI RIVER AT TOWNSEND IS IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE FLOOD WARNING FOR THE MISSOURI RIVER AT TOWNSEND WILL CONTINUE IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS OF FLOODING WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. MTZ009-048-251230- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- 519 AM MST TUE JAN 24 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING WILL GO INTO EFFECT AT 5 PM MST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE HIGH WIND WARNING WILL CONTINUE IN EFFECT UNTIL 5AM MST THURSDAY. THERE IS A THREAT OF HIGH WINDS SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS OF HIGH WINDS OR WIND DAMAGE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. MTZ011-013-014-045-047-251230- HILL-CHOUTEAU-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-LIBERTY-BLAINE- 519 AM MST TUE JAN 24 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WATCH WILL GO INTO EFFECT LATE THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE HIGH WIND WATCH WILL CONTINUE IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS OF HIGH WINDS OR WIND DAMAGE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. MTZ008-015-052-054-055-251230- BEAVERHEAD-MADISON-JEFFERSON-MEAGHER-GALLATIN- 519 AM MST TUE JAN 24 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MTZ010-012-044-046-049>051-251230- EASTERN GLACIER-CASCADE-TOOLE-EASTERN PONDERA-EASTERN TETON- JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS- 519 AM MST TUE JAN 24 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING WILL GO INTO EFFECT AT 5 PM MST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE HIGH WIND WARNING WILL CONTINUE IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM MST THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS OF HIGH WINDS OR WIND DAMAGE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
18 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust to 60 mph was reported at East Glacier Park 1E (the Two Medicine DOT site).
A wind gust to 82 mph was reported at Bynum 4SSE. Additionally, a wind gust to 61 mph was reported at Choteau 8ENE and a gust to 65 mph was reported at Power 6NE.
A wind gust to 58 mph was reported at Hilger 7SE (the Judith Peak RAWS site).
A wind gust to 59 mph was reported at McAllister 4NNE (the Norris Hill DOT site).
A wind gust to 62 mph was reported at Sunburst 6NNW (the Sweet Grass DOT site).
A wind gust to 60 mph was reported at Three Forks 1SW.
A wind gust to 63 mph was reported at Townsend 7NNW.
A wind gust to 63 mph was reported at Geyser 2SSE (the Geyser DOT site).
A wind gust to 61 mph was reported at the Cut Bank ASOS site.
A wind gust to 68 mph was reported at Pendroy 2NW (the Pendroy DOT site).
Sustained wind speeds of 40 mph were reported for several hours at Marysville 6ESE.
A wind gust to 60 mph was reported at Brady 5E.
A wind gust to 58 mph was reported at Inverness 2E (the Inverness DOT site).
A wind gust to 58 mph was reported at Chester 17N.
A wind gust to 61 mph was reported at Cascade 5S.
A wind gust to 60 mph was reported at Checkerboard 12NNE.
A wind gust to 68 mph was reported at Chinook 11S.
A wind gust to 60 mph was reported at Big Sandy 13WNW.
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, January 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: 357959, 357995, 358001, 357975, 357983, 358005, 358002, 357997, 357960, 357992, 357972, 357988, 357965, 357985, 357970, 358003, 357990, 357971.