A fast moving cold front pushed across western Montana. The tight surface pressure gradient associated with this feature produced strong winds.
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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 MSO wrote it up.
A fast moving cold front pushed across western Montana. The tight surface pressure gradient associated with this feature produced strong 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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 17, 1:56 PM MST, 4 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
256 PM MDT Sun Jun 17 2012
.DISCUSSION...
Winds...Gusty west winds have begun to increase this afternoon,
with some areas already gusting over 30 mph. Winds are expected to
continue to get stronger as the afternoon wears on, with gusts as
high as 45 mph later this afternoon, especially for areas in
southwest Montana and around Salmon. Therefore have allowed the
wind advisory to continue at least until 9pm. Winds will also
continue around Flathead Lake through the rest of the evening,
though winds are not expected to be as strong as regions south.
However the persistent west winds will keep the lake very choppy
with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet, locally as high as 4 feet. Winds
will begin to diminish area wide over night, and pick up again
Monday afternoon, but not expecting them to be as strong as today.
Precipitation...With the strong winds mentioned above, valley
precipitation has diminished greatly this afternoon due to downsloping
effects, especially across southwest Montana and north central
Idaho. An area of showers and thunderstorms has formed this
afternoon along the Canadian border. These thunderstorms are
expected to hold together through the early evening, but will
mainly affect northwest Montana. The main threat with these storms
will be for small hail and gusty winds. A brief break in
precipitation is expected this evening before a stronger weather
system moves into the region Monday. This will spread widespread
precipitation across western Montana and north central Idaho, with
the main focus of precipitation expected across northwest Montana.
By Monday night, snow levels are expected to drop to around 6000
feet, which will allow for some light snow accumulations in the
higher terrain, particularly along the continental divide and in
Glacier National Park. Outdoor recreationists in the high back
country should be prepared for snow and much cooler temperatures.
Tuesday night rain-showers will continue across western Montana as
the trough moves off to the east. On Wednesday a zonal flow
develops over the region and conditions start to warm and dry out.
The ridge builds over the region on Thursday as temperatures warm.
The next system starts to move toward the region on Friday with
some thunderstorms possible. The weekend is starting to look
wetter and a little cooler.
&&
.AVIATION...The surface boundary has pushed through western
Montana this afternoon, with a few isolated showers and
thunderstorms trailing on the back side of the front. Showers and
thunderstorms will begin to lessen in scale after sunset. Winds
have begun to gust in the mid 30kts at all aviation sites, and
expecting this to continue into the evening hours. The strongest
winds are expected to occur at KSMN and KBTM around 18/0000z with
gusts to near 40kts. Winds should begin to diminish around 18/0400Z for
all aviation sites.
&&
.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...WIND ADVISORY until 9 PM MDT this evening Butte/Blackfoot
Region...Lower Clark Fork Region...Missoula/Bitterroot
Valleys...Potomac/Seeley Lake Region.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY until 9 PM MDT this evening Flathead/Mission
Valleys.
ID...WIND ADVISORY until 9 PM MDT this evening Eastern Lemhi County.
&&
Pallister/Robinson/KolataThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Power lines were knocked down in the Upper Miller creek area, south of Missoula by strong non-thunderstorm winds. Power was out from about 4pm mdt until 6pm.
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, June 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: 393549.