The atmosphere was just unstable enough to set off some marginally severe thunderstorms along a cold front draped across Montana.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 GGW wrote it up.
The atmosphere was just unstable enough to set off some marginally severe thunderstorms along a cold front draped across 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 Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 2, 1:21 PM MST, 3 hours 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 221 PM MDT SAT JUN 2 2012 .SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY... THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS THE REGION WILL SLOWLY EXIT THE AREA DURING THE EVENING HOURS. SEVERE POTENTIAL SHOULD BE OVER BY 9PM FOR AREAS WEST OF A LINE FROM OPHEIM TO GLASGOW TO JORDAN AND OVER BY MIDNIGHT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CWA. HEAVY RAINS WITH EXITING SHOWERS WILL BE THE MAIN ISSUES AS PRECIPITABLE WATER ON THE MORNING UPPER AIR SOUNDING IS REACHING TOWARD 1 INCH AND DOES BREAK 1 INCH IN THE FORECAST SOUNDINGS FOR THIS AFTERNOON. 700 MB MIXING RATIOS SHOW A RICH... MOIST ATMOSPHERE RIVER ORIGINATING FROM OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PUMPING THE ABUNDANT MOISTURE INTO THE REGION. SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY... SHOWERS WILL EXIT THE AREA DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS LEAVING STABLE CONDITIONS AND PARTLY CLOUDY TO CLEAR SKIES. ANTICIPATE NEARLY CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO COOL DURING THE MORNING AND MAKE FOR A COOLER DAY SUNDAY. HOWEVER... SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY A SYNOPTIC RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO REASSERT ITS DOMINANCE AS IT BUILDS IN FROM THE DESERT SOUTHWEST AND INTERMOUNTAIN WEST. THIS WILL RAPIDLY WARM SURFACE TEMPERATURES THROUGH MONDAY AND BEYOND. OTHERWISE ANTICIPATE DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH THESE PERIODS. GAH .LONG TERM...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY... FORECAST PROBLEM AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD WITH TROF DIGGING ACROSS THE PACIFIC COAST PRODUCING DEEP SOUTHERLY FLOW INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. HIGH AMPLITUDE PATTERN WILL PUMP GULF MOISTURE NORTHWARD ON THE LOW LEVEL JET. MODELS ALSO SUGGESTING DRY SLOT PUSHING INTO EASTERN MONTANA ON TUESDAY WHICH MAY DISRUPT DEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTION. BETTER CHANCE OF RAIN WILL OCCUR ON WEDNESDAY WITH COLD FRONT PUSHING ACROSS THE REGION. FLOW PATTERN FLATTENS OUT BUT REMAIN CYCLONIC THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD SO WILL CONTINUE WITH SOME CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS. EBERT PREVIOUS LONG TERM DISCUSSION...EXTENDED BEGINS WITH A RIDGE OVER NORTHEAST MONTANA WHICH SLOWLY IS FORCED EAST BY THE DIGGING TROUGH OVER THE UPPER GREAT BASIN. THE FLOW BECOMES SOUTH- SOUTHEAST AT ALL LEVELS WHICH MAKES IT A VERY INTERESTING SYSTEM. BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF HAVE DIFFERENT PERIODS OF CONVECTION THROUGH THE EXTENDED. NO GOOD EVENTS TIMED OUT OTHER THAN NEXT SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY WITH A COLD FRONT. THEREFORE WILL KEEP WITH THE CLIMO OF SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE PERIOD. THE CONVECTION SHOULD FOLLOW TYPICAL DIURNAL AFTERNOON AND EVENING BEST CHANCES... LESS DURING THE OVERNIGHT AND MORNING HOURS. PROTON && .AVIATION... THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF PERIODS OF IFR WITH HEAVY RAIN THROUGH 06Z AS THEY TRACK FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST THROUGH THE EVENING. OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. WINDS WILL TURN NORTHWEST LATE TONIGHT AND PERSIST THROUGH SUNDAY. RAE && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 229 PM MDT SAT JUN 2 2012 MTZ016>027-059>062-031000- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY- DANIELS-SHERIDAN-WESTERN ROOSEVELT-PETROLEUM-GARFIELD-MCCONE- RICHLAND-DAWSON-PRAIRIE-WIBAUX-NORTHERN PHILLIPS- SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS-NORTHERN VALLEY-EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 229 PM MDT SAT JUN 2 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THIS AFTERNOON BRINGS THE POTENTIAL FOR THE FIRST SEVERE WEATHER EVENT OF THE YEAR. STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FIRE UP ACROSS CENTRAL MONTANA AND SPREAD INTO EASTERN MONTANA DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS...THEN DIE DOWN BY MIDNIGHT. THE PRIMARY THREATS WILL BE STRONG WINDS... BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS... AND HAIL OF NEAR 1 INCH. SOME MINOR SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS POSSIBLE WITH WATER RUNOFF AS GROUNDS ARE ALREADY SATURATED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 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.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 235 PM MDT SAT JUN 2 2012 MTZ016-017-022130- PHILLIPS-VALLEY- 235 PM MDT SAT JUN 2 2012 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GLASGOW HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... SOUTHWESTERN VALLEY COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MONTANA... EASTERN PHILLIPS COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MONTANA... UNTIL 330 PM MDT. AT 231 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 21 MILES NORTH OF DEVILS CREEK REC AREA...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IN THE ADVISORY INCLUDE... RURAL AREAS OF EASTERN PHILLIPS COUNTY... RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHWESTERN VALLEY COUNTY... RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHERN VALLEY COUNTY... LAT...LON 4815 10689 4793 10680 4781 10759 4799 10766 TIME...MOT...LOC 2035Z 255DEG 40KT 4792 10749 TFJ WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOW
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT
531 PM MDT SAT JUN 2 2012
MTZ023-025-030000-
DAWSON-MCCONE-
531 PM MDT SAT JUN 2 2012
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GLASGOW HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
SOUTHERN MCCONE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MONTANA...
WESTERN DAWSON COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MONTANA...
UNTIL 600 PM MDT.
AT 527 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BROCKWAY...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IN THE ADVISORY INCLUDE...
RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHERN MCCONE COUNTY...
RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHEASTERN MCCONE COUNTY...
RURAL AREAS OF WESTERN DAWSON COUNTY...
THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV
STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
LAT...LON 4718 10575 4736 10577 4744 10527 4722 10521
4718 10567
TIME...MOT...LOC 2331Z 260DEG 26KT 4728 10568
GAH
WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOWThe Glasgow radar (KGGW), 145 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:59 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gusts as high as 61 mph were recorded both at 5:59 PM and 6:00 PM local time at the Lindsay Divide DOT site.
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: 391698.