Thunderstorms began to develop along the higher terrain of central and western Montana, and moved into the area. The threat of severe weather was enhanced later in the afternoon as the cap weakened and a shortwave trough brought enough height falls to enhance convective potential in the region.
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.
Thunderstorms began to develop along the higher terrain of central and western Montana, and moved into the area. The threat of severe weather was enhanced later in the afternoon as the cap weakened and a shortwave trough brought enough height falls to enhance convective potential in the region.
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 25, 2:27 PM MST, 2 hours 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 327 PM MDT MON JUN 25 2012 .SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY... UPPER LEVEL LOW SWINGS INTO THE GREAT BASIN THIS AFTERNOON PUSHING THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE TO THE EAST. THE THERMAL RIDGE AHEAD OF THIS UPPER LOW WILL INCREASE TEMPERATURES TO THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE OF THE YEAR SO FAR ON TUESDAY. THE WINDS HAVE DECREASED ACROSS THE REGION SO CANCELLED THE LAKE WIND ADVISORY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IS STILL LOOKING MARGINAL DUE TO THE STRONG INVERSION. FORECAST MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW LIFTED INDEXES AT LOW AS -10 ACROSS OUR EAST WITH CAPES VALUES AS HIGH AS 5000 J/KG THIS EVENING. 0-6KM WIND SHEAR BETWEEN 30 AND 40 KNOTS AND PRECIP WATER AS HIGH AS 1.3 INCHES. SPC HAS INCLUDED ALL OF EASTERN MONTANA IN THE SLIGHT RISK ALONG WITH PUTTING SOUTHEAST MONTANA UNDER A MESOSCALE DISCUSSION. WE WILL PROBABLY SEE A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ACROS THE CWA GO SEVERE BUT HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR NOW. TUESDAY...THE LOWER LEVEL HUMID AIR GETS SWEPT OUT OF THE AREA AND A MUCH DRIER AIRMASS ARRIVES ALOFT FROM THE SW WITH A COLD FRONT. THIS REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF ANY THUNDERSTORMS VERY QUICKLY BY THE TIME THE COLD FRONT ARRIVES FROM THE WEST LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL DROP ACROSS FIRE WEATHER ZONES 137 AND 122 AND THE WINDS WILL INCREASE FROM THE WEST TO BETWEEN 15 AND 25 MPH. THINGS HAVE BEEN PRETTY DRY ACROSS THE SOUTEHRN PORTIONS OF THESE TWO FIRE WEATHER ZONES. DECIDED TO GO WITH A WATCH TO LET THE NIGHT SHIFT HAVE ONE MORE LOOK AT THINGS. MODEL TEMPERTURES WERE OVER DONE WITH TODAY FORECAST AND TOMORROW WE MIGHT SEE THE SAME ISSUES. THIS FRONT IS PART OF THE CLOSED LOW OFF PACIFIC NW COAST THAT TIGHTENS AND INTENSIFIES AS IT KICKS NE INTO SK...MAIN UPPER SUPPORT TO OUR N. IT WILL BRING WINDY AND COOLER WEATHER TUE NIGHT AND WED. MODELS SHOWING UP TO 50 KT WIND AT 850 MB AT TIME OF FRONTAL PASSAGE AND BEHIND IT WHICH SHOULD MIX TO SURFACE IN STRONG COLD ADVECTION PATTERN. THUS EVEN AT NIGHT...VERY WINDY. SO WILL LIKELY NEED A LAKE WIND ADVISORY STARTING TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY DAY. RSMITH .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY... UPPER TROF PUSHING THROUGH CENTRAL CANADA MIDWEEK WILL BRIEFLY PUSH DOWN THE RIDGE...RESULTING IN COOLER WEATHER FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA THURSDAY. RIDGE THEN REBOUNDS INTO THE WEEKEND WITH PACIFIC TROF DIGGING ALONG THE WEST COAST. DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED WITH TEMPERATURES AGAIN ON THE RISE. TROF MOVES ONSHORE LATE IN THE WEEKEND WHICH SHOULD PUSH MOISTURE AND ENERGY INTO THE STATE ALTHOUGH TIMING AND IMPACTS STILL VERY UNCERTAIN. ONLY MINOR CHANGES TO THE GOING FORECAST. EBERT PREVIOUS LONG TERM DISCUSSION...THE EXTENDED BEGINS WITH THE COOLEST DAY OF THE PERIOD AS A UPPER LOW EXITS INTO HUDSON BAY AND UPPER TROUGH DIGS DOWN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST. THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT RIDGING WILL REMAIN IN PLACE OVER THE NORTHERN CONUS PRAIRIES AND THE SOUTHERN CANADIAN PRAIRIES. THIS WILL KEEP IT DRY WITH NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES. SUNDAY THROUGH DAY 8 MONDAY...THE MODELS ARE STILL DISAGREEING ON THE METEOROLOGICAL FEATURES OVER NORTH AMERICA. WILL PLACE VERY LOW POPS AND WARM TEMPERATURES FOR NOW. PROTON && .AVIATION... VFR. EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE PERIOD. WIND SPEEDS WILL BE THE HIGHEST THROUGH 00Z...THEN FALL OFF TO 5 TO 10 KNOTS OVERNIGHT. A THREAT...HOWEVER SMALL...REMAINS FOR EXTREMELY ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION. ANY STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF GUSTY ERRATIC WINDS... HAIL... AND DOWNPOURS WHICH WILL BRIEFLY CREATE IFR CONDITIONS. PROTON/RAE && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING FOR MTZ122-137. && WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 251 PM MDT MON JUN 25 2012 MTZ016-017-021>027-060-261100- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY- PETROLEUM-GARFIELD-MCCONE-RICHLAND-DAWSON-PRAIRIE-WIBAUX- SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS- 251 PM MDT MON JUN 25 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS OVER 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 137 AND 122 FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND GUSTY WESTERLY WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ018>020-059-061-062-261100- DANIELS-SHERIDAN-WESTERN ROOSEVELT-NORTHERN PHILLIPS- NORTHERN VALLEY-EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 251 PM MDT MON JUN 25 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS OVER 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY 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.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT
158 PM MDT MON JUN 25 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0725 AM TSTM WND GST 13 NW BROCKTON 48.31N 105.08W
06/24/2012 E60 MPH ROOSEVELT MT TRAINED SPOTTER
SMALL HAIL ALSO REPORTED ALONG WITH 1.55 INCHES OF
RAINFALL
&&
JBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT
216 PM MDT MON JUN 25 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1127 AM TSTM WND DMG 10 SSW FORT KIPP 48.01N 104.81W
06/24/2012 RICHLAND MT UTILITY COMPANY
6 UTILITY POLES DOWN
1157 AM TSTM WND DMG 12 SSE CULBERTSON 47.97N 104.46W
06/24/2012 RICHLAND MT UTILITY COMPANY
5 UTILITY POLES DOWN
&&
JBSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT
526 PM MDT MON JUN 25 2012
MTZ021-260030-
PETROLEUM-
526 PM MDT MON JUN 25 2012
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GLASGOW HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
SOUTHERN PETROLEUM COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MONTANA...
UNTIL 630 PM MDT.
AT 525 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF FLATWILLOW...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IN THE ADVISORY INCLUDE...
WINNETT...
LAT...LON 4698 10860 4733 10801 4692 10792 4692 10794
4688 10794 4687 10791 4683 10790 4675 10863
TIME...MOT...LOC 2326Z 230DEG 25KT 4687 10850
RSMITH
WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOWThe Billings radar (KBLX), 120 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:49 UTC.
8 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Golf ball sized hail was reported by the public about 6 miles south of Winnett in Petroleum County.
A trained spotter reported golf ball hail about 4 miles east-southeast of Terry in Prairie County.
A trained spotter reported mainly dime sized hail, but some hail was slightly larger than quarter sized just west-northwest of Fallon in Prairie County. There was also 40 to 50 MPH winds and heavy rain reported at the same location.
A trained spotter reported quarter sized hail 9 miles north-northwest of Marsh in Dawson County.
A wind gust of 62 MPH was reported at the Chain Buttes RAWS Station in Petroleum County.
Hail about the size of half dollars was reported by the public 13 miles north-northeast of Whitewater in Phillips County.
A trained spotter reported mostly pea sized hail but quite a few nickel sized at the Port of Morgan border site in Phillips County.
A farmer reported the hail occurred early in the morning and the times are based on radar data over the area. There was extensive crop damage to his wheat field, up to 80% of crops lost in some fields. Over 10,000 acres of crop were impacted.
Quarter sized hail in addition to nearly 400 acres of crop damage was reported by the public 12 miles west-northwest of Loring in Phillips County.
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: 395503, 395502, 395505, 395506, 395512, 395508, 395509, 395537, 395511.