Extremely strong winds were reported in Fergus County damaging trees and farm equipment.
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.
Extremely strong winds were reported in Fergus County damaging trees and farm equipment.
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 Jun 5, 3:02 PM MST, 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 402 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012 .UPDATE... HAVE ADJUSTED THE FORECAST TO INCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS IN AREAS WHERE THERE IS EITHER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OR A TORNADO WATCH. ALSO INCREASED PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS FOR THIS EVENING. BLANK && .AVIATION... UPDATED 1815Z. ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH A RISK OF WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 KNOTS AND HAIL TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER. KHVR AND KLWT WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WHILE THERE IS A SMALLER CHANCE AT KBZN AND KGTF. WITHIN THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THERE WILL BE AREAS OF IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES IN HEAVY RAIN. SUCH CONDITIONS MAY PERSIST FOR A FEW HOURS AT KHLN...KCTB...KGTF AND KBZN. BRITTON && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 240 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012/ TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE TROF WILL MOVE OVER THE ROCKIES TONIGHT. STRONG STORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE SOUTHWEST ZONES AND DEVELOP NORTH DURING THE EVENING. MOIST...UNSTABLE CONDITIONS AHEAD OF THIS TROF WILL KEEP CONDITIONS IN PLACE FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN ZONES INTO THE EVENING. PORTIONS OF THE CWA TO THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST WILL DEVELOP CAPES IN EXCESS OF 2500 AND VERY STRONG HELICITY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND/OR TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE CONDITIONS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MARIAS PASS FROM MIDNIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ELSEWHERE WILL GENERALLY BE AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS. STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP AFTER MIDNIGHT OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. MODELS ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE STRENGTH OF THESE WINDS AND WILL KEEP FORECASTED VALUES BELOW WARNING CRITERIA. STRONG WEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY AND TEMPS WILL BE MUCH COOLER. THE AIRMASS WILL WARM THURSDAY AND TEMPS WILL TREND BACK TOWARDS SEASONAL NORMALS. ZELZER THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...LONG RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO BE IN GOOD AGREEMENT FOR MOST OF THIS PERIOD...BUT THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE LATER PORTION. AN INCREASINGLY MOIST AND UNSTABLE SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL DEVELOP OVER THE TFX CWA THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT IN THE WAKE OF THE EXITING SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING PACIFIC LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. THIS WILL KEEP A CHANCE OF SHOWERS OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA THURSDAY...AS TEMPERATURES WARM TO NEAR SEASONAL AVERAGES. THE FORECAST MODELS ARE A BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH SPREADING PRECIPITATION OVER THE AREA WITH THE NEXT PACIFIC SYSTEM...SO HAVE INCREASED THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE BEST CHANCE FOR ACTIVITY WILL BE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE SYSTEM AND IN THE VICINITY OF A FAIRLY STRONG ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT. SLIGHTLY WARMER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY WILL COOL TO ALMOST 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL BEHIND THE COLD FRONT ON SATURDAY. ANOTHER GOOD CHANCE FOR SHOWERS IS EXPECTED DURING THE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT PERIOD AS THE PACIFIC LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ACTUALLY MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. A WEAK CANADIAN COLD FRONT WILL ALSO SWING SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA IN THE WAKE OF THE SYSTEM SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...KEEPING TEMPERATURES AROUND 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. AFTER THIS PERIOD...THE MODELS HAVE SOME DISAGREEMENT. GFS/ECMWF/GEM ALL HAVE AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE AREA IN THE WAKE OF THE PACIFIC SYSTEM...BUT THE GFS MOVES A DISTURBANCE THROUGH THE RIDGE. THEREFORE...HAVE KEPT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST...BUT KEPT THE CHANCE LESS THAN CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMALS. MODELS ARE IN SOMEWHAT BETTER AGREEMENT WITH TEMPERATURES...SO HAVE KEPT THEM NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT PERIOD. COULSTON && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 44 56 39 72 / 80 30 0 10 CTB 42 51 37 68 / 80 60 10 10 HLN 44 59 37 74 / 80 40 0 10 BZN 38 60 32 72 / 60 20 0 10 WEY 32 48 27 63 / 60 20 10 10 DLN 35 56 34 70 / 70 40 0 10 HVR 49 63 39 74 / 50 20 10 10 LWT 43 59 34 69 / 50 10 0 10 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 11 PM MDT THIS EVENING BLAINE...CASCADE... CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK...CHOUTEAU...EASTERN GLACIER...EASTERN PONDERA...EASTERN TETON...FERGUS...HILL... JUDITH BASIN...LIBERTY...NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT... SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...TOOLE. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING BROADWATER...GALLATIN...JEFFERSON...MADISON...MEAGHER. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR ELEVATIONS BELOW 6000 FEET FOR NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. && SHORT TERM...BLANK LONG TERM...BRUSDA AVIATION...BLANK WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 433 AM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012 MTZ047-061045- BLAINE- 433 AM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CLEAR CREEK IN BLAINE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA TODAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...MAINLY FROM TOOLE COUNTY TO CASCADE COUNTY AND EASTWARD. THE MAIN THREATS FROM ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. SOME SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE OVER THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY GUSTY WINDS AND LINGERING SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY. SOME SNOW IS POSSIBLE OVER THE MOUNTAINS WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AT TIMES TODAY. ANY WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS OF WIND GUSTS OVER 50 MPH...ANY SIZE HAIL OR FLASH FLOODING WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. MTZ008>015-044>046-048>055-061045- BEAVERHEAD-NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN GLACIER-HILL- CASCADE-CHOUTEAU-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-MADISON- TOOLE-LIBERTY-EASTERN PONDERA-SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS-JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-MEAGHER- GALLATIN- 433 AM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA...NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA TODAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...MAINLY FROM TOOLE COUNTY TO CASCADE COUNTY AND EASTWARD. THE MAIN THREATS FROM ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. SOME SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE OVER THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY GUSTY WINDS AND LINGERING SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY. SOME SNOW IS POSSIBLE OVER THE MOUNTAINS WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AT TIMES TODAY. ANY WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS OF WIND GUSTS OVER 50 MPH...ANY SIZE HAIL OR FLASH FLOODING WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 440 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012 MTZ052>055-052330- BROADWATER MT-GALLATIN MT-JEFFERSON MT-MEAGHER MT- 440 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN GALLATIN...WESTERN MEAGHER...EASTERN JEFFERSON AND CENTRAL BROADWATER COUNTIES UNTIL 530 PM MDT... AT 439 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 18 MILES NORTHEAST OF MANHATTAN...OR 26 MILES NORTH OF BOZEMAN...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 40 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...TOWNSEND...TOSTON... MAUDLOW AND RADERSBURG. 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 4628 11182 4664 11126 4607 11079 4584 11107 TIME...MOT...LOC 2240Z 139DEG 34KT 4605 11108 MLV
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
443 PM MDT TUE JUN 05 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0441 PM HAIL WOLF CREEK 47.01N 112.07W
06/05/2012 E0.88 INCH LEWIS AND CLARK MT PUBLIC
DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL FALLING IN THE WOLF CREEK
AREA.
&&
BRUSDASPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
445 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012
MTZ014-048-052330-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK MT-SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT
MT-
445 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY
UNTIL 530 PM MDT...
AT 443 PM MDT...THE PUBLIC REPORTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WOLF
CREEK...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 30 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
RURAL CENTRAL LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY...
THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO 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 4735 11275 4749 11224 4732 11205 4720 11204
4702 11191 4693 11208
TIME...MOT...LOC 2245Z 136DEG 25KT 4707 11207
BRUSDAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
447 PM MDT TUE JUN 05 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0445 PM HAIL 3 N WOLF CREEK 47.05N 112.07W
06/05/2012 E0.88 INCH LEWIS AND CLARK MT TRAINED SPOTTER
NICKEL SIZE HAIL FALLING NORTH OF WOLF CREEK.
&&
BRUSDAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
456 PM MDT TUE JUN 05 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0455 PM HAIL BELGRADE 45.78N 111.18W
06/05/2012 E0.25 INCH GALLATIN MT TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
UTTECHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
458 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012
MTZ014-052-052345-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK MT-JEFFERSON MT-
458 PM MDT TUE JUN 5 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK AND
JEFFERSON COUNTIES UNTIL 545 PM MDT...
AT 457 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES SOUTH OF BOULDER...MOVING NORTHWEST AT
70 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...BOULDER...BASIN...
WICKES...CORBIN...CLANCY...MARYSVILLE AND CANYON CREEK.
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 4634 11254 4641 11233 4660 11230 4665 11233
4666 11242 4669 11243 4671 11254 4682 11254
4683 11258 4684 11257 4694 11216 4599 11179
4585 11227 4625 11260
TIME...MOT...LOC 2258Z 150DEG 63KT 4611 11215
MLS1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Extremely strong winds of 87KT (100MPH) were reported in Fergus County. Damage to trees and irrigation equipment was reported as well.
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: 396895.