A cold front and an enhanced jet stream combined over northeast Montana to create a favorable environment for the development of very strong surface winds during the evening hours.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
A cold front and an enhanced jet stream combined over northeast Montana to create a favorable environment for the development of very strong surface winds during the evening hours.
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 Mar 13, 2:35 PM MST, 4 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 335 PM MDT TUE MAR 13 2012 .SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY... SYNOPTICALLY UPPER RIDGING THAT BROUGHT RECORD WARMTH TO NORTHEAST MONTANA WILL BE BROKEN DOWN THIS EVENING BY AN APPROACHING PACIFIC TROUGH. THE INFLUENCE OF THE UPPER TROUGH WILL BE SHORT LIVED HOWEVER...AS RIDGING BUILDS BACK IN BY THURSDAY...BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF RECORD WARMTH. GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS HAVE DEVELOPED IN RESPONSE TO A DEVELOPING SURFACE LOW OVER SOUTHERN CENTRAL ALBERTA. LOW LEVEL INSTABILITY IS ALLOWING GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH TO MIX DOWN ACROSS PETROLEUM COUNTY AND WOULD EXPECT SIMILAR WINDS TO SURFACE ACROSS PHILLIPS COUNTY AS WELL SHORTLY. WINDS LOOK TO STAY UP AHEAD OF THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD FRONT DUE IN DURING THE LATE EVENING HOURS. THUS UPDATED TO PUSH BOTH THE RED FLAG AND HIGH WARNINGS OUT THROUGH MIDNIGHT. AFTER MIDNIGHT...WINDS SHOULD TAPER OFF TO 15 TO 25 MPH. EVEN BEHIND THE FRONT MINIMUM TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL BY 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMALS. SOME LOW POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR LIGHT RAIN AND OR SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE TONIGHT. WEDNESDAY WILL BE A BIT COOLER BEHIND THE FRONT...BUT STILL WELL ABOVE NORMAL. WINDS WILL BE A BIT BREEZY AS A LEE SIDE TROUGH DEVELOPS ACROSS CENTRAL MONTANA. AGAIN SOME LOW POTENTIAL FOR RAIN AND OR SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TO EXIST ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST ZONES THANKS TO SOME LIMITED MOISTURE PUSHING IN IN A SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. WEDNESDAY NIGHT ANOTHER WARM FRONT WILL BEGIN TO TAKE SHAPE ACROSS THE REGION. THIS FRONT WILL MAKE FOR A FAIRLY WARM NIGHT ACROSS NORTHEAST MONTANA...WITH TEMPS ONLY DROPPING INTO THE MID 30S AT MANY LOCATIONS. THURSDAY THE UPPER RIDGE REBOUNDS AS MENTIONED ABOVE...MAKING FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF RECORD WARMTH. SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE AS WELL IN RESPONSE TO A DEEPENING LEE SIDE TROUGH. GILCHRIST .LONG TERM...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY... MODELS SOLUTIONS CONTINUE TO DEPICT AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH DROPPING SOUTH FROM THE GULF OF ALASKA THURSDAY NIGHT...REACHING THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FRIDAY...BEFORE BECOMING ELONGATED OVER THE WESTERN STATES BY LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. THIS ORIENTATION WILL ALLOW A LONG FETCH OF SOUTHWEST/SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT FOR MOISTURE TO MAKE ITS WAY NORTH ALONG THE FRONT RANGE. THE LATEST RUN OF THE MODELS ARE A BIT SLOWER IN PUSHING THE RIDGE OFF INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS...THEREFORE THE TEMPERATURES ACROSS NEMONT ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WERE INCREASED. THE GENERAL SETUP OF THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH TYPICALLY IS FAVORABLE FOR HIGHER PRECIPITATION FOR EASTERN MONTANA. THE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THIS SYSTEM AND THE AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE BROUGHT IN...HOWEVER THE ACTUAL TRACK AND PLACEMENT OF THE PRECIPITATION ARE NOT IN AGREEMENT. GIVEN THE LOW CONFIDENCE WITH THE LITTLE TO NO CHANGES WERE MADE FOR TO THE FORECAST PAST SUNDAY. WITH WEAK RIDGING MOVING INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY THE UPPER TROUGH SHOULD FILL IN AS IT PUSHES EAST ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. AES PREVIOUS EXTENDED DISCUSSION... AN UPPER LOW/STORM SYSTEM CURRENTLY SPINNING OVER THE INTERIOR OF ALASKA WILL DROP SOUTH INTO THE GULF THEN POSITION ITSELF OFF THE CANADIAN AND PAC NORTHWEST COAST BY THURSDAY NIGHT. AT THAT TIME NORTHEAST MONTANA WILL BE UNDER A SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. A WEAK RIDGE THURSDAY NIGHT WILL MAINTAIN THICKNESS HEIGHTS AT AROUND 555DM FOR WARM OVERNIGHT LOWS. THE PACIFIC TROUGH DEEPENS IN THE WEST AND SENDS A WEAK COLD FRONT INTO EASTERN MONTANA SOMETIME FRIDAY OR FRIDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER THE WARM START TO FRIDAY ALLOWS HIGHS TO RISE TO AROUND 25F DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THE BASE OF THE TROUGH WILL BE PICKING UP MOISTURE AND EJECTING IT INTO THE CASCADES RANGE AND SIERRAS...AND THEN THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ROCKIES. BUT MOST MOISTURE WILL SPLIT AWAY FRONT NEMONT AS THE COLD FRONT HESITATES AND RETREATS. THERE IS UNCERTAINTY WITH THE HIGHS ON SATURDAY...DEPENDING ON WHERE THE COLD FRONT IS LOCATED. HIGHS COULD BE SIMILAR TO FRIDAY OR AROUND 10F DEGREES COOLER DEPENDING ON WHICH MODEL IS CORRECT. BY SATURDAY THE TROUGH WILL HAVE DEEPENED INTO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WHERE IT KEEPS PICKING UP MOISTURE...THEN SENDS IT INTO THE GREAT BASIN AND SOUTHERN ROCKIES. THE STALLED COLD FRONT BEGINS TO MOVE OVER NORTHEAST MONTANA SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY IN A NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTATION. THE TROUGH WILL SEND MOISTURE DIRECTLY NORTH... OVERRUNNING THE STALLED COLD FRONT. PRECIPITATION WILL FINALLY PICK UP. WITH FLOW FROM THE SOUTH OVER A COLD FRONT THE PRECIPITATION TYPE COULD BECOME A MIX INITIALLY. BY SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY THE COLD FRONT FINALLY MOVES EAST OF MONTANA AS THE DEEP UPPER TROUGH COVERS THE ENTIRE WEST. CAA BEHIND THE DEPARTING FRONT WILL TRANSITION THE PRECIPITATION OVER TO MOSTLY SNOW. TEMPERATURE WILL BECOME SEASONAL AGAIN AFTER A LENGTHY WARM STRETCH. THERE ARE TIMING DIFFERENCES AMONG THE EXTENDED MODELS BUT THE OVERALL PATTERNS ARE SIMILAR...LEADING TO INCREASED FORECASTER CONFIDENCE. OVERALL...BEGINNING FRIDAY...TRENDED POPS HIGHER THROUGH THE ENTIRE EXTENDED PERIOD AS THE GFS...EC...AND THE GEM CAME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT. SCT && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE TAF CYCLE. GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST INTO THE EVENING. THE STRONGEST WINDS WITH SPEEDS OF 20KT TO 30KT WITH GUSTS TO 40KT WILL BE IN THE WESTERN COUNTIES. MID- TO-HIGH CLOUD COVER WILL INCREASE TONIGHT AND WINDS WILL SLOWLY DECREASE DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. BY WEDNESDAY MORNING WIND SPEEDS WILL BE 12 KT TO 17KT ACROSS NORTHEAST MONTANA. AES && .FIRE WEATHER... WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS ALONG WITH STRONG GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. BY MIDNIGHT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE AS TEMPERATURES COOL AND HUMIDITY RISES. GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE HOWEVER...AHEAD OF AND WITH THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT...DUE IN DURING THE LATE EVENING. A WIND SHIFT WILL OCCUR WITH THE FRONT...FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHWEST. GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE FRONT...BEFORE FINALLY BEGINNING TO TAPER OFF BY THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS...PETROLEUM...NORTHERN PHILLIPS...SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT FOR MTZ120-122-134>137. && WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 359 AM MDT TUE MAR 13 2012 MTZ017>020-022>027-061-062-141000- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY-DANIELS-SHERIDAN-WESTERN ROOSEVELT- GARFIELD-MCCONE-RICHLAND-DAWSON-PRAIRIE-WIBAUX-NORTHERN VALLEY- EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 359 AM MDT TUE MAR 13 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY UNTIL 9 PM THIS EVENING. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 30 MPH WILL COMBINE WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY IN THE TEENS TO CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY 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. MTZ016-021-059-060-141000- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-PETROLEUM-NORTHERN PHILLIPS- SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS- 359 AM MDT TUE MAR 13 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY UNTIL 9 PM THIS EVENING. SOUTHWEST WINDS 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH AREA EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY UNTIL 9 PM THIS EVENING. THE STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY IN THE TEENS TO CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY 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.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts at or above 60 mph were common across the county. A maximum wind gust of 66 mph was reported at 5 N Fort Peck.
A wind gust of 66 mph was measured at the DOT site 8 SW Bredette.
The Malta South US-191 DOT site measured a sustained wind speed of 52 mph and a gust of 81 mph.
A wind gust of 58 mph was measured at the Plentywood Airport mesonet station.
The Lindsay Divide MT-200 DOT site measured a 67 mph wind gust.
A wind gust of 61 mph was measured at the Charlie Creek mesonet station.
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, March 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: 370093, 370094, 370092, 370095, 372035, 370096.