A strong jet stream interacting with a strong surface low over Eastern North Dakota resulted in high winds across portions of South Central and Southeast Montana.
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 BYZ wrote it up.
A strong jet stream interacting with a strong surface low over Eastern North Dakota resulted in high winds across portions of South Central and Southeast 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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 16, 1:39 PM MST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts to 58 mph occurred across portions of Northern Stillwater County.
Sustained winds of 40 to 53 mph with gusts to 60 mph were reported for several hours at the Bull Mountain Divide DOT site.
Sustained winds of 40 mph for a 2-hour period were reported across Southern Yellowstone County.
A few 4 inch diameter tree limbs were broken.
A gust of 63 mph was reported at the Miles City Airport.
Sustained winds of 40 mph occurred for several hours at the Rock Springs DOT site.
Baker reported sustained winds of 40 mph with a gust of 60 mph.
Ekalaka DOT site reported numerous sustained winds greater than 40 mph throughout the day.
Several sustained winds greater than 40 mph were reported at the Aberdeen Hill DOT site.
Sustained winds of 40 mph occurred throughout the afternoon at the Arrow Creek 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, October 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 413358, 413357, 413373, 413374, 411511, 411509, 411512, 411513, 411510, 411508.