A potent low pressure system funneled strong winds through central portions of Montana.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 potent low pressure system funneled strong winds through central portions of 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 Feb 12, 8:54 PM MST, 4 hours 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 854 PM MST TUE FEB 12 2013 .SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY... GOING FORECAST LOOKS IN GOOD SHAPE. MODELS STILL SOMEWHAT DIVERGED ON DETAILS FOR THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS IN REGARDS TO WINDS FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. GFS HITTING THE AREA HARDER WHILE THE NAM IS A BIT MORE TAME...MAINLY IN REGARDS TO WINDS AT 850 AND 700 MB. PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASES ACROSS THE AREA LATER IN THE DAY. CURRENT HWO ADDRESSES CONCERNS WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH QUITE POSSIBLE ACROSS A GOOD CHUNK OF THE AREA AND HIGH WIND WARNING LOOKS GOOD FOR SW PHILLIPS COUNTY. ONLY CHANGES MADE WERE TO TEMPERATURE TRENDS FOR TONIGHT AS THEY LOOK TO RISE FROM WEST TO EAST LATER TONIGHT. JAMBA PREVIOUS SHORT TERM DISCUSSION... HANG ON TO YOUR HATS...IT'LL BE A WINDY ONE TOMORROW. SHORTWAVE PUSHING INTO OUR REGION LATE TONIGHT WITH A STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET ASSOCIATED WITH IT. THE SURFACE LOW COMES DIVES OUT OF NORTHERN ALBERTA AND CENTRAL SASKATCHEWAN LATE TONIGHT INTO NW NORTH DAKOTA DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY. A TIGHT GRADIENT SETS UP ACROSS THE STATE...BRINGING SOME STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS TO THE AREA. THE HIGHWAY 191 CORRIDOR SOUTH OF MALTA WILL SEE WINDS FROM 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 65 MPH STARTING LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THE DAY TOMORROW. SOME LIGHT SNOW WILL FALL AS WELL BUT THE AREA OF MOST CONCERN FOR BLOWING SNOW ISSUES IS THE EXTREME NORTHERN COUNTIES FROM ABOUT RICHLAND TO BREDETTE TO HIGHWAY 2 AT THE STATE LINE AND NORTH AND EAST OF THAT LINE. THAT AREA CAN SEE AROUND AN INCH OF SNOWFALL AND WITH IT HAVING THE HIGHER SNOW DEPTHS AROUND THE REGION RIGHT NOW AND CLOSER TO THE CENTER OF THE LOW THAT IS THE AREA TO KEEP AN EYE ON. HAVE ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THAT AREA STARTING TOMORROW MORNING THROUGH LATE EVENING. TEMPERATURE-WISE WE WILL BE IN THE COOLING TREND IN THE SHORT TERM OF THE FORECAST. THINGS WON'T WARM UP AGAIN UNTIL LATE FRIDAY. THE MORNING LOWS ON THURSDAY MORNING WERE LOWERED A FEW DEGREES ESPECIALLY IN THE COUNTIES SOUTH OF THE MISSOURI RIVER. FRANSEN .LONG TERM...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY... MOST OF THE FORECAST LOOKS TO BE ON TRACK. CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY NIGHT SYSTEM WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE SPED UP BY ABOUT 6 HOURS. THE INITIAL SYSTEM MAY ALSO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO TRANSITION DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS FROM RAIN TO SNOW SHOWERS WHICH COULD CUT DOWN ON OVERALL SNOW TOTALS. GFS AND EC DO NOT APPEAR TO BE ON THE SAME TRACK AS GFS HAS DRIED OUT A SIGNIFICANT CHUCK OF THIS SYSTEM WHERE EC IS HAS MUCH MORE QPF. HOWEVER GEM AND EC HAVE REMAINED IN AGREEMENT DURING THESE PERIODS AND HAVE THEREFORE GONE MORE WITH THEM. MOST OTHER PERIODS CONTINUE TO LOOK RATHER DRY. GAH PREVIOUS LONG TERM DISCUSSION... THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...LEFT SLIGHT CHANCE POPS IN THE GRIDS IN THE EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA AS SHORTWAVE SYSTEM PULLS AWAY FROM NORTHEAST MONTANA. RIDGE BEGINS BUILDING IN DURING THE AFTERNOON ON FRIDAY WHICH SHOULD RESULT IN IMPROVING SKY CONDITIONS AND REBOUNDING TEMPERATURES. AFTER MORNING LOWS ON FRIDAY OFF TO A CHILLY START...WILL GO WITH HIGHS AROUND 20 IN THE FAR NORTHEAST TO UPPER 30S IN PLACES SUCH AS WINNETT. SATURDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...THE UPPER RIDGE AXIS PASSES RIGHT OVER NORTHEAST MONTANA BRINGING WITH IT PLENTY OF SUNSHINE AND MILDER TEMPERATURES. THE 00Z RUN OF THE ECMWF HAS 850MB TEMPERATURES RISING TO +7C DEGREES BY LATE AFTERNOON IN SOME AREAS. THIS EASILY COULD SUPPORT SURFACE HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 40S TO NEARING 50 DEGREES IN PETROLEUM AND SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS COUNTIES. WILL GO WITH 30S IN THE NORTHEASTERN LOCATIONS WHERE IN SOME OF THE VALLEYS THERE MAY BE SOME SHALLOW COLD AIR LINGERING AND MORE IN THE WAY OF SNOW COVER MAKING IT HARDER TO WARM THINGS UP THERE DUE TO EFFECTS FROM HIGHER ALBEDO. HAVING SAID THAT...AM EXPECTING PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE TO HAVE A SHOT AT EITHER REACHING OR EXCEEDING THE FREEZING MARK ON SATURDAY ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. GUIDANCE KEEPS 850MB TEMPERATURES RATHER MILD OVERNIGHT SO LOOKING LIKE A PLEASANT EVENING TO FOLLOW. SUNDAY AND BEYOND...NEXT SHORTWAVE MOVES THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA BRINGING WITH IT A FAIRLY DECENT SHOT AT SOME LIGHT SNOW. CANNOT RULE OUT THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME MIXING TO START OUT WITH QUESTIONABLE THERMAL PROFILES...PARTICULARLY IN THE SOUTHERN AND WESTERN ZONES...HOWEVER...MOST AREAS WOULD EVENTUALLY TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW. THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF THE QPF BETWEEN THE LATEST RUN OF THE ECMWF AND THE GFS...BUT WENT WITH HIGH END CHANCE POPS IN THE GRIDS WHERE THERE WAS THE BEST AGREEMENT. CURRENT THINKING IS THAT THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN ZONES WILL HAVE THE BEST POTENTIAL DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY AND THEN THE BEST POTENTIAL SHIFTS SOUTHEAST SUNDAY NIGHT AS THE SYSTEM PULLS THROUGH THE CWA. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT THE NEXT UPPER SHORTWAVE RIDGE THEN BUILDS INTO THE AREA EARLY NEXT WEEK BRINGING WITH IT A RETURN TO MORE QUIET WEATHER AND SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES. MALIAWCO && .AVIATION... VFR EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE TAF CYCLE. A SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE AREA WILL BRING SOME MID LEVEL CLOUDINESS TO THE TAF SITES AND SOME SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY THAT MAY MIX WITH RAIN. NOT ANTICIPATING RESTRICTIONS EITHER DUE TO VISIBILITIES OR CEILINGS BELOW VFR AT THIS TIME. MAIN CONCERN CONTINUES TO BE THE GUSTY WIND POTENTIAL. EXPECTING WESTERLY WINDS PICKING UP OVERNIGHT TONIGHT...APPROACHING 10-15 KTS WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 KTS BY AROUND SUNRISE. DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS HAVE HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE FROM OUT OF THE WEST. BY THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING EXPECT WINDS TO PEAK IN A RANGE OF 20 TO 30 KTS WITH GUSTS APPROACHING 45 KTS AT TIMES. THE WIND THREAT SHOULD GRADUALLY WIND DOWN DURING THE LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS TOMORROW NIGHT. MALIAWCO && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 8 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 8 AM TO 11 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR DANIELS...SHERIDAN...EASTERN ROOSEVELT. && WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 242 PM MST TUE FEB 12 2013 MTZ016-017-020>027-059-061-131100- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY- WESTERN ROOSEVELT-PETROLEUM-GARFIELD-MCCONE-RICHLAND-DAWSON- PRAIRIE-WIBAUX-NORTHERN PHILLIPS-NORTHERN VALLEY- 242 PM MST TUE FEB 12 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH AT TIMES ON WEDNESDAY. THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW THAT COULD COMBINE WITH THE GUSTY WINDS TO CREATE BRIEF REDUCED VISIBILITIES. ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LESS THAN AN INCH. THE WINDS WILL DIE DOWN BY MIDNIGHT AND JUST A FEW SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS LINGERING INTO THURSDAY. THE NEXT CHANCE OF MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION WILL BE ON SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS VIA PHONE...FACEBOOK OR THE SPOTTER EMAIL ADDRESS. MTZ018-019-062-131100- DANIELS-SHERIDAN-EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 242 PM MST TUE FEB 12 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH AT TIMES ON WEDNESDAY. SNOW IS ALSO LIKELY WITH AROUND AN INCH OF ACCUMULATION BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. THE WINDS AND SNOWFALL WILL COMBINE TO CREATE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ISSUES ON AREA ROADS AND HIGHWAYS. THE WINDS WILL DIE DOWN BY MIDNIGHT AND JUST A FEW SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS LINGERING INTO THURSDAY. THE NEXT CHANCE OF MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION WILL BE ON SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS VIA PHONE...FACEBOOK OR THE SPOTTER EMAIL ADDRESS. MTZ060-131100- SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS- 242 PM MST TUE FEB 12 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT FOR SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS COUNTY. WEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. VERY STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH SUSTAINED...WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH ARE EXPECTED. DANGEROUS CROSSWINDS ARE LIKELY ALONG HIGHWAY 191 NEAR THE LITTLE ROCKIES. SOME SCATTERED SNOWFALL COULD REDUCE VISIBILITIES BUT ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LESS THAN A QUARTER OF AN INCH. THE NEXT CHANCE OF MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION WILL BE ON SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS VIA PHONE...FACEBOOK OR THE SPOTTER EMAIL ADDRESS.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Malta South US-191 DOT site measured sustained winds of 40 mph for about 2 hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, February 2013
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: 432070.