Hail and Damaging Winds in Montana, July 24, 2013

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Montana, July 24, 2013
Start: 2013-07-24T13:49
End: 2013-07-24T19:58
Location: Montana

July 24, 2013 · NWS GGW · 30 events in 5 counties and zones

A descending cold front, moderate instability, and strong wind sherar set the stage for the development of many severe thunderstorms moving southeast across most of northeast Montana.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 30

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GGW wrote it up.

A descending cold front, moderate instability, and strong wind sherar set the stage for the development of many severe thunderstorms moving southeast across most of northeast Montana.

The radar

The Glasgow radar (KGGW), 31 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:49 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

24 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 1:49 PM MST to 1:56 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 7.34 mi E of Saint Marie
Measured: 2 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.420, -106.360

Trained spotter reported hen egg sized hail - duration 7 minutes, and some crop damage.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 1:55 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 11.06 mi S of Larslan
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.410, -106.260

Trained spotter reported ping pong ball sized hail near the church at Grain, 20 miles north of Nashua.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 2:10 PM MST to 2:20 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 12.16 mi NE of Nashua
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.270, -106.190

Public reported quarter-sized hail covering the ground and heavy rain. Duration of hail was 10 minutes.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 2:40 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 10.37 mi N of Nashua
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.280, -106.360

Trained spotter reported quarter-sized hail covering the road.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 2:49 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 4.86 mi N of Oswego
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.120, -105.880

Trained spotter reported quarter-sized hail covering the ground.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 3:05 PM MST to 3:20 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 2.8 mi N of Frazer
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.090, -106.040

Public reported golf ball sized hail - duration 15 minutes.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 3:18 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 0.83 mi NW of Frazer
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.060, -106.040

Trained spotter reported quarter-sized hail covering the road.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 3:45 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 9.18 mi NW of Hinsdale
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.480, -107.240

Public reported quarter-sized hail.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 3:45 PM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 10.07 mi NW of Hinsdale
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.500, -107.240

Public reported golf ball sized hail - duration of 15 minutes.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 3:54 PM MST to 4:04 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 0.69 mi S of Hinsdale
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.390, -107.080

Trained spotter reported golf ball sized hail - duration of 10 minutes.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 4:05 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 0.69 mi S of Hinsdale
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.390, -107.080

Public reported golf ball sized hail.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 4:08 PM MST to 4:24 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 1.15 mi SE of Hinsdale
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.390, -107.060

Public reported half dollar sized hail - duration of 16 minutes.

Hail, McCone

When: July 24, 4:21 PM MST
Where: McCone County, 7.29 mi NNE of Circle McCone Co Arp
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.520, -105.520

Trained spotter estimated golf ball sized hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, McCone

When: July 24, 4:21 PM MST
Where: McCone County, 7.29 mi NNE of Circle McCone Co Arp
Measured: 62 kt (71 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.517, -105.510

Trained spotter measured a 71 mph wind gust.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 4:30 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 11.14 mi NNE of Nashua
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.270, -106.230

Trained spotter reported mostly pea-sized hail with a few hail stones the size of half dollars.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 4:35 PM MST to 4:40 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 7.05 mi SSW of Tampico
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.200, -106.850

Trained spotter reported half dollar sized hail covering the ground - duration of 5 minutes.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dawson

When: July 24, 5:00 PM MST
Where: Dawson County, 7.73 mi N of Lindsay
Measured: 62 kt (71 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.330, -105.120

Trained spotter measured a 71 mph wind gust and dime-sized hail, and estimated a total crop loss.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 5:00 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 6.92 mi N of Frazer
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.150, -106.040

Trained spotter reported quarter-sized hail.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 5:15 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 0.83 mi NE of Ft Peck
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.030, -106.440

Trained spotter reported quarter-sized hail covering the ground.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 5:20 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 0.69 mi S of Ft Peck
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.010, -106.450

Public reported penny-sized hail.

Hail, Valley

When: July 24, 5:20 PM MST
Where: Valley County, Duck Creek
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 47.980, -106.520

NWS employee reported penny-sized hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dawson

When: July 24, 5:35 PM MST
Where: Dawson County, 1.17 mi NE of Glendive
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 47.110, -104.710

The ASOS at the Glendive Airport measured a 59 mph wind gust.

Hail, McCone

When: July 24, 5:50 PM MST
Where: McCone County, 4.86 mi S of Vida
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.760, -105.490

Trained spotter reported quarter-sized hail and heavy rain.

Hail, McCone

When: July 24, 6:02 PM MST
Where: McCone County, 17.39 mi WNW of Weldon
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.710, -106.150

Trained spotter reported golf ball sized hail covering the ground.

Thunderstorm Wind, Garfield

When: July 24, 6:55 PM MST
Where: Garfield County, 2 mi WNW of Lufborough Hill Dot
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 47.090, -107.570

Lufborough Hill DOT site measured a 60 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, McCone

When: July 24, 7:02 PM MST
Where: McCone County, 0.8 mi SE of Brockway
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.292, -105.758

Trained spotter estimated wind gusts up to 58 mph.

Hail, McCone

When: July 24, 7:03 PM MST to 7:08 PM MST
Where: McCone County, 0.83 mi SE of Brockway
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.290, -105.760

Trained spotter reported quarter-sized hail - duration of 5 minutes, with winds of 58 mph estimated just before the hail began to fall.

Hail, Dawson

When: July 24, 7:32 PM MST
Where: Dawson County, 4.29 mi ESE of Lindsay
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.190, -105.070

Trained spotter reported golf ball sized hail and wind gusts around 55 mph.

Thunderstorm Wind, Garfield

When: July 24, 7:40 PM MST
Where: Garfield County, 13.6 mi ESE of Sand Spgs
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.030, -107.210

Trained spotter reported tree branches broken off measuring up to 10 inches in diameter, and some pea-sized hail.

Hail, Prairie

When: July 24, 7:58 PM MST
Where: Prairie County, 10.94 mi WNW of Mc Cloud
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.950, -105.800

Trained spotter reported quarter-sized hail, heavy rain, and winds up to 40 mph.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Montana in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, July 2013

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 471676, 471646, 471647, 471648, 471649, 471650, 471651, 471660, 471665, 471661, 471662, 471663, 471666, 472297, 471669, 471664, 471667, 471668, 471677, 471678, 471679, 471672, 471671, 471670, 471681, 472298, 471673, 471680, 471675, 471674.