Hail and Damaging Winds in Montana, July 6 to 7, 2013

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Montana, July 6 to 7, 2013
Start: 2013-07-06T00:00
End: 2013-07-07T16:58
Location: Montana

July 6 to 7, 2013 · NWS TFX · 10 events in 6 counties and zones

Weak energy and instability in a west-southwesterly flow aloft helped to generate|scattered showers and weak thunderstorms across portions of Central Montana. A few of the storms reached severe criteria.

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: 10

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 TFX wrote it up.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jul 5, 11:02 PM MST, 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 5, 11:02 PM MST, 58 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 5, 9:56 PM MST, 2 hours 4 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 5, 10:28 PM MST, 1 hour 32 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 5, 10:32 PM MST, 1 hour 28 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 5, 11:13 PM MST, 47 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 5, 11:14 PM MST, 46 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 5, 11:57 PM MST, 3 minutes before

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The radar

The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 121 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Toole

When: July 6, 12:00 AM MST
Where: Toole County, 7 mi NW of Devon
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.542, -111.588

High winds measuring 58KT (67MPH) were reported 7 mi NW of Devon, MT.

Thunderstorm Wind, Liberty

When: July 6, 1:09 AM MST
Where: Liberty County, 13 mi N of Chester
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.708, -110.950

High winds measuring 50KT (58MPH) were reported 13 mi N of Chester, MT.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hill

When: July 6, 1:31 AM MST
Where: Hill County, 27 mi N of Havre
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.941, -109.680

High winds measuring 57KT (66MPH) were reported 27 mi N of Havre, MT. Heavy rain of .44 inches in 30 minutes was also reported with the storm.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hill

When: July 6, 2:00 AM MST
Where: Hill County, 23 mi N of Havre
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.883, -109.680

High winds measuring 63KT (72MPH) were reported 23 mi N of Havre, MT at Mud Lake.

Heavy Rain, Toole

When: July 6, 12:30 PM MST
Where: Toole County, 9 mi E of Ferdig
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.750, -111.572

Heavy rain measuring .95 inches associated with a passing thunderstorm. Winds gusted to 48KT (56MPH) with the storm.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hill

When: July 6, 12:32 PM MST
Where: Hill County, 20 mi NNW of Rudyard
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.837, -110.718

High winds measuring 56KT (64MPH) were reported 20 mi NNW of Rudyard, MT near Goldbutte, MT.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hill

When: July 6, 12:35 PM MST
Where: Hill County, Rudyard
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.570, -110.550

High winds measuring 50KT (58MPH) were reported in Rudyard, MT.

Hail, Chouteau

When: July 7, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Chouteau County, Geraldine
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.630, -110.250

Hail measuring 1.00 inches (quarter sized) was reported in Gerladine, MT.

Hail, Glacier

When: July 7, 4:15 PM MST
Where: Glacier County, 12 mi WNW of Santa Rita
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.767, -112.493

Hail measuring 1.50 inches (ping pong ball sized) was reported 12 mi WNW of Santa Rita, MT.

Hail, Meagher

When: July 7, 4:58 PM MST
Where: Meagher County, 12 mi ENE of Ringling
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.337, -110.568

Hail measuring 1.00 inches (quarter sized) was reported 12 mi ENE of Ringling, MT.

What these are

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.
Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 470246, 470293, 470295, 470297, 470287, 470289, 470290, 470348, 470358, 470361.