A broad area of moisture and an embedded shortwave trof moved northeastward through Central Idaho bringing widespread strong thunderstorms, as well as scattered severe storms, to Central Montana. The only area that escaped the strong storms was the Northern and Southern Rocky Mountain Fronts as the best severe weather parameters lined up over southwest and central Montana counties.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 TFX wrote it up.
A broad area of moisture and an embedded shortwave trof moved northeastward through Central Idaho bringing widespread strong thunderstorms, as well as scattered severe storms, to Central Montana. The only area that escaped the strong storms was the Northern and Southern Rocky Mountain Fronts as the best severe weather parameters lined up over southwest and central Montana counties. Storm activity gradually decreased from west to east with just a few residual showers overnight.
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 Jun 11, 2:04 PM MST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 304 PM MDT Tue Jun 11 2013 .DISCUSSION... Tonight through Friday...Current radar shows thunderstorms throughout most of the area. Expect this trend to continue for much of the short term period. Upper-level low off the PacNW coast will dominate the weather pattern through Friday...bringing ample energy and moisture to MT. This combined with strong instability...including cape...LIs...and bulk shear...have placed much of the CWA in a SPC slight risk for Wednesday. Expect similar conditions...or even stronger conditions for Thursday for the NE portion of the CWA. Main threats will be localized heavy downpours, along with hail and strong outflow winds. Brief periods of heavy rainfall today...storm training...and burn scar concerns led to the issuance of a couple of flash flood watches. Will need to continue to monitor hydro concerns for the rest of the short term. High temperatures through Friday will remain close...or just below seasonal values of the low 70s. Mercer Friday night through Wednesday...High confidence in the long term forecast as models remain in excellent agreement throughout the long term forecast. Unstable flow over the region will continue into Friday night. Showers and scattered thunderstorms look likely across Central Montana during this period. Precipitation details vary but most of Central Montana looks to see some rain. The main trough will lift to the northeast into Southern Canada early Saturday leaving a nice weekend in its wake. High pressure will build back in from the southeast Saturday before breaking down ahead of a large low pressure system approaching the Pacific coast Monday. Expect Monday and Tuesday to return to somewhat unstable conditions with periods of showers and thunderstorms possible. Cooler air will remain for Thursday and Friday before warming back up Saturday and next week. Winds look to remain mostly light with afternoon breeziness. Friday still looks to see the strongest winds with gusts into the 30 MPH range looking possible across portions of Central Montana. && .AVIATION... Updated 1800Z. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed this morning southeast of a line from KHVR to KHLN. Thunderstorms will continue to develop this afternoon at most TAF sites with the exception of KCTB where only isolated showers are possible. Thunderstorms that develop this afternoon may contain frequent cloud-to-ground lightning, small hail and gusty winds up to 40kts. CIGS have lowered to MVFR this morning at KLWT and will remain at MVFR as low-level moisture continues to increase. While VFR conditions are primarily expected for the remainder of the TAF sites, CIGS/VIS may briefly lower to MVFR/IFR in and near heavier showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Thunderstorm activity will diminish this evening after 02Z. Some fog may develop at KHVR later tonight if skies clear so have added VCFG, however for other TAF sites in the forecast area confidence at this time was not high enough to include VCFG but will continue to monitor. MLV && .HYDROLOGY... Flood waters continue to slowly recede over portions of central and north central MT thanks to current stretch of dry conditions. Point flood warnings remain in effect for the Big Sandy Creek near Havre and Clear Creek near Chinook. Will be keeping close eye on all creeks/streams in Chouteau/Hill/Blaine/Fergus as thunderstorms expected on Wed and Thurs have potential to produce locally heavy rainfall that may temporarily reverse current decreases in water levels, leading to additional flooding later this week. Waranauskas && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 68 48 71 48 / 60 60 60 60 CTB 65 46 70 46 / 40 40 50 50 HLN 73 49 74 48 / 70 60 60 60 BZN 75 46 76 44 / 70 50 60 50 WEY 73 39 70 38 / 50 40 50 40 DLN 77 47 74 46 / 70 40 50 50 HVR 68 49 75 52 / 70 60 60 70 LWT 67 48 71 49 / 80 80 60 60 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH until 9 PM MDT this evening Blaine...Fergus... Judith Basin. FLASH FLOOD WATCH until 9 PM MDT this evening Gallatin. Flood Warning until further notice for Big Sandy Creek near Havre, Clear Creek near Chinook. && SHORT TERM...MERCER LONG TERM...MERCER AVIATION...MLV weather.gov/greatfalls
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 452 AM MDT TUE JUN 11 2013 MTZ011-047-121100- HILL-BLAINE- 452 AM MDT TUE JUN 11 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT LOCAL FLOOD WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR CLEAR CREEK NEAR CHINOOK AND BIG SANDY CREEK NEAR HAVRE. OTHER STREAMS AND CREEKS REMAIN HIGH OR OUT OF THEIR BANKS IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. POTENTIAL IS INCREASING FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ON WEDNESDAY...SOME OF WHICH WILL BRING HAIL...STRONG OUTFLOW WINDS...AND HEAVY RAINFALL THAT MAY CAUSE LOCAL STREAMS AND CREEKS TO RISE AGAIN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MTZ013-044-045-051-121100- CHOUTEAU-TOOLE-LIBERTY-FERGUS- 452 AM MDT TUE JUN 11 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. POTENTIAL IS INCREASING FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ON WEDNESDAY...SOME OF WHICH WILL BRING HAIL...STRONG OUTFLOW WINDS...AND HEAVY RAINFALL THAT MAY CAUSE LOCAL STREAMS AND CREEKS TO RISE AGAIN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MTZ010-012-046-049-050-053>055-121100- EASTERN GLACIER-CASCADE-EASTERN PONDERA-EASTERN TETON- JUDITH BASIN-BROADWATER-MEAGHER-GALLATIN- 452 AM MDT TUE JUN 11 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA...NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. POTENTIAL IS INCREASING FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ON WEDNESDAY...BRINGING HEAVY RAINFALL...HAIL AND STRONG OUTFLOW WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MTZ008-009-014-015-048-052-121100- BEAVERHEAD-NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-MADISON- SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-JEFFERSON- 452 AM MDT TUE JUN 11 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. WITH SOME STORMS ON WEDNESDAY BECOMING STRONG WITH BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
130 PM MDT TUE JUN 11 2013
MTZ050-054-112015-
JUDITH BASIN MT-MEAGHER MT-
130 PM MDT TUE JUN 11 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EXTREME EASTERN MEAGHER AND
SOUTHERN JUDITH BASIN COUNTIES UNTIL 215 PM MDT...
AT 129 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 27 MILES SOUTH OF STANFORD...MOVING EAST AT 15
MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG
WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...MAINLY RURAL AREAS
OF EXTREME EASTERN MEAGHER AND SOUTHERN JUDITH BASIN COUNTIES IN THE
LITTLE BELT MOUNTAINS.
THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
LAT...LON 4670 11022 4670 11027 4664 11025 4662 11026
4662 11028 4675 11055 4688 11046 4684 11014
TIME...MOT...LOC 1930Z 286DEG 7KT 4678 11041
MLVThe Glasgow radar (KGGW), 137 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:01 UTC.
3 flash flood, 2 high wind, 1 heavy rain, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rains over the area resulting in flash flooding over some roads. Radar estimates upwards of 3 to 4 inches were seen over the area.
High winds of 63KT (72MPH) were measured 2 miles NW of Winston, MT.
Flash flooding conditions developed in the Corral Fire burn scar area in response to heavy rains from strong thunderstorms in the area.
High winds of 62KT (71MPH) were measured at Jefferson City, MT.
Flash flooding was reported in Winston, MT as a result of strong thunderstorms in the area.
Heavy rain of 0.92 inches in one hour was reported 4 miles S of Brady, MT as a result of strong thunderstorms in the area.
Severe hail estimated at 1.00 inches in diameter (approximately quarter sized) was reported in Cascade, MT.
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, June 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: 454455, 450482, 450483, 450480, 450484, 450485, 450486.