Hail in Montana, May 25, 2013

Name: Hail in Montana, May 25, 2013
Start: 2013-05-25T10:44
End: 2013-05-25T20:02
Location: Montana

May 25, 2013 · NWS BYZ · 12 events in 3 counties and zones

Steep lapse rates, moderate instability and vertically veering wind profiles with 40-50 kt deep-layer shear resulted in the development of severe thunderstorms producing large hail and funnel clouds across Southeast 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: 12

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 BYZ 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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 25, 9:00 AM MST, 1 hour 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 25, 9:00 AM MST, 1 hour 44 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 25, 7:52 AM MST, 2 hours 52 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 25, 9:47 AM MST, 57 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
1047 AM MDT SAT MAY 25 2013

MTC011-017-025-075-251745-
POWDER RIVER MT-FALLON MT-CARTER MT-CUSTER MT-
1047 AM MDT SAT MAY 25 2013

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN POWDER RIVER...
SOUTHWESTERN FALLON...NORTHERN CARTER AND SOUTHEASTERN CUSTER
COUNTIES UNTIL 1145 AM MDT...

AT 1040 AM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 19 MILES SOUTHWEST OF EKALAKA...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

SMALL HAIL SHOULD BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
EKALAKA AND MEDICINE ROCKS ST PARK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 4606 10426 4560 10482 4582 10518 4633 10493
TIME...MOT...LOC 1640Z 208DEG 33KT 4577 10492

TESAR

The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 238 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:45 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Carter

When: May 25, 10:44 AM MST
Where: Carter County, 0.69 mi N of Ekalaka
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.890, -104.550

Hail, Carter

When: May 25, 2:25 PM MST
Where: Carter County, 21.45 mi WNW of Ridgeway
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.640, -104.900

Hail, Carter

When: May 25, 2:37 PM MST
Where: Carter County, 16.35 mi SW of Ekalaka
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.720, -104.800

Hail, Carter

When: May 25, 3:58 PM MST
Where: Carter County, Belltower
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.630, -104.380

Hail, Carter

When: May 25, 4:07 PM MST
Where: Carter County, 4.15 mi N of Belltower
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.690, -104.380

Hail, Powder River

When: May 25, 4:33 PM MST
Where: Powder River County, 7.95 mi SE of (4bq)broadus Arpt
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.360, -105.290

Quarter to golf ball size hail was reported.

Hail, Powder River

When: May 25, 4:54 PM MST
Where: Powder River County, 5.86 mi E of Broadus
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 45.440, -105.300

Hail, Powder River

When: May 25, 5:25 PM MST
Where: Powder River County, 14.64 mi N of Belle Creek Arpt
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.340, -105.060

Hail, Rosebud

When: May 25, 5:30 PM MST
Where: Rosebud County, Hathaway
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 46.270, -106.200

Hail, Rosebud

When: May 25, 6:30 PM MST
Where: Rosebud County, 1.43 mi E of Forsyth Arpt
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.270, -106.570

A few hail stones were estimated to be 2 to 3 inches in diameter along I-94.

Hail, Rosebud

When: May 25, 7:00 PM MST
Where: Rosebud County, 3.66 mi NW of Colstrip
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.920, -106.630

Hail, Rosebud

When: May 25, 8:02 PM MST
Where: Rosebud County, 11.85 mi SSW of Joppa
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.080, -106.370

What these are

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, May 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: 449839, 449843, 449540, 449846, 449848, 449539, 449538, 449537, 449536, 449535, 449844, 449845.