Name: Lightning Strikes in Montana, May 9, 2013
Start: 2013-05-09T06:30
End: 2013-05-09T16:30
Location: 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: $1,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 MSO wrote it up.

Scattered thunderstorms brought power outages to portions of northwest Montana while a man was injured by lightning in Ravalli county.

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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 9, 2:22 AM MST, 4 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 9, 2:22 AM MST, 4 hours 8 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
322 AM MDT Thu May 9 2013

...SIGNIFICANT RIVER LEVEL RISES CONTINUING ACROSS NORTHERN ROCKIES...
...STRONG WINDS LATE THIS WEEKEND/EARLY NEXT WEEK...

.DISCUSSION...Windy conditions with thunderstorm chances will be possible
Sunday night into Monday as a cold front moves through the region.
The amount of moisture in uncertain but gusty winds do have a good
chance to form on Monday.

Before the cold front arrives, high pressure will remain in place to
the west of the region today bringing conditions very similar to
Wednesday. There are some subtle features moving through the
northwesterly flow over Idaho and western Montana and these will meet
with lingering moisture in southwest Montana and southern Idaho this
afternoon. The combination will bring another round of isolated
thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.

High pressure will position itself over Idaho and western Montana
on Friday, but a shortwave trough will pass to the east and could
cause some easterly winds to develop in western Montana. There
could also be a few showers and a possible thunderstorm, otherwise
temperatures will be a few degrees cooler, though still well above
average.

High pressure will maintain into this weekend before flattening
for the beginning of the week. A few showers are possible during
the weekend and very warm temperatures will continue.

Tuesday and Wednesday...Relatively drier conditions return to the
Northern Rockies, as a weak ridge develops along the west coast
and slowly moves to the east.

&&

.AVIATION...Northwesterly flow will remain over the region today
with generally favorable spring weather. A few weak features are
moving through the upper flow and are currently resulting in some
high cloud cover. High resolution model data show the potential
for these weak features to develop into isolated thunderstorms
this afternoon in southwest Montana and into southern Idaho. KBTM
and KSMN have the best chances this afternoon for cumulus build-
ups and isolated thunderstorms. Any storms that develop will
dissipate through the evening.

&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...None.
ID...None.
&&

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The radar

The Missoula radar (KMSX), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:31 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Flathead

When: May 9, 6:30 AM MST
Where: Flathead County, Somers
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.080, -114.220

Scattered power outages were reported from Kalispell to Somers due to lightning strikes.

Lightning, Ravalli

When: May 9, 4:30 PM MST
Where: Ravalli County, 7 mi ESE of Florence
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 46.591, -113.944

A 22 year old male was struck by lightning while changing an irrigation pipe. Injuries were reported as second degree burns.

What these are

Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 447680, 447678.