High Wind in Montana, April 11, 2015

Name: High Wind in Montana, April 11, 2015
Start: 2015-04-11T06:00
End: 2015-04-11T16:57
Location: Montana

April 11, 2015 · NWS TFX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A strong pressure gradient from an approaching low pressure system created strong gusty winds over wind prone locations.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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.

A strong pressure gradient from an approaching low pressure system created strong gusty winds over wind prone locations.

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 Apr 11, 4:59 AM MST, 1 hour 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 11, 4:59 AM MST, 1 hour 1 minute before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
559 AM MDT SAT APR 11 2015

UPDATE TO AVIATION

.DISCUSSION...

TODAY THROUGH MONDAY...UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND AN ASSOCIATED
SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH WESTERN AND CENTRAL MONTANA
TODAY. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN
FRONT THIS MORNING AND SPREAD OUT OVER THE PLAINS BY AFTERNOON.
HIGH WIND WARNINGS FOR THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND EASTERN
GLACIER COUNTY APPEAR TO BE APPROPRIATE AT THIS TIME. OTHER AREAS
THAT COULD SEE WINDS APPROACH HIGH WIND CRITERIA AT TIMES INCLUDE
THE SWEET GRASS HILLS AND FAVORED CANYONS AND PASSES IN LEWIS &
CLARK AND CASCADE COUNTIES. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS WILL PREVAIL OVER
THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS TODAY. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
POSSIBLY A THUNDERSTORM OR TWO COULD SPREAD OUT OVER THE PLAINS
THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL DIMINISH BELOW HIGH WIND CRITERIA THIS
EVENING, BUT WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE ENTIRE
FORECAST AREA THROUGH MUCH OF SUNDAY. TEMPERATURES ON SUNDAY WILL
ALSO BE MUCH COOLER THAN THOSE OF TODAY. HOWEVER, SHORT WAVE
RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE REGION ONCE AGAIN ON MONDAY WITH
TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO REBOUND SIGNIFICANTLY. MPJ

MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...MODELS REMAIN IN DECENT AGREEMENT
THROUGH THE BULK OF THE LONG TERM. THE RIDGE THAT DOMINATED MUCH OF
THE MONDAY WILL QUICKLY MOVE OUT OF THE AREA BY TUESDAY NIGHT
ALLOWING FOR A QUICK MOVING TROUGH TO PUNCH ACROSS THE ROCKIES.
PRECIPITATION WILL BE LIMITED IN OUR AREA...WITH MOST OF THE
MOISTURE DEVELOPING OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN PARTS OF THE AREA
TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE LIMITED MOISTURE WILL MAINLY FALL
OVER THE AREA AS RAIN WITH SOME OF THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS RECEIVING
SNOW. THE RIDGE IS THEN EXPECTED TO BUILD BACK INTO THE AREA THROUGH
THE REMAINDER OF THE LONG TERM WITH TEMPERATURES CLIMBING ABOVE
SEASONAL VALUES UNDER THESE DRY CONDITIONS. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH
IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE REGION BY SATURDAY...AND COOL OF THE
WEATHER PATTERN AT LEAST BRIEFLY...HOWEVER CONFIDENCE IN THIS
SYSTEM IS LOW AT THE MOMENT WITH A LOW AMOUNT OF MODEL AGREEMENT
OVER TIMING AND LOCATION OF THIS NEXT EVENT. SUK

&&

.AVIATION...
UPDATED 12Z.

VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS ACROSS THE AREA.
STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING
WEATHER SYSTEM. CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED.
PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE LIMITED TO SOUTHWEST MONTANA WHERE MOUNTAIN
OBSCURATIONS AND BRIEF INTRUSIONS BELOW VFR ARE POSSIBLE. SUK

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GTF  59  28  49  33 /  10  10  10  10
CTB  53  27  47  23 /  10  10  10  10
HLN  61  30  48  27 /  30  30  10  10
BZN  60  26  47  22 /  40  60  20  10
WEY  51  21  44  25 /  20  70  10   0
DLN  55  25  45  26 /  30  50  10  10
HVR  65  28  53  23 /  20  10  20  10
LWT  61  28  46  24 /  40  30  10  10

&&

.TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM MDT THIS
EVENING FOR MTZ010.

HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR MTZ009-048.

&&

WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS

Event by event

4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, North Rocky Mountain Front

When: April 11, 6:00 AM MST
Where: North Rocky Mountain Front forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

A wind gust of 58 mph was reported at the Logan Pass Visitors Center.

High Wind, Eastern Glacier

When: April 11, 12:58 PM MST
Where: Eastern Glacier forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: ASOS

Cut Bank Airport reported wind gusts of 58 mph.

High Wind, Eastern Teton

When: April 11, 1:13 PM MST
Where: Eastern Teton forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter

A wind gust of 61 mph was recorded at 4 miles SSW on Power, MT.

High Wind, Hill

When: April 11, 4:57 PM MST
Where: Hill forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

A wind gust of 60 mph was recorded 20 miles north of Rudyard along with sustained winds of 45 mph.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Montana in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, April 2015

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: 565645, 565643, 565644, 565646.