Ahead of an approaching upper-level disturbance, a stalled front and moist surface condition provided enough support to form and sustain severe thunderstorms over portions of northeast Montana.
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The episode as NWS GGW wrote it up.
Ahead of an approaching upper-level disturbance, a stalled front and moist surface condition provided enough support to form and sustain severe thunderstorms over portions of northeast Montana.
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 Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 30, 12:54 PM MST, 4 hours 1 minute earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service GLASGOW MT 154 PM MDT SAT JUL 30 2016 .SHORT TERM...for northeast Montana...tonight through Mon... Upper low over over western Canada is expected to drift east before lifting into central Canada late Monday. Thunderstorms were moving east across SW Sask early this afternoon are not expected to drop into NE MT today. However, southwest flow over central Montana and an axis of instability could generate a storm or two that moves into our western zones before sunset. SPC's SSEO has some winds associated with these storms but nothing severe. Models take differing approaches on what happens with leftover storms tonight. GFS has them drifting NE mostly into the northern zones, less so with the NAM. The ECMWF keeps much of the activity well north in Canada. Given that the GFS has been too dry/stable lately, will keep the pops going overnight. Dry line over central Montana today moves east into the eastern zones late Sunday. Afternoon convection should fire along and ahead of it in the late afternoon before moving into North Dakota. SPC's Severe Thunderstorm outlook with a Marginal area along the state border and east looks good. With the upper low moving into the Prairie Provinces Monday, a drier/slightly cooler airmass moves in. West winds are expected to remain below Lake Wind Advisory criteria. TFJ .LONG TERM...Mon night through Sat... Monday night begins with a hot air-mass over most of the West and upper troughs over Saskatchewan and near Vancouver Island. This places Northeast Montana with zonal flow aloft near the boundary between the two air-masses. Overnight and Tuesday the Saskatchewan trough lifts into Manitoba and the other trough moves into the Pac-NW. The movement of the troughs will build up a narrow ridge over the local area. However by Tuesday evening the trough moves over the Divide causing local flow aloft to back around to the southwest, which ejects moisture into the flow. Late Tuesday night and Wednesday the trough swings across Northeast Montana sending a cold front that will initially bring scattered thunderstorms that become more rain showery, mainly across the northern zones. Brisk winds behind the front could generate 20kt north to northwest winds. Expect below normal temperatures for Wednesday and Thursday and near normal for the weekend. Made few grid edits since there was uncertainty in timing the cold front Tuesday night and initiation of precipitation. Otherwise, grids follow the blended pattern well. Templer Previous discussion: Latest 00z models indicate that an upper ridge over the Northern High Plains Monday night will shift east into the Dakotas by Tuesday as a shortwave trough/closed low digs into northwest Montana. THis will allow for increased chances for showers and thunderstorms across the CWA. Chances may spill into the midweek, particularly nearest the Canadian border. An upper ridge looks to become firmly established late in the week allowing for large scale subsidence and therefore drier and warmer temperatures with rising heights. Highs will once more reach the the 80s to near the 90 degree mark by about Friday. Maliawco && .AVIATION... A weak upper level ridge moves over Northeast Montana this afternoon bringing clear skies and dry conditions based on the northwest flow aloft and the lack of strong convective parameters. However disturbances in southern areas of the prairie provinces has initiated scattered thunderstorms that may drift south into the local area. So expect limited chances for an isolated thunderstorm to affect any terminal. Winds will be at 5kt to 15kt from the southeast today with stronger the winds in the west. Sunday a broad upper trough pushing through Western Canada will send a cold front through the local region bringing a better chance for thunderstorms. Gusty northwest winds of 10kt to 20kt will develop behind the cold front in the afternoon. Templer && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && weather.gov/glasgow
The Glasgow radar (KGGW), 125 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:53 UTC.
6 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trained spotter at the Port of Morgan Border Patrol station reported a few quarter sized hailstones among many other dime and nickel sized hail stones.
Trained spotter reported 60 mph winds and downed tree limbs.
Trained spotter reported hail up to the size of nickels.
Public reported golf ball sized hail at the Pines Recreation Area.
Trained spotter reported quarter sized hail.
Trained spotter reported mostly nickel sized hail mixed with some quarter sized hail stones.
A NWS employee reported golf ball sized hail at the Duck Creek Fishing area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, July 2016
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: 652066, 652067, 652068, 652084, 652085, 652086, 652088.