Montana, 2017

Hail in Montana, June 13, 2017

June 13, 2017 · NWS GGW · 2 events in 1 county or zone

A large low-pressure system moving through the area combined with an unstable atmosphere to create a few strong thunderstorms near the Big Sheep Mountains - one of which became severe.

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
0
Property damage
None recorded
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 GGW wrote it up.

A large low-pressure system moving through the area combined with an unstable atmosphere to create a few strong thunderstorms near the Big Sheep Mountains - one of which became severe.

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 Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 13, 1:59 PM MST, 2 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 13, 1:59 PM MST, 2 hours 19 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 13, 10:56 AM MST, 5 hours 22 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 13, 3:55 PM MST, 23 minutes before
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The radar

The Glasgow radar (KGGW), 138 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:20 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Dawson

When
June 13, 4:18 PM MST
Where
Dawson County, 8.29 mi S of Richey
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
47.530, -105.070

Trained spotter reported quarter size hail.

Funnel Cloud, Dawson

When
June 13, 8:15 PM MST
Where
Dawson County, 4.11 mi ENE of Glendive
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
47.112, -104.644

Public photographed a funnel cloud just east of Glendive. The report was received via social media.

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Montana in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, June 2017

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 694310, 694324.