Hail and Damaging Winds in Montana, July 14 to 15, 2019

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Montana, July 14 to 15, 2019
Start: 2019-07-14T15:30
End: 2019-07-15T01:00
Location: Montana

July 14 to 15, 2019 · NWS BYZ · 23 events in 9 counties and zones

An upper level disturbance within a southwest flow aloft combined with a strong jet streak resulted in numerous severe thunderstorms across the Billings Forecast Area.

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: 23

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.

An upper level disturbance within a southwest flow aloft combined with a strong jet streak resulted in numerous severe thunderstorms across the Billings Forecast Area.

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 Jul 14, 1:17 PM MST, 2 hours 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 14, 1:17 PM MST, 2 hours 13 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 14, 1:27 PM MST, 2 hours 3 minutes before

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The radar

The Billings radar (KBLX), 171 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:29 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 hail, 11 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Park

When: July 14, 3:30 PM MST
Where: Park County, 11.1 mi W of Livingston
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 45.670, -110.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Park

When: July 14, 4:11 PM MST
Where: Park County, Livingstn Mission Fl
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 45.700, -110.450

Hail, Wheatland

When: July 14, 4:42 PM MST
Where: Wheatland County, 11.74 mi SW of Judith Gap
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.580, -109.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Wheatland

When: July 14, 4:45 PM MST
Where: Wheatland County, 0.69 mi N of Judith Gap
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 46.690, -109.750

Hail, Stillwater

When: July 14, 5:05 PM MST
Where: Stillwater County, 0.69 mi N of Columbus
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.640, -109.250

Hail, Stillwater

When: July 14, 5:15 PM MST
Where: Stillwater County, 5.94 mi NE of Columbus
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.680, -109.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Big Horn

When: July 14, 5:45 PM MST
Where: Big Horn County, 4.93 mi E of Aberdeen
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 45.030, -107.320

Hail, Yellowstone

When: July 14, 5:54 PM MST
Where: Yellowstone County, 3.75 mi NNE of Laurel Muni Arpt
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 45.750, -108.720

Hail, Yellowstone

When: July 14, 6:00 PM MST
Where: Yellowstone County, 4.82 mi W of Billings Logan Arpt
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.800, -108.630

Hail, Yellowstone

When: July 14, 6:00 PM MST
Where: Yellowstone County, 7.49 mi NNE of Laurel Muni Arpt
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 45.800, -108.690

Hail, Yellowstone

When: July 14, 6:02 PM MST
Where: Yellowstone County, 5.78 mi W of Billings Logan Arpt
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 45.800, -108.650

Thunderstorm Wind, Yellowstone

When: July 14, 6:15 PM MST
Where: Yellowstone County, 3.37 mi NE of Lockwood
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.820, -108.390

Thunderstorm Wind, Yellowstone

When: July 14, 6:45 PM MST
Where: Yellowstone County, 2.76 mi S of Huntley
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.860, -108.320

A shed and dog kennel were damaged and playground equipment was flipped.

Hail, Yellowstone

When: July 14, 7:15 PM MST
Where: Yellowstone County, 7.32 mi SSW of Billings Logan Arpt
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 45.700, -108.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Rosebud

When: July 14, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Rosebud County, 1.17 mi NW of Rock Spgs
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 46.830, -106.270

Thunderstorm Wind, Rosebud

When: July 14, 8:15 PM MST
Where: Rosebud County, 1.17 mi NW of Rock Spgs
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 46.830, -106.270

Thunderstorm Wind, Custer

When: July 14, 8:20 PM MST
Where: Custer County, 0.95 mi W of Miles City
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 46.400, -105.850

A tree was downed at Missouri and Fourth St in Miles City. The tree fell on and smashed a fence. Multiple branches with diameters of 3 to 4 inches were down in Riverside Park. In addition, a tree fell on and knocked a street light off a power pole on the 2100 block of Main Street. Other trees and branches with diameters of 6 inches were down across the city.

Thunderstorm Wind, Custer

When: July 14, 8:22 PM MST
Where: Custer County, 0.48 mi W of Miles City Arpt
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 46.430, -105.890

Thunderstorm Wind, Fallon

When: July 14, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Fallon County, 8.94 mi SSW of Willard
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 46.080, -104.440

Hail, Powder River

When: July 14, 11:00 PM MST
Where: Powder River County, 2.93 mi SSE of Epsie
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 45.440, -105.630

Hail, Powder River

When: July 14, 11:54 PM MST
Where: Powder River County, 2.93 mi SSE of Epsie
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 45.440, -105.630

Hail, Powder River

When: July 15, 1:00 AM MST
Where: Powder River County, 0.84 mi SE of Broadus
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 45.440, -105.410

Hail, Powder River

When: July 15, 1:00 AM MST
Where: Powder River County, 1.61 mi WNW of Broadus
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.460, -105.450

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
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 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, July 2019

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: 831528, 831529, 831494, 831530, 831496, 831498, 831531, 831499, 831501, 831502, 831503, 831532, 831523, 831504, 831533, 831534, 831526, 831535, 831536, 831505, 831507, 831508, 831509.