Montana, 2019

Hail in Montana, July 7, 2019

July 7, 2019 · NWS BYZ · 7 events in 3 counties and zones

An upper level disturbance combined with low-level moisture and sufficient wind shear resulted in a few severe thunderstorms across portions of 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
7

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 combined with low-level moisture and sufficient wind shear resulted in a few severe thunderstorms across portions of 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 7, 2:04 PM MST, 2 hours 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 7, 2:04 PM MST, 2 hours 21 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 7, 2:03 AM MST, 14 hours 22 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 7, 3:23 PM MST, 1 hour 2 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 7, 3:36 PM MST, 49 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 7, 3:40 PM MST, 45 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 7, 3:52 PM MST, 33 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 7, 3:55 PM MST, 30 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 7, 4:12 PM MST, 13 minutes before
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The radar

The Billings radar (KBLX), 154 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:24 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Park

When
July 7, 4:25 PM MST
Where
Park County, Clyde Park
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.880, -110.600

Hail, Big Horn

When
July 7, 4:45 PM MST
Where
Big Horn County, 6.52 mi SSW of Lodge Grass
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.230, -107.390

Hail, Big Horn

When
July 7, 5:39 PM MST
Where
Big Horn County, 18.88 mi NNE of Kirby
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.530, -106.770

Hail, Big Horn

When
July 7, 5:40 PM MST
Where
Big Horn County, 20.89 mi NNE of Kirby
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
45.560, -106.760

Hail, Rosebud

When
July 7, 5:59 PM MST
Where
Rosebud County, 1.69 mi NW of Lame Deer
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.620, -106.690

The hail covered the ground.

Hail, Rosebud

When
July 7, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Rosebud County, 1.38 mi N of Lame Deer
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
45.620, -106.670

Hail, Rosebud

When
July 7, 6:03 PM MST
Where
Rosebud County, 10.8 mi NNW of Brandenberg
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.970, -106.280

One inch of rain fell in 20 minutes.

What these are

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

More

Every storm in Montana in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 829440, 829441, 829442, 829443, 829444, 829445, 829446.