Strong wind shear and abundant instability brought severe thunderstorms during the afternoon hours of the 26th.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS MSO wrote it up.
Strong wind shear and abundant instability brought severe thunderstorms during the afternoon hours of the 26th.
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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 26, 1:22 PM MST, 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Missoula MT 222 PM MDT Wed Jun 26 2019 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHERN ROCKIES THIS EVENING... .DISCUSSION...A round of strong to severe thunderstorms is anticipated this afternoon and early evening across western Montana and north central Idaho. Storms are currently developing over the higher terrain of southwest Montana and north central Idaho and will move northward with time through west central and northwest Montana. Storms developing across eastern Washington and northeast Oregon will move into the Camas Prairie later this evening. The primary storm concerns include gusty winds in excess of 40 mph and large hail. A few showers and thunderstorms could continue overnight into Thursday morning across northwest Montana. Thursday will be another active thunderstorm day across the Northern Rockies. Convective weather models suggest that strong to severe thunderstorms may develop, particularly just west of the Continental Divide in the upper Blackfoot River drainages (e.g., Ovando, Avon). These thunderstorms will then drift northeast and east of the Divide (and likely further intensify). The main weather threats from these storms will be small hail and erratic, gusty winds, however there is a small threat of damaging hail and wind gusts. Shower and thunderstorm potential will remain elevated for the Northern Rockies on Friday, however storm intensity during the afternoon is anticipated to be lower than today or Thursday. Also, most thunderstorms on Friday afternoon will remain over high terrain. Model ensembles are trending toward an increasingly dry pattern over the Northern Rockies on Saturday and Sunday. Daytime temperatures will trend upward Saturday to Sunday, approaching more seasonal readings. Model ensembles suggest that the closed low pressure circulation responsible for the recent thunderstorm scenario over the Northern Rockies, will move inland and approach the Northern Rockies late next week. Shower and thunderstorm potential will slowly increase throughout next week, until the cold core of the low pressure moves overhead. If the low moves over the Northern Rockies, it could result in significant and widespread precipitation for the region. Also, snow levels may drop to 7500 feet briefly on Friday morning across the Glacier Park region. We will be watching this scenario closely. && .AVIATION..Scattered showers and thunderstorms have developed across southwest Montana and north central Idaho. These storms will move northward with time through northwest Montana later this evening. KBTM, KMSO, and KSMN will see chances for thunderstorms through 27/0000z. The primary concerns with thunderstorm activity will be gusty winds in excess of 40 mph along with large hail. A few showers and thunderstorms will continue across northwest Montana tonight into Thursday morning. Valley areas that see rainfall associated with thunderstorm activity this evening will be prone to the development of valley fog tonight into Thursday morning. && .MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MT...None. ID...None. &&
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Missoula MT 159 PM MDT Wed Jun 26 2019 IDZ006-MTZ006-262030- Southern Clearwater Mountains ID-Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains MT- 159 PM MDT Wed Jun 26 2019 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EAST CENTRAL IDAHO AND SOUTHWESTERN RAVALLI COUNTIES UNTIL 230 PM MDT/130 PM PDT/... At 158 PM MDT/1258 PM PDT/, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 35 miles southwest of Conner, or 47 miles southwest of Hamilton, moving northeast at 30 mph. Nickel size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of east central Idaho and southwestern Ravalli Counties. LAT...LON 4564 11477 4571 11495 4593 11465 4583 11435 TIME...MOT...LOC 1958Z 225DEG 28KT 4572 11479
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Missoula MT 211 PM MDT Wed Jun 26 2019 MTZ004-262045- Lower Clark Fork Region MT- 211 PM MDT Wed Jun 26 2019 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN MINERAL AND WEST CENTRAL MISSOULA COUNTIES UNTIL 245 PM MDT... At 211 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 12 miles southeast of Tarkio, or 26 miles southeast of Superior, moving northeast at 15 mph. Nickel size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Cyr. LAT...LON 4679 11464 4683 11472 4702 11460 4693 11438 TIME...MOT...LOC 2011Z 216DEG 13KT 4685 11463
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Missoula MT 223 PM MDT Wed Jun 26 2019 MTZ006-262100- Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains MT- 223 PM MDT Wed Jun 26 2019 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL GRANITE COUNTY UNTIL 300 PM MDT... At 222 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 17 miles west of Philipsburg, or 24 miles east of Hamilton, moving northeast at 20 mph. Nickel size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of west central Granite County. LAT...LON 4625 11363 4627 11373 4645 11362 4640 11343 TIME...MOT...LOC 2022Z 209DEG 17KT 4629 11365
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Missoula MT 243 PM MDT Wed Jun 26 2019 MTZ004-262115- Lower Clark Fork Region MT- 243 PM MDT Wed Jun 26 2019 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN MINERAL AND WEST CENTRAL MISSOULA COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM MDT... At 243 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Alberton, or 22 miles southeast of Superior, moving northeast at 20 mph. Dime size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Alberton and Cyr. LAT...LON 4690 11452 4693 11465 4710 11457 4704 11440 TIME...MOT...LOC 2043Z 202DEG 15KT 4695 11457
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Missoula MT 246 PM MDT Wed Jun 26 2019 MTZ006-007-262115- Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains MT-Butte/Blackfoot Region MT- 246 PM MDT Wed Jun 26 2019 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL GRANITE COUNTY UNTIL 315 PM MDT... At 246 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7 miles northwest of Philipsburg, or 23 miles southwest of Drummond, moving northeast at 15 mph. Nickel size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Maxville. LAT...LON 4632 11340 4638 11354 4661 11346 4655 11312 TIME...MOT...LOC 2046Z 203DEG 14KT 4640 11343
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Missoula MT 250 PM MDT Wed Jun 26 2019 IDZ006-MTZ005-006-262130- Southern Clearwater Mountains ID-Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains MT- Missoula/Bitterroot Valleys MT- 250 PM MDT Wed Jun 26 2019 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN IDAHO AND WEST CENTRAL RAVALLI COUNTIES UNTIL 330 PM MDT/230 PM PDT/... At 250 PM MDT/150 PM PDT/, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 12 miles west of Darby, or 23 miles southwest of Hamilton, moving northeast at 25 mph. Nickel size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Darby, Charlos Heights and Como. LAT...LON 4586 11430 4591 11455 4620 11438 4612 11399 TIME...MOT...LOC 2050Z 226DEG 20KT 4596 11441
The Missoula radar (KMSX), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:01 UTC.
2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail stones from penny to nickle size still on the ground a day after the thunderstorm passed through. Minor damage to tree leaves and plants also noted.
Hail drifted up to two feet deep off of roofs with some minor vegetation damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, June 2019
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 827099, 827111.