A weak weather disturbance from the northwest combined with weak instability in the area, to form scattered strong thunderstorms. One of these storm became severe and moved directly through the city of Glasgow.
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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 GGW wrote it up.
A weak weather disturbance from the northwest combined with weak instability in the area, to form scattered strong thunderstorms. One of these storm became severe and moved directly through the city of Glasgow.
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 May 10, 2:00 PM MST, 3 hours 27 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Glasgow MT 300 PM MDT Fri May 10 2019 .DISCUSSION... A cold front and upper low is dropping SE into the area this afternoon with showers and isolated thunderstorms increasing across the area. Winds are also increasing as 850-700 mb winds mix to the surface and outflows occur with the showers/tstorms. Upper low strengthens as it settles into the Dakotas Saturday. this will keep the showers around the SE zones into Saturday morning. NW winds will continue across the CWA and a Lake Wind Adv may be needed if winds get stronger. Upper ridge over the Pacific NW then moves east and brings quieter/warmer conditions for Sunday. Look for highs to approach 80 in the western zones. Then disturbances cross the area until another ridge moves in Wednesday. This will be followed by a deepening upper trough that will bring wetness later in the week. Stay tuned! TFJ && .AVIATION... MVFR under showers late today, then MVFR ceilings moving south across east of a KOLF-KGDV line late tonight. Otherwise, VFR. Scattered showers with isolated thunderstorms will produce wind gusts to 30-40 kts through 7pm for KGGW and KOLF, 8 pm for KSDY and KGDV. MVFR ceilings Saturday morning will gradually improve by afternoon. NW winds will be at 10-25 kts tonight through Saturday, then diminish Saturday evening. TFJ && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Lake Wind Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening For Fort Peck Lake for Central and Southeast Phillips...Central and Southern Valley...Garfield...McCone...Petroleum. && weather.gov/glasgow
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Glasgow MT 353 PM MDT Fri May 10 2019 MTZ017-022-023-102230- Garfield MT-McCone MT-Central and Southern Valley MT- 353 PM MDT Fri May 10 2019 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN GARFIELD... SOUTHWESTERN VALLEY AND WEST CENTRAL MCCONE COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM MDT... At 352 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 16 miles west of The Pines Rec Area, or 24 miles southwest of Glasgow, moving southeast at 35 mph. Pea size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... The Pines Rec Area, Hell Creek Rec Area, Rock Creek Rec Area, The Bentonite Plant and Haxby. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. If on or near Fort Peck Lake, get out of the water and move indoors or inside a vehicle. Remember, lightning can strike out to 10 miles from the parent thunderstorm. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Move to safe shelter now! Do not be caught on the water in a thunderstorm. && LAT...LON 4804 10734 4820 10705 4772 10614 4738 10690 TIME...MOT...LOC 2152Z 320DEG 30KT 4792 10697 Avery
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Glasgow MT
405 PM MDT Fri May 10 2019
MTZ016-017-021-022-102245-
Petroleum MT-Garfield MT-Central and Southeast Phillips MT-
Central and Southern Valley MT-
405 PM MDT Fri May 10 2019
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN PHILLIPS...
PETROLEUM...SOUTHWESTERN GARFIELD AND SOUTHWESTERN VALLEY COUNTIES
UNTIL 445 PM MDT...
At 404 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from 13 miles northeast of Devils Creek Rec Area to
Crooked Creek Rec Area to near Roy. Movement was southeast at 45 mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Jordan, Winnett, Sand Springs, U L Bend Rec Area, Crooked Creek Rec
Area, Flatwillow, Devils Creek Rec Area, Edwards, Cohagen, Mosby,
Brusett, Petrolia Lake, Steve Fork, Tiegen, Valentine and Cat Creek.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
If on or near the western end of Fort Peck Lake, get out of the
water and move indoors or inside a vehicle. Remember, lightning can
strike out to 10 miles from the parent thunderstorm. If you can hear
thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Move to
safe shelter now! Do not be caught on the water in a thunderstorm.
&&
LAT...LON 4718 10874 4719 10872 4727 10872 4727 10859
4730 10859 4732 10832 4748 10831 4748 10799
4779 10740 4705 10653 4686 10704 4685 10789
4676 10783 4675 10862 4710 10861 4710 10874
TIME...MOT...LOC 2204Z 330DEG 40KT 4770 10737 4744 10796 4739 10888
AverySpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Glasgow MT
435 PM MDT Fri May 10 2019
MTZ017-022-102315-
Garfield MT-Central and Southern Valley MT-
435 PM MDT Fri May 10 2019
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN GARFIELD AND SOUTH
CENTRAL VALLEY COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM MDT...
At 435 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Hell Creek Rec Area, or 24 miles north of Jordan, moving southeast at
35 mph.
Pea size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Hell Creek Rec Area.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
If on or near Fort Peck Lake, get out of the water and move indoors
or inside a vehicle. Remember, lightning can strike out to 10 miles
from the parent thunderstorm. If you can hear thunder, you are close
enough to be struck by lightning. Move to safe shelter now! Do not
be caught on the water in a thunderstorm.
&&
LAT...LON 4769 10704 4782 10674 4754 10627 4753 10630
4747 10630 4729 10682
TIME...MOT...LOC 2235Z 319DEG 30KT 4766 10679
AverySpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Glasgow MT 524 PM MDT Fri May 10 2019 MTZ016-017-059-061-110015- Central and Southeast Phillips MT-Northern Valley MT- Northern Phillips MT-Central and Southern Valley MT- 524 PM MDT Fri May 10 2019 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR VALLEY AND NORTHEASTERN PHILLIPS COUNTIES UNTIL 615 PM MDT... At 522 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 19 miles north of Hinsdale, or 26 miles east of Whitewater, moving southeast at 60 mph. Pea size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Glasgow, Tampico, St. Marie, Hinsdale, Vandalia and Frenchman Reservoir. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle. To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement agency. They will relay your report to the National Weather Service office in Glasgow. && LAT...LON 4877 10732 4888 10705 4831 10630 4808 10690 TIME...MOT...LOC 2322Z 326DEG 50KT 4867 10705 Avery
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT
610 PM MDT FRI MAY 10 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0605 PM TSTM WND GST 3 E VANDALIA 48.35N 106.84W
05/10/2019 M51 MPH VALLEY MT TRAINED SPOTTER
TREES LEANING.
&&
TEDJThe Glasgow radar (KGGW), 1 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:29 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Off-duty NWS employee estimated 60 mph wind gusts, in addition to heavy rain and pea sized hail.
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, May 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 817084.