The regional weather pattern directed strong upper-level winds across portions of northeast Montana. A few rain showers and areas of virga brought some of these enhanced winds all the way down to the surface.
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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.
The regional weather pattern directed strong upper-level winds across portions of northeast Montana. A few rain showers and areas of virga brought some of these enhanced winds all the way down to the surface.
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 Apr 8, 7:59 AM MST, 4 hours 4 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Glasgow MT 859 AM MDT Wed Apr 8 2020 .DISCUSSION... More clouds are showing up this morning than anticipated, thus an increase in clouds for the area today. Sun will help fully mix things today, look for wind gusts this afternoon in the 40s. Rest of forecast looked good. TFJ Previous Discussion... Snow showers across the SW part of the forecast area early this morning will move to the south by sunrise. Skies will clear in most areas this morning as drier air moves in behind a cold front. Gusty NW winds will develop this morning across NE Montana and continue through this afternoon. Wind gusts could exceed 30 mph at times today. Temperatures today will be around 15 degrees colder than yesterday. High pressure moves in tonight with diminishing winds and clear to partly cloudy skies. The light winds and mostly clear skies will continue on Thursday as high pressure moves through the forecast area. The high moves to the east Thursday Night and somewhat warmer temperatures are expected on Friday. A cold front Friday afternoon will bring a chance of rain and much colder air mass drop south Friday Night. Deep moisture moves into central Montana Friday Night and into most of eastern Montana Saturday ahead of an upper trough that moves through the region Saturday Night. This will bring snow to the SW half of the forecast area late Friday Night and Saturday with the potential of several inches. The system moves to the south Saturday Night and upper trough remains over the area on Sunday with very cold temperatures that will stay below freezing in some areas. While the trough moves to the east on Monday, a cold north to NW flow aloft will continue to keep very cold for mid April at least until mid week. Forrester && .AVIATION... VFR. Scattered low and mid clouds will move through the area at times today and tonight. Strong NW winds will prevail today at 20 to 30 knots with higher gusts. NW winds will diminish to around 10 knots this evening and 5 to 10 knots overnight. && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && weather.gov/glasgow
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
At the Comertown Turn-Off MT-5 DOT site (MTCOM), sustained wind speeds of at least 40 mph were recorded at least each hour for about 3 1/2 hours during the early afternoon.
At the Beaver Hill I-94 DOT site (MTBVR), sustained winds of at least 40 mph each hour began at 2:38 PM local time, and ended at 5:09 PM local time. The first verifying severe, and peak wind gusts of 59 mph were measured from 3:49 PM to 3:54 PM local time. Additional wind gusts of 58 mph were measured from 4:39 PM to 4:41 PM local time.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, April 2020
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: 880601, 880603.