Upper level jet maximum continues to move through the area. Dry but windy conditions prevail into the evening for most of north-central MT with gusts 25-35 kts for most|areas with a few 40-45kt gusts along the Canadian border.
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 TFX wrote it up.
Upper level jet maximum continues to move through the area. Dry but windy conditions prevail into the evening for most of north-central MT with gusts 25-35 kts for most|areas with a few 40-45kt gusts along the Canadian border.
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 Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 29, 5:07 AM MST, 3 hours 18 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Great Falls MT 507 AM MST Sat Feb 29 2020 ...AVIATION SECTION UPDATED... .SYNOPSIS... A Pacific cold front moves across the region today, with windy conditions expected for most areas and strongest winds along the Rocky Mountain Front and adjacent plains of north-central Montana. A period of snow and or rain showers will accompany the frontal passage, mainly across the mountains and Southwest Montana. A few additional snow showers are possible across north-central Montana to night as a colder airmass and some moisture move in from the north. Cooler temperatures on Sunday will rebound to near or above average next week but breezy to windy conditions will continue. && .DISCUSSION... A Pacific trough and its associated cold front is quickly approaching the Divide as a surface low pressure deepens east of the Rockies in southern Alberta this morning. Rain and snow currently situated along the immediate eastern slopes of the Northern Rocky Mountain Front will change to all snow. A quick inch or two of snow will be possible at Marias Pass and for areas to the north before the activity becomes more showery later this morning and afternoon. As the cold front sweeps east across the state, gusty westerly winds over the Rocky Mountain Front will spill out onto the plains. No changes were made to the current High Wind Warning in effect for the Northern Rocky Mountain Front and Toole and eastern Glacier Counties. Even through the Warning expires at noon, winds may still gust up to 40 to 50 mph through this evening. Wind gusts in the southwest shouldn't be as strong but 30-40 mph gusts will be possible, especially across ridgetops and passes. Snow showers will mostly be confined to the Divide but chances do increase for the central and southwestern mountains this afternoon. In fact, lower elevations of the southwest can see scattered afternoon rain/snow showers as well. The heavier snow showers may briefly reduce visibility and cause slippery roadways, especially at the pass level. Winds turn northwesterly tonight as a secondary push of colder air sags south from Canada. A few snow showers can be expected, mostly in northerly upslope favored locations. While most areas will see little to no snow accumulation with this system some mountain areas could see an additional inch or two of snow, with the most expected along the continental divide near Marias Pass. Temperatures cool back to near or even somewhat below seasonal averages temporarily on Sunday before temperatures rebound to near average on Monday. The next system moves quickly southeast on Monday bringing another increase in winds followed by a chance for showers Monday afternoon and evening. This looks like a repeating phenomenon through much of next week as a west to northwesterly flow ushers in a series of passing weather disturbances, bringing bouts of showery precipitation and gusty winds while temperatures remain close to or slightly above seasonal averages. && .AVIATION... Updated 506 AM MST Fri Feb 29 2020 (29/12Z TAF Period) Snow showers associated with a Pacific system will stay mostly confined to the mountains along the Divide but the southwest terminals may see rain/snow shower activity and associated MVFR conditions this afternoon. Gusty westerly winds may persist through this afternoon over the central/north-central terminals and to a lesser extent for the southwest terminals this afternoon. Scattered LLWS and mountain wave activity is possible across much of the area through this afternoon. Later this evening into tonight, a secondary push of colder air will shift surface winds to a more northerly direction and may introduce some MVFR and possible IFR clouds to the North-central terminals. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 45 23 36 25 / 0 20 10 0 CTB 41 20 38 25 / 0 30 0 0 HLN 42 23 38 22 / 20 10 20 0 BZN 44 21 35 15 / 40 30 20 0 WYS 34 10 28 -6 / 50 70 30 0 DLN 42 21 33 15 / 20 20 10 0 HVR 48 21 36 25 / 0 10 0 0 LWT 43 20 31 19 / 10 30 10 0 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning until noon MST today Northern Rocky Mountain Front...Southern Rocky Mountain Front. High Wind Warning until noon MST today Eastern Glacier...Toole. && http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
822 AM MST SAT FEB 29 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0537 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 ENE EAST GLACIER PARK 48.45N 113.20W
02/28/2020 M51 MPH GLACIER MT MESONET
MESONET STATION MTBRN TWO MEDICINE BRIDGE
(MT DOT).
1021 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 8 SE EAST GLACIER PARK 48.36N 113.11W
02/28/2020 M52 MPH GLACIER MT MESONET
MESONET STATION DCRM8 DEEP CREEK RAWS.
0710 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 SW CUT BANK 48.60N 112.37W
02/29/2020 M51 MPH GLACIER MT ASOS
ASOS STATION KCTB CUT BANK AIRPORT.
&&4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Measured 40 mph average sustained winds from 825 am until 926 am. Peak wind gust was 56 mph during this time.
Measured 59 mph wind gust. Time of event is estimated.
Averaged 41 mph sustained wind between 125 pm and 225 pm. Peak wind gust was 53 mph during this time.
Mesonet station mtm05 5.8 nw ledger (mt-meso).
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, February 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: 874915, 874913, 874914, 874912.