Montana, 2020High Wind in Montana, January 2, 2020
January 2, 2020 · NWS GGW · 2 events in 1 county or zone
Very strong winds aloft and an environment just favorable enough to bring some of those winds to the surface combined to spread severe wind gusts downslope of the Little Rocky Mountains in southwestern Phillips County.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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.
Very strong winds aloft and an environment just favorable enough to bring some of those winds to the surface combined to spread severe wind gusts downslope of the Little Rocky Mountains in southwestern Phillips County.
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 Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 2, 8:59 AM MST, 4 hours 34 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 2, 8:59 AM MST, 4 hours 34 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Glasgow MT
859 AM MST Thu Jan 2 2020
.DISCUSSION...
It looks like a round of precip will move in today from the NW,
with the NE zones seeing the best chance and most of it. It'll be
in the form of snow there with rainshowers to the southwest and
possibly some freezing rain in between. The freezing rain will be
brief but will monitor this today. Most intense snowshowers could
bring around an inch or so of accumulation. TFJ
Previous Discussion...
Front will lift across the region today. Low clouds to the east
will be pushed east, but will return with a band of mixed
precipitation behind the front. Accumulations will be generally
very light and move out of the state this evening.
Ridge builds up to the west and temperatures will warm as another
chinook develops. This will lead to strong winds across much of
the area on Saturday and Saturday night as a wave breaks down the
ridge. Ebert
&&
.AVIATION...
VFR conditions this morning will deteriorate later in the day as
another round of mixed precipitation moves across the region.
&&
.GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.
&&
weather.gov/glasgow
High Wind, Little Rocky Mountains
- When
- January 2, 1:33 PM MST to 5:04 PM MST
- Where
- Little Rocky Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Department of Highways
- Coordinates
- 48.259, -107.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
At the Malta South US-191 DOT site (MTMAL), sustained winds of at least 40 mph began at 1:33 PM, and persisted at least each hour through the rest of the afternoon. The first severe wind gust of 58 mph was recorded at 3:24 PM. The peak wind gusts of 62 mph were recorded from 3:30 PM through 3:34 PM. Sustained winds of at least 40 mph each hour ended after 5:04 PM.
High Wind, Little Rocky Mountains
- When
- January 2, 2:32 PM MST
- Where
- Little Rocky Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- RAWS
- Coordinates
- 48.259, -107.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
At the Zortman BLM RAWS site (ALDM8), the first severe wind gust of 61 mph was recorded at 2:32 PM. The peak wind gust of 65 mph was recorded at 3:32 PM. Lesser, but still severe wind gusts continued through 4:32 PM.
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Mississippi, January 2 to 3, 2020$1.9 million · 50 kt wind · 32 events
- Heavy Snow in Alaska, January 2 to 3, 20203 events
- High Wind in California, January 2, 202057 kt wind · 2 events
- Flooding in Illinois, January 2 to 31, 20202 events
- High Wind in Montana, January 2, 202052 kt wind · 2 events
- Dense Fog in California, January 2, 20201 event
- Flash Flood in Louisiana, January 2, 20201 event
- Flash Flood in Louisiana, January 2, 2020$2,000 · 1 event
- Dense Fog in California, January 2, 20201 event
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: 872718, 872726.