Ahead of a very strong jet stream over the region, severe wind gusts were able to reach the surface off the higher elevations of southwestern Phillips County.
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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.
Ahead of a very strong jet stream over the region, severe wind gusts were able to reach the surface off the higher elevations of southwestern Phillips County.
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 3, 7:48 PM MST, 2 hours 56 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Glasgow MT 748 PM MST Fri Jan 3 2020 .DISCUSSION... Evening update... Going forecast and its message of "it's going to be windy tomorrow" generally on track. It looks like temperatures for a good chunk of the area really aren't going to go much of anywhere the rest of the night. There might be a pocket or two of fog overnight while skies are clear and winds stay light. Main change was to add the mention of an elevated fire danger in Petroleum and Southwest Phillips Counties tomorrow to the high wind warning due to the combination of low humidity values, high winds, bare ground / lack of snow cover, and dry fuels in that part of the area. Needless to say, not a day to drag a chain or a muffler on Highway 191 or 200 tomorrow. Avery Previous discussion... Upper ridging on Saturday will slide east during the day, with increasing cloud cover expected as the ridge axis pushes further downstream. Look for a strong shortwave and surface cold front to slide through the region during the afternoon and evening hours. As cold air advection takes hold, expect the presence of decent lapse rates as well. Given low amounts of snow cover and a warm day expected on Saturday, potential for boundary layer mixing will be greater than it otherwise would be despite the shorter day. Given 850mb winds in the afternoon and evening ranging between 50 and 65 kts, the potential exists for a widespread windy day across NE MT, and possibly a day for high winds. Highest confidence for high winds will exist across terrain favored locations such as the Little Rockies, Big Sheep Mountains, etc., but will monitor potential for strong to high winds in the lower elevations as well. If any thing, much of the area should see sustained west winds develop in excess of 30 mph with gusts in excess of 50 mph. The risk appears great enough that even if conditions come just shy of criteria, impacts will still be realized. Thus, the High Wind Watch has been replaced with a warning. A High Wind Watch was issued further NE where the stronger winds may not materialize until later in the day and confidence is lower. Behind the Saturday system, look for colder temperatures across the region into next week. This portion of the forecast was trended toward consensus blends which capture the expected colder trend in temperatures. Next shortwave will approach on Monday with a slight chance pop in places, though much of the region will remain dry. A deeper trough may set up across the western U.S. for the middle of next week with colder temperatures associated with the lowering heights, and enough dynamic forcing for ascent to mention pops, but no widespread heavy precipitation seen at this time. Maliawco && .AVIATION... FLIGHT CONDITION: VFR WINDS: Light and variable overnight. SW-W 10-20 kts Saturday morning, becoming W 20-35 kts with gusts to 45 kts in the afternoon and evening. WIND SHEAR: Becomes an issue by late morning (after 15z) into the afternoon, with west winds near 40-50 kts. DISCUSSION: Main story is the strong winds on Saturday into Saturday night despite VFR ceilings and visibilities. Avery && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning from 11 AM to 9 PM MST Saturday for Central and Southeast Phillips...Central and Southern Valley...Dawson... Garfield...McCone...Northern Phillips...Northern Valley... Petroleum...Prairie...Southwest Phillips...Wibaux. High Wind Watch from Saturday afternoon through Saturday evening for Daniels...Eastern Roosevelt...Richland...Sheridan...Western Roosevelt. && weather.gov/glasgow
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
At the Malta South US-191 DOT site (MTMAL), a peak wind gust of 58 mph was recorded at 10:44 PM. Sustained winds of 40 mph were present for only about 90 minutes.
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, January 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: 872756.