A strong west to northwest flow aloft developed over North-central Montana as a trough of low pressure moved south out of Canada. A tight surface pressure gradient helped translate some of the upper level winds to the surface.
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.
A strong west to northwest flow aloft developed over North-central Montana as a trough of low pressure moved south out of Canada. A tight surface pressure gradient helped translate some of the upper level winds to the surface. Ridge top wind gusts of 80 mph were measured, while 50 to 70 mph wind gusts were observed over the plains. Dry antecedent conditions lead to blowing dust issues north and east of Great Falls and some blowing snow occurred along the immediate eastern slopes of the Northern Rocky Mountain Front.
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 Mar 10, 9:12 AM MST, 27 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Great Falls MT 1012 AM MDT Tue Mar 10 2020 .SYNOPSIS... Westerly winds will increase across the region today, and keep temperatures above normal through tonight. The strongest winds will be along the Rocky Mountain Front starting this afternoon, while lesser, but still strong winds spread east onto the plains overnight. The passage of a weak Canadian cold front on Wednesday will help decrease the winds, but bring areas of rain and snow showers with slightly cooler temperatures, which should continue into Thursday. However, a cold and snowy weather pattern will likely return on Friday and continue through the weekend. && .Morning Update... Morning Update has been published, with no major adjustments made to the on-going forecast other than to update hourly trends. High Wind Warning still looks on track for today and this evening across Central and North Central Montana. Locations along the Rocky Mountain Front have already been gusting in the 50-75 mph range this morning, which has been causing areas of blowing snow, most notably in the St Mary Valley of Glacier County. Elsewhere across the remainder of North Central and Central Montana, expect winds to continue to increase across the region through the remainder of the morning and become gusty by the afternoon hours. Current start time (6pm MDT) for the High Wind Warning over the plains still looks good for now, but I will closely monitor the situation in the event the start time needs to be adjusted to an earlier one. In addition to the high winds over these areas, am also concerned with the potential for reduced visibilities due to blowing dust. Otherwise, expect increasing precipitation chances along the Divide this afternoon due to increasing moist, westerly upslope flow. - Moldan && .AVIATION... Updated 545 AM MDT Tue Mar 10 2020 (10/12Z TAF Period) Patchy fog and low clouds may bring periods of MVFR/IFR conditions to some of the southwest valleys (including KBZN and KWYS) through around 16Z. Otherwise, conditions will remain VFR. However, an increasing west-northwest flow aloft will bring increasing westerly winds with widespread mountain wave turbulence and periods of low level wind shear to the area, along with mid and high level cloudiness. The strongest winds will be after 18Z along the Rocky Mountain Front, with gusts in excess of 60 kt possible. Lesser, but still strong, winds will spread over the plains from 18Z to 00Z, bringing gusts to around 50 kt at times to the western plains (KCTB and KGTF) and up to 40 kt to the eastern plains (KHVR and KLWT). Some areas over the plains may have periods of blowing dirt/dust, especially just to the northeast of KGTF. Coulston && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 545 AM MDT Tue Mar 10 2020/ Today through Thursday... The main concern for the next 24 to 36 hours will be increasing winds across the forecast area. A strong west-northwest flow aloft will spread high clouds over the area in the wake of an exiting shortwave trough this afternoon. A strong surface pressure gradient along the Rocky Mountain Front will also help translate these winds down to the surface there this afternoon, and generally continue them into Wednesday morning. Forecast models indicate 80 kt winds possible over the ridge tops, which may lead to gusts of up to 90 mph at times right along the Front, but gusts to 70 mph are more likely for most of the Rocky Mountain Front east into eastern Glacier County. As the pressure gradient spreads east from the Rocky Mountain Front late this afternoon into the evening, the energy in the flow aloft will help translate strong winds out onto the adjacent plains, gusting to 60 mph at times. Dry ground on the plains may be lifted as blowing dirt/dust in some areas, while snow falling on the ridgetops of the Rocky Mountain Front may be blown through Marias Pass, both of which may reduce visibility at times. The stronger model winds has increased confidence that High Wind criteria winds will occur, so have upgraded the High Wind Watches to Warnings and started them a couple of hours sooner than the Watches. Winds are expected to decrease during the day on Wednesday as another shortwave trough moves through Montana and drags a weak Canadian cold front south over the plains. This frontal passage will help cool above normal temperatures today and tonight back closer to normal Wednesday and Wednesday night with areas of light rain and snow. The chance for a few lingering showers continues into Thursday under more of a northwest flow aloft in the wake of the shortwave, as temperatures continue to cool to below normal. Friday through next Tuesday... A winter storm is still on track to impact Montana Friday through Sunday. A low pressure trough is forecast to move south over southwestern Canada on Friday, but models are in better agreement with the track of the system than from previous days. A low pressure center develops at the base of the trough and moves down the Pacific Northwest coast, tapping into moisture from the ocean and bringing widespread precipitation to much of the area on Friday, which is a bit earlier than previously forecast. A Canadian cold front will also move south over the plains through Friday night, cooling temperatures there mostly into the single digits above and below zero. The low pressure center is then forecast to move slowly down the Pacific coast Saturday into Sunday, continuing a moist southwest flow with a further influx of cold air; lows in the single digits above and below zero will spread into Southwest Montana by Saturday night and highs on Sunday will only be in the single digits and teens. This latest forecast has widespread measurable snowfall for much of the area, so this better agreement in the models increases confidence that winter weather highlights may be needed. Temperatures may start to moderate on Monday with decreasing precipitation as the low pressure area moves farther away from the area. Coulston && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 50 39 48 22 / 10 20 60 50 CTB 46 34 42 19 / 0 0 60 40 HLN 53 35 50 24 / 10 10 20 30 BZN 50 29 50 23 / 10 10 50 30 WYS 36 15 37 10 / 10 50 60 40 DLN 47 28 49 22 / 10 0 10 10 HVR 51 35 45 23 / 0 30 60 10 LWT 44 35 43 21 / 0 20 90 60 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning from 6 PM this evening to noon MDT Wednesday Cascade...Chouteau...Eastern Pondera...Eastern Teton...Judith Basin...Liberty...Toole. High Wind Warning until noon MDT Wednesday Eastern Glacier... Northern Rocky Mountain Front...Southern Rocky Mountain Front. && http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls
9 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A station at 2 SE Browning measured a 62 kt non-thunderstorm wind gust.
A station a 2 SE Browning measured a 51 kt non-thunderstorm wind gust.
A station at 14 NNW Joplin (Chester DW4821) measured a 51 kt non-thunderstorm wind gust.
The Cut Bank Airport measured a 53 kt non-thunderstorm wind gust.
A station at 3 NW Coffee Creek measured a 50 kt non-thunderstorm wind gust.
The Great Falls Airport measured a 52 kt non-thunderstorm wind gust.
A station at 2 SSE Geyser measured a 55 kt non-thunderstorm wind gust.
A station at 4 SE Virginia City (MTM17) measured a 56 kt non-thunderstorm wind gust.
The Great Falls Airport measured a 53 kt non-thunderstorm wind gust.
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, March 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: 875700, 875701, 875703, 875702, 875704, 875708, 875705, 875712, 875710.