A very strong cold front moved across the Billings Forecast Area during the late afternoon and evening hours of the 8th. Strong pressure rises behind the front resulted in very high wind gusts for several hours across portions of the Billings Forecast Area.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 BYZ wrote it up.
A very strong cold front moved across the Billings Forecast Area during the late afternoon and evening hours of the 8th. Strong pressure rises behind the front resulted in very high wind gusts for several hours across portions of the Billings Forecast Area.
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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 8, 2:11 PM MST, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Billings MT
311 PM MDT Sun Aug 8 2021
.DISCUSSION...
Tonight through Tuesday night...
Upper low was moving east out of Oregon into the Northern Rockies
spreading showers and thunderstorms into western and central
Montana this afternoon. At the same time, an associated strong
cold front was diving south into the region, having made it into
Wheatland County at the time of this writing. Ahead of the front,
the pre-frontal environment has led to hot, dry and breezy to
windy conditions to develop. The front will cross the area late
this afternoon and evening, bringing a wind shift to the northwest
and winds gusts of 35 to 45 mph. Some areas, especially on the
east side of the Bighorns (i.e. Sheridan) could see gusts closer
to the 50 to 55 mph range later this evening. Showers and
thunderstorms will spread into the area from the west, with
activity shifting to the east along and behind the front this
afternoon and evening. Some of the storms could be strong across
our west with wind gusts the main threat. Red Flag Warning remains
in good shape, and is in effect through midnight tonight for most
of the area.
In the wake of the cold front, gusty west to northwest winds look
to continue over the area on Monday as the low drifts north and
east towards the Canadian border, keeping the pressure gradients
somewhat tight. A few showers or thunderstorms are possible with
the lingering energy in weak cyclonic flow. Drier conditions build
in for Monday night. Dry and warmer conditions, along with breezy
west winds will prevail on Tuesday. Something we will have to
watch for potential fire weather highlites. Highs will range from
the 70s to lower 80s on Monday, to the 80s and 90s on Tuesday.
Lows will range from the 40s to 50s tonight and Monday night,
coolest over the west, to the 50s and 60s on Tuesday night. STP
Wednesday through Sunday...
Heights generally build Wednesday through Saturday brining a
strong warming trend and a return of temperatures in the 95 to 100
range by the weekend. Back door cold front still progged to move
into the area Wednesday night but cool down will be brief and only
lower temps a bit on Thursday. Dry weather through the extended
period.
Wednesday could see increased westerly winds in the compressional
warming zone ahead of the front. Otherwise winds look fairly light
through the period. Relative humidity will become critically low
by the weekend and approach the single digits. borsum
&&
.AVIATION...
Strong cold front will move through the area this afternoon and
evening. Ahead of the front gusty southwest winds and areas of
smoke obscuring visibility should be expected. Along and behind
the front northwest winds could gust to 45 mph and isolated
thunderstorms will produce erratic winds. Timing on the front for
terminal sites is 00UTC for KLVM, 02UTC for KBIL, 03UTC for KMLS
and 05UTC for KSHR. borsum
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 055/078 054/090 060/094 062/087 059/090 060/096 064/097
51/B 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 01/U 01/U
LVM 045/077 046/087 053/093 054/089 053/092 055/096 057/095
71/N 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 01/U 01/U
HDN 055/079 049/091 057/095 059/088 056/091 057/097 060/098
31/B 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U
MLS 060/077 054/087 060/093 061/084 058/089 060/095 064/097
32/T 10/U 10/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U
4BQ 058/078 053/089 060/093 060/085 058/089 059/094 062/096
21/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/U
BHK 058/078 051/086 057/091 058/082 054/087 057/093 060/095
22/T 10/N 10/U 00/B 00/U 00/U 00/U
SHR 050/077 048/089 053/092 055/086 054/088 055/093 058/093
21/B 00/U 00/U 00/U 11/U 01/U 11/U
&&
.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Red Flag Warning in effect until midnight MDT tonight FOR
ZONES 123>132.
WY...Red Flag Warning in effect until midnight MDT tonight FOR
ZONES 274-284.
&&
weather.gov/billingsThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds gusted to 62 mph across the Livingston area.
Winds gusted to 60 mph across the area.
The Miles City Airport gusted to 64 mph for 30 minutes.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, August 2021
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: 973879, 973882, 978007.