High Wind in Montana, February 21 to 22, 2021

Name: High Wind in Montana, February 21 to 22, 2021
Start: 2021-02-21T17:45
End: 2021-02-22T13:15
Location: Montana

February 21 to 22, 2021 · NWS GGW · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A dry cold front and a strong jet stream over the region combined with favorable atmospheric conditions to bring some of those strong winds aloft down to the surface, for multiple locations across northeast Montana.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GGW wrote it up.

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 Feb 21, 2:28 PM MST, 3 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 2:28 PM MST, 3 hours 17 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Glasgow MT
228 PM MST Sun Feb 21 2021

.DISCUSSION...
Relative pleasant weather conditions prevailed across Northeast
Montana this afternoon. Temperatures were warmer than expected.
Some minor changes were made to temperatures grids to account for
latest surface observations. Temperatures ranged from low 40s to
mid to upper 40s in some areas.

Main focus next 12 to 24 hours are the strong winds which will
affect the region this afternoon into tonight through Monday
morning. Models are consistent with winds between 35-40mph gusting
up to 60 mph in some areas, mainly across the southwest zones.
As a result High wind watches and warnings in effect.

Next chance for precipitation is forecast to occur on Tuesday as a
cold front moves through the region. Temperatures will drop
somewhat on Wednesday, but quickly recovers by the end of the
week.

&&

.AVIATION...
FLIGHT CAT: VFR

LLWS: With a temperature inversion tonight at the 4 TAF sites,
some low level wind shear can be expected. There appears to be a
bit of a disconnect between main ensemble LLWS speeds and stronger
than expected surface winds through Monday. So, LLWS may be a
little less severe than currently anticipated. But it is still
expected through the bulk of the cycle through Monday.

DISCUSSION: Otherwise, expect variable high and some mid-level
clouds through Sunday with surface winds 10 kts or less through
tonight.

WIND: West at 10 to 20 kts, Gusting to 30 kts this afternoon and
evening. Further increasing to 15 to 25 kts gusting to 40 kts
Monday morning.

GAH/FGC

&&

.GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
High Wind Warning from 10 PM this evening to 6 PM MST Monday for
Central and Southeast Phillips...Garfield...Northern Phillips...
Petroleum...Southwest Phillips.

High Wind Watch from Monday morning through Monday afternoon for
Central and Southern Valley...Dawson...McCone...Prairie...
Wibaux.

&&

weather.gov/glasgow

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Little Rocky Mountains

When: February 21, 5:45 PM MST to February 22, 10:30 AM MST
Where: Little Rocky Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 71 kt (82 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 48.259, -107.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

For multiple locations in southwest Phillips County, sustained wind speeds of at least 40 mph and/or wind gusts of at least 58 mph began as early as the evening of the 21st and lasted through the mid-morning on the 22nd.

High Wind, Northern Valley

When: February 22, 6:44 AM MST
Where: Northern Valley forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 48.365, -106.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At the Bluff Creek RAWS site (BLUM8), a 59 mph wind gust was recorded at 6:44 AM MST on the 22nd.

High Wind, Central and Se Phillips

When: February 22, 8:35 AM MST
Where: Central and Se Phillips forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 48.259, -107.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sustained winds near 40 mph were common for only about 1 1/2 hours, but a wind gust of 59 mph was recorded in the mid-morning on the 22nd at the Malta airport AWOs site (KM75).

High Wind, McCone

When: February 22, 9:48 AM MST to 11:48 AM MST
Where: McCone forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.645, -105.795 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

For multiple observation sites across McCone County, sustained winds near and above 40 mph occurred for only about 1 hour in the late morning of the 22nd, but peak wind gusts of 62 mph persisted from 9:48 AM to 10:48 AM MST at the Fort Peck Dam Handar mesonet site (GGWFP).

High Wind, Garfield

When: February 22, 9:49 AM MST to 11:29 AM MST
Where: Garfield forecast zone
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 47.278, -106.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

For multiple observation sites across central and western Garfield County, sustained winds near and above 40 mph were common through the late morning hours on the 22nd. The peak wind gust of 66 mph was recorded at 10:48 AM MST at the Jordan airport ASOS site (KJDN).

High Wind, Wibaux

When: February 22, 10:23 AM MST to 1:13 PM MST
Where: Wibaux forecast zone
Measured: 67 kt (77 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 46.965, -104.249 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At the Beaver Hill I-94 DOT site (MTBVR), sustained winds in excess of 40 mph were common through the late morning and mid-day hours on the 22nd. The peak wind gust of 77 mph was recorded at 11:23 AM MST.

High Wind, Dawson

When: February 22, 10:45 AM MST to 1:15 PM MST
Where: Dawson forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.266, -104.899 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Through central and southern Dawson County, sustained winds near and above 40 mph were common through the late morning and mid-day hours on the 22nd. The peak wind gust of 63 mph was recorded at 11:30 AM MST at the BLM Glendive mesonet site (MTM28).

High Wind, Prairie

When: February 22, 11:08 AM MST
Where: Prairie forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 46.861, -105.378 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At the Big Sheep Mountain RAWS site (LCFM8), the peak wind gust of 59 mph was recorded at 11:08 AM MST.

What these are

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.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Montana in 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, February 2021

Sources

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: 942766, 944680, 944678, 944705, 944691, 944717, 944709, 944718.