With a persistent ridge of high pressure impacting most of the region for most of the month, most storm systems were directed away from northeast Montana, but a few helpful storms brought some slight relief to limited areas. Overall, the current drought continued and mainly worsened as its severity spread more toward the west.
Every event with a place to put it; 15 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 GGW wrote it up.
With a persistent ridge of high pressure impacting most of the region for most of the month, most storm systems were directed away from northeast Montana, but a few helpful storms brought some slight relief to limited areas. Overall, the current drought continued and mainly worsened as its severity spread more toward the west.
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 May 31, 12:59 PM MST, 11 hours 1 minute earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Glasgow MT 159 PM MDT Mon May 31 2021 .DISCUSSION... Upper level ridge has built into the area and a warming trend has commenced. Temperatures are now expected to be well above normal into the weekend with widespread 90s expected after Wednesday, and record heat likely on Thursday. Glasgow's forecast high of 96 would tie the record for the date set back in 1988. Friday evening a front comes through the area bringing a cooling trend for Saturday and Sunday. Some models continue showing precipitation chances this weekend as well but there is still quite a bit of uncertainty on this so we'll continue to monitor. RMB && .AVIATION... Conditions: VFR Winds: Light and variable overnight, becoming NW 10-15kts, gusts to 20kts on Tuesday. Summary: Dry conditions continue into Tuesday and most of the week. Some cloud cover at times but ceilings stay well over VFR thresholds. RMB && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && weather.gov/glasgow
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
15 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Ongoing drought conditions (D3-Extreme) continued across all of Sheridan County through the entire month of June.
Ongoing drought conditions (D3-Extreme) across all of Daniels County at the beginning of June, improved slightly to D2-Severe in the far southwest corner of the county. By mid month and through the end of June, D2-Severe drought replaced D3-Extreme drought through the west-central portion of the county.
Ongoing drought conditions (D3-Extreme) continued across all of Eastern Roosevelt County through the entire month of June.
Ongoing drought conditions (D3-Extreme) across all of Richland County to begin the month of June, got some relief in the second week as D2-Severe drought replaced D3-Extreme drought across western and central portions of the county and in the third week in the far southeast corner of the county. Drought conditions then remained that way through the end of the month.
Ongoing drought conditions (D3-Extreme) across all of Dawson County to begin the month of June, got some relief in the second week as D2-Severe drought replaced D3-Extreme drought over the northwest third of the county and remained that way through the end of the month.
Ongoing drought conditions (D3-Extreme) across all of Wibaux County to begin the month of June, got some small relief in the third week as D2-Severe drought replaced D3-Extreme drought in the far northeast corner of the county and remained that way through the end of the month.
Ongoing drought conditions (D3-Extreme) for all of Prairie County except the southwest corner in D2-Severe to start the month of June, showed a little improvement with the northwest corner also in D2-Severe by the second week. These conditions then continued this way through the end of the month.
Ongoing drought conditions (D3-Extreme) for all of Western Roosevelt county to start the month of June improved slightly to D2-Severe for the western third of Western Roosevelt County by the second week, which continued this way through the end of the month.
Ongoing drought conditions for all of McCone County were D3-Extreme except the far southwest edge in D2-Severe to start the month of June. By the second week, D2-Severe prevailed across all of McCone county, but the far southeastern corner of the county remained in D3-Extreme. For the last few weeks of the month, D3-Extreme returned to the northwest corner of the county.
Ongoing drought conditions (D3-Extreme) across all of Northern Valley County at the beginning of June, changed very little in the second week with D2-Severe in the far southeast corner of Northern Valley County. These conditions then continued this way through the end of the month.
To start the month of June, ongoing drought conditions (D3-Extreme) were across most of Central and Southern Valley with D2-Severe in the southwestern portion. By the second week, D2-Severe prevailed across most of Central and Southern Valley County with D3-Extreme in the northwest portion. By the fourth week, D3-Extreme drought returned to most areas, while D2-Severe remained over the eastern edge.
To start the month of June, ongoing drought conditions (D2-Severe) were across all but the southeastern edge of Garfield County while D3-Extreme remained in the far northeastern corner of the county (Haxby Point). By the second week, D3-Extreme retreated eastward to leave all but the southeastern edge of Garfield County in D2-Severe. By the third week of the month, D3-Extreme returned to central and northern portions of the county. By the end of the month, D3-Extreme spread further west to include most of Garfield county, except the southeast now in D2-Severe.
Ongoing drought conditions (D2-Severe) in the western third of Northern Phillips County, and D3-Extreme drought in the eastern two thirds of Northern Phillips County continued through the entire month of June.
Ongoing drought conditions (D3-Extreme) in the far northeastern portion of Central and Southeastern Phillips County and D2-Severe over the remainder of Central and Southeastern Phillips County persisted through the first half of the month of June. By the third week, D3-Extreme drought extended southward to cover a bit more of the eastern edge of Central and Southeastern Phillips County. By the end of the month D3-Extreme has spread to more of the eastern and southern sections with D2-Severe holding on over western and northwestern sections.
Ongoing drought conditions (D2-Severe) across all of Petroleum County prevailed through the first three weeks of the month of June. By the end of the month, D3-Extreme drought had spread over all of Petroleum County.
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, June 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: 969439, 969445, 969446, 969447, 969448, 969449, 969502, 969503, 969504, 969505, 969506, 969507, 969511, 969513, 969515.