A deepening shortwave trough passed over the Northern Rockies. The dynamics with this system were rather impressive, complete with 50 to 70 kt mid-level flow and a strong cold front with H700 temperatures in the -10 to -15C range.
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 deepening shortwave trough passed over the Northern Rockies. The dynamics with this system were rather impressive, complete with 50 to 70 kt mid-level flow and a strong cold front with H700 temperatures in the -10 to -15C range.
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 Apr 4, 10:10 AM MST, 2 hours 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Great Falls MT 1110 AM MDT Mon Apr 4 2022 ...Aviation Section Updated... .SYNOPSIS... A strengthening disturbance brings the potential for widespread strong winds, increased shower activity, and accumulating mountain snow this afternoon through Tuesday evening. Drier and warmer weather returns for the latter half of the week. Another disturbance moves into the region this weekend, likely bringing periods of showers and a dip in temperatures. && .Update... Morning update has been published, with primary focus and adjustments made to PoPs and winds to account for latest Hi-Res and probabilistic data. Widespread and prolonged High Wind event is expected across much of the Northern Rockies from this afternoon/evening through Tuesday afternoon/evening. Wind speeds and gusts with this High Wind event may even approach the high end spectrum, especially along and west of the I-15 corridor from North Central through Southwest Montana where wind gusts may exceed 75 mph (areas across Glacier, Toole, Pondera, Teton, and Northern Lewis and Clark Counties could even approach 90 mph). Across the remainder of the CWA, frequent wind gusts of 60 to 75 mph should be expected. In addition to the very strong winds, rain/snow can be expected, most notably over the mountains and along the strong Pacific cold front. Given how dynamic this storm system will be moving across the Northern Rockies, instances of lightning and thunder are expected. Localized reductions in visibility due to falling precipitation are possible, especially with the most intense precipitation, which is expected to accompany the Pacific cold front. Finally, given below normal precipitation across the region for much of the past 6 months to year, blowing dust could occur. Should blowing dust occur, expect significant reductions in visibility. - Moldan && .AVIATION... 1110 AM MDT Mon Apr 4 2022 (04/18Z TAF period) While some IFR/MVFR conditions can't be ruled out this afternoon and tonight due to rain/snow showers, especially between 21z this afternoon and 12z Tuesday, primarily VFR conditions are expected throughout the TAF period. Biggest story and concern over the next 24 hours will be winds, with winds increasing through the afternoon hours and becoming very strong by this evening and then persisting though much of the day on Tuesday. Frequent wind gusts in excess of 50kts are expected at all terminals from late this afternoon/early this evening through the day on Tuesday, with some instances of wind gusts approaching 65-75kts. Mountain wave turbulence is likely. Mountain obscuration will persist through the day on Tuesday. - Moldan Refer to weather.gov/zlc for more detailed regional aviation weather and hazard information. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 516 AM MDT Mon Apr 4 2022/ The brief period with quiet conditions comes to an end as the weak upper-level ridge exits the region to the east. An active weather pattern returns beginning this afternoon with possible snow showers, specifically along the Divide, then extending eastward in the form of rain across the plains. Primary concern is the widespread high winds across the region, associated with a powerful Polar Jet Stream aloft. Guidance provided by the NBM v4.1 suggests >80% confidence of region-wide gusts in excess of 48 knots and >60% confidence of gusts in excess of 56 knots are expected, with sustained winds in the neighborhood of 30 to 35 mph. Localized areas could expect even stronger gusts due to downsloping winds. This isn't even factoring in any convective enhancement to the winds, particularly along the Hi-Line as the surface low propagates eastward along the Canadian border, strengthening the pressure gradient, which could increase winds even more than displayed by ensemble guidance. The magnitude of these strong winds could create difficult travel conditions for high-profile vehicles, cause tree and/or property damage, and blow away unsecured objects. Current wind highlights have High Wind Warnings along the Rocky Mountain Front and parts of Southwest Montana, with High Wind Watches elsewhere; however, have opted to upgrading existing Watches across the region, in accordance to the confidence and trends supported from current guidance. Furthermore, due to the continued drought across the region and lack of consistent moisture, soil moisture content may still be dry over the plains and parts of the Southwest valleys and could lead to blowing dust concerns ahead of the precipitation associated with the frontal passage. The dry and windy conditions from this event may also pose risk to fire weather concerns; however, the junction of cooler temperatures behind the front and scattered shower activity should dampen these concerns. Secondary concern is the accumulating snow along mountain passes, especially Marias Pass, where the potential for snow total range between 1 and 5 inches, and higher amounts are possible above pass level. With the aforementioned winds, blowing/drifting snow is possible at mountain/pass level. Accumulating snow is less of a concern for lower elevations, though there is potential for moderate to heavy convective showers with the frontal passage that moves into the region late this afternoon. Winter Weather Advisories currently exist along the Rocky Mountain Front and far western portions of the CWA. By Wednesday, the shortwave trough exits to the east, high pressure ridging rebuilds over the western CONUS extending well into western Canada. For this period, conditions will be quiet again, with light breezy winds. Temperatures will begin to rebound during the latter half of the week, with many locations in the lower to mid 70s by Friday. This will be short-lived though, as another trough moves in from the Pacific over the weekend. Periods of brief rain/snow showers are likely, as well as a dip in the temperatures; however, confidence is low regarding specific details at this time. - Pierce && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 57 30 45 30 / 50 20 10 20 CTB 52 29 43 28 / 40 10 20 20 HLN 56 28 43 27 / 90 70 30 10 BZN 54 25 40 22 / 90 100 40 10 WYS 44 13 33 8 / 90 100 50 20 DLN 54 23 38 19 / 80 100 30 0 HVR 59 32 48 33 / 40 20 50 60 LWT 55 27 41 28 / 50 50 20 30 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning from 3 PM this afternoon to midnight MDT Tuesday night Blaine...Broadwater...Cascade...Central and Southern Lewis and Clark...Chouteau...Eastern Pondera...Eastern Teton...Fergus...Hill...Jefferson...Judith Basin...Liberty... Meagher...Toole. Winter Weather Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 9 AM MDT Tuesday Central and Southern Lewis and Clark...Gallatin... Jefferson...Madison...Southern Rocky Mountain Front. High Wind Warning until 3 PM MDT Tuesday Beaverhead...Gallatin... Madison. Winter Weather Advisory until 9 AM MDT Tuesday Beaverhead. High Wind Warning until midnight MDT Tuesday night Eastern Glacier...Northern Rocky Mountain Front...Southern Rocky Mountain Front. Winter Weather Advisory until 1 AM MDT Wednesday Northern Rocky Mountain Front. && http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls
17 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple sensors measured gusts in excess of 58 mph, including a 69 mph wind gust at Cut Bank Airport ASOS (KCTB).
Multiple sensors measured gusts of 58 mph or greater, including an ambient weather station at Bartsch Farms which measured a gust of 73 mph.
Multiple sensors across the county measured gusts in excess of 58 mph both April 4 and 5, with the strongest gust (67 mph) being measured at mesonet station mtm70 3.0 NW Dillon (mt-meso).
Multiple sensors observed wind gusts in excess of 58 mph. A 73 mph wind gust was observed at an Ambient Weather Station 5 ESE Gallatin Gateway.
Mesonet station mtm53 - Oilmont measured multiple wind gusts of 58 mph or greater, including a gust of 66 mph.
Multiple sensors measured wind gusts of 58 mph or greater, including an ambient weather station 6 NE Lothair which measured a 59 mph gust.
Multiple sources, including mesonets, trained spotters, and ASOS measured gusts greater than or equal to 58 mph on April 4 and 5. The peak gust was reported by a trained spotter, who measured a 66 mph gust.
Multiple sensors measured gusts of 58 mph or greater, including mesonet station mtm47 MDA - Benchland which measured a 67 mph gust.
Several sensors measured gusts of 58 mph or greater, including mesonet station EW1937 Goldstone, which measured a 61 mph gust.
Several sensors measured gusts of 58 mph or greater including mesonet station tr276 Lewis and Clark Portable No 1 which measured an 85 mph gust. This sensor was damaged by the 85 mph wind gust.
Several sensors measured gusts at or above 58 mph between April 4 and 5. The peak gust (61 mph) was measured at mesonet station ginm8 Ginger RAWS.
Multiple sensors measured gusts of 58 mph or greater, including an ambient weather station near Joslyn Street in Helena which measured a 66 mph gust.
Two mesonets measured gusts greater than 58 mph, including mesonet station mtbrn - Two Medicine Bridge (MT DOT) which measured a 66 mph gust.
Several sensors measured wind gusts of 58 mph or greater, including mesonet station mtm17 BLM - Virginia City which measured a 67 mph gust.
Multiple sensors measured gusts in excess of 58 mph on April 5, with the peak gust (72 mph) measured at mesonet station fblm8 Fort Belknap RAWS.
Multiple sensors measured gusts in excess of 58 mph on April 5, including a 70 mph gust measured at mesonet station mtm42 blm roy.
Multiple senors measured gusts from 58 to 60 mph, including mesonet station mtm02 10.2 S Loma (mt-meso).
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, April 2022
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: 1016083, 1016102, 1011863, 1016078, 1016106, 1016091, 1011866, 1016085, 1016084, 1016120, 1011865, 1016088, 1016111, 1016098, 1011864, 1011868, 1011867.