As an upper level ridge flattened out across the region, upper level flow increased across the area. This upper level flow downsloped along the Rocky Mountain Front and raced across the plains, resulting in wind gusts over 60 mph across portions of the area, particularly along the Rocky Mountain Front and along the northern slopes of the Little Belt and Snowy Mountains.
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.
As an upper level ridge flattened out across the region, upper level flow increased across the area. This upper level flow downsloped along the Rocky Mountain Front and raced across the plains, resulting in wind gusts over 60 mph across portions of the area, particularly along the Rocky Mountain Front and along the northern slopes of the Little Belt and Snowy Mountains.
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 Feb 4, 5:00 AM MST, 1 hour 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Great Falls MT 500 AM MST Fri Feb 4 2022 Aviation Section Updated .SYNOPSIS... Southwesterly winds will develop over the region today, allowing for warmer temperatures to gradually move into the region. Additionally, periods of strong winds are expected over much of North Central MT through tonight. There will be some snow along the divide and across the Central mountain ranges through Saturday as well. Generally expect seasonable temperatures and mostly dry conditions for the start of next week. && .DISCUSSION... Today through Saturday night...A brisk westerly flow aloft is beginning to set up over the region early this morning. As a result, the cold air that moved southward into the region on Thursday evening is now slowly starting to shift back north/east. Expect that trend to continue through the day, with afternoon temperatures generally about 4 to 8 degrees above normal for many areas. Strong winds are expected to develop from west to east over North Central MT starting this morning and then continuing through tonight. All of North Central MT is now under a high wind warning, as the latest NBM 4.1 indicates the potential for strong winds across the region. Snow is likely to fall right near the divide, affecting Marias Pass, and also over the mountains of Central MT on Saturday, mostly affecting the Kings Hill pass area. As of now, went a touch below guidance QPF, and kept snow accumulations less than 3 inches, thus no winter highlights will be issued at this time. Sunday through Friday...Overall, above normal temperatures and little/no precipitation is expected over much of the region during this period. The forecast models are fairly consistent through Tuesday, then start to diverge a bit. Thus I followed the NBM, with the exception of slightly higher winds on Tuesday and decreased the snowfall a bit for Wed. Otherwise, much of the forecast is on track with the NBM for much of next week. Brusda && .AVIATION... 500 AM MST Fri Feb 4 2022 (04/12Z TAF period) Overall, winds will begin to increase between 13z and 19z today, with the strongest winds occurring this afternoon through tonight. Low Level Wind Shear could be an issue for a short time just as the strong winds aloft start to mix down, but kept them out of the TAF's for now. Snow will mainly fall along the divide through today, before spreading out towards the Central mountains late tonight. Mountains/passes will be obscured at times, especially the Rocky Mountain Front. Brusda Refer to weather.gov/zlc for more detailed regional aviation weather and hazard information. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 45 31 44 22 / 0 10 10 10 CTB 41 29 40 23 / 10 10 0 0 HLN 40 27 42 20 / 0 10 10 0 BZN 38 19 37 12 / 0 10 30 10 WYS 21 6 26 1 / 0 30 30 20 DLN 33 19 37 14 / 0 10 0 0 HVR 41 29 42 23 / 10 20 10 0 LWT 43 29 38 21 / 0 0 30 20 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning from noon today to 6 AM MST Saturday Blaine... Cascade...Central and Southern Lewis and Clark...Chouteau... Eastern Teton...Fergus...Hill...Judith Basin...Liberty... Meagher...Toole. High Wind Warning until 6 AM MST Saturday Northern Rocky Mountain Front...Southern Rocky Mountain Front...Eastern Glacier...Eastern Pondera. && http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
419 AM MST FRI FEB 4 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0324 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SE BROWNING 48.54N 112.98W
02/04/2022 M60 MPH GLACIER MT MESONET
MESONET STATION MTBWG BROWNING (MT DOT).
&&
BRUSDAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
538 AM MST FRI FEB 4 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0515 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 14 W BYNUM 47.98N 112.61W
02/04/2022 M61 MPH TETON MT MESONET
MESONET STATION DELMT DELLWO (MCSCN).
&&
AM7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Cut Bank ASOS reported multiple high wind gusts, with the strongest of 70 mph recorded at 10:38 am.
Two medicine bridge and Browning mesonet sensors reported wind gust between 58 and 67 mph through the day on the 4th.
Mesonet station 4 miles east of Cascade (mtm76) reported wind gusts between 58-62 mph.
Mesonet site 14 miles west of Bynum (dellwo) measured a wind gust to 77 mph.
Multiple sensors report wind gusts between 58 and 66 mph. 66 mph was recorded by the sensor in Geyser.
Mesonet station 8 miles east-southeast of Fort Benton (mtm02) measured wind gusts to 66 mph.
Mesonet station 6 miles northwest of Ledger (mtm05) reported a wind gust of 64 mph.
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, February 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: 1008648, 1008651, 1008575, 1008671, 1008653, 1008588, 1008665.