High Wind in Montana, January 29 to 31, 2022

Name: High Wind in Montana, January 29 to 31, 2022
Start: 2022-01-29T00:21
End: 2022-01-31T14:15
Location: Montana

January 29 to 31, 2022 · NWS TFX · 12 events in 11 counties and zones

Northwesterly flow aloft gradually became stronger and more westerly ahead of an approaching Pacific trough. The combination of this and a lee-side trough and its attendant cold front, resulted in stronger wind gusts moving off the Rocky Mountain Front onto the plains and into portions of southwestern Montana.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 12

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 TFX 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 Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 28, 10:10 PM MST, 2 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 28, 10:10 PM MST, 2 hours 11 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 28, 8:44 PM MST, 3 hours 37 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 28, 8:45 PM MST, 3 hours 36 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 28, 8:48 PM MST, 3 hours 33 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 28, 8:52 PM MST, 3 hours 29 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 28, 8:54 PM MST, 3 hours 27 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 28, 8:55 PM MST, 3 hours 26 minutes before

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Event by event

12 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Eastern Glacier

When: January 29, 12:21 AM MST
Where: Eastern Glacier forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS

KCTB measured a 50 kt (58 mph) non-thunderstorm wind gust.

High Wind, North Rocky Mountain Front

When: January 30, 9:54 PM MST
Where: North Rocky Mountain Front forecast zone
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways

MDT 2 SE Browning station measured a 58 kt (67 mph) non-thunderstorm wind gust.

High Wind, Southern Rocky Mountain Front

When: January 31, 2:00 AM MST
Where: Southern Rocky Mountain Front forecast zone
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

Mesonet Dellwo station measured a 70 kt (81 mph) non-thunderstorm wind gust.

High Wind, Eastern Glacier

When: January 31, 3:36 AM MST
Where: Eastern Glacier forecast zone
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS

KCTB measured a 70 kt (81 mph) non-thunderstorm wind gust.

High Wind, Fergus

When: January 31, 10:30 AM MST
Where: Fergus forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS

K1OM measured a 53 kt (61 mph) non-thunderstorm wind gust.

High Wind, Southern Lewis and Clark

When: January 31, 10:41 AM MST
Where: Southern Lewis and Clark forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways

MDT McDonald Pass measured a 52 kt (60 mph) non-thunderstorm wind gust.

High Wind, Hill

When: January 31, 11:30 AM MST
Where: Hill forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

Mesonet station 6 WSW Havre measured a 51 kt (59 mph) non-thunderstorm wind gust.

High Wind, Beaverhead

When: January 31, 11:45 AM MST
Where: Beaverhead forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

Mesonet station 8 NE Bannack measured a 51 kt (59 mph) non-thunderstorm wind gust.

High Wind, Blaine

When: January 31, 12:18 PM MST
Where: Blaine forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

Mesonet station 13 S Fort Belknap measured a 52 kt (60 mph) non-thunderstorm wind gust.

High Wind, Liberty

When: January 31, 12:40 PM MST
Where: Liberty forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

Mesonet station 9 N Joplin measured a 50 kt (59 mph) non-thunderstorm wind gust.

High Wind, Judith Basin

When: January 31, 1:00 PM MST
Where: Judith Basin forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

Mesonet station 3 ENE Benchland measured a 50 kt (58 mph) non-thunderstorm wind gust.

High Wind, Toole

When: January 31, 2:15 PM MST
Where: Toole forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

Mesonet Oilmont MDA (8 ENE Ferdig) measured a 51 kt (59 mph) non-thunderstorm wind gust.

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 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, January 2022

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1002989, 1003007, 1003054, 1003003, 1003000, 1003026, 1003014, 1002990, 1002991, 1003033, 1003017, 1003055.