Hail in Montana, July 8, 2022

Name: Hail in Montana, July 8, 2022
Start: 2022-07-08T00:48
End: 2022-07-08T20:30
Location: Montana

July 8, 2022 · NWS MSO · 12 events in 5 counties and zones

Sufficient CAPE, SHEAR, dew points in the upper 50s, and southwest flow combined to produce severe weather.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 MSO wrote it up.

Sufficient CAPE, SHEAR, dew points in the upper 50s, and southwest flow combined to produce severe weather.

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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 7, 12:08 PM MST, 12 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 7, 12:08 PM MST, 12 hours 40 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
108 PM MDT Thu Jul 7 2022

.DISCUSSION...Thunderstorms are in the forecast again today and
tomorrow. The combination of clear skies, a moist air mass, and
southwest flow are the standard ingredients for thunderstorms in
the Northern Rockies, and we have plenty of all of them. Generally,
we expect heavy rain with thunderstorms, but there is a slight
chance that some storms will be severe and produce 1 inch or
larger hail and/or winds 60 mph or more. The severe storm
potential this evening will remain greatest in southwest Montana,
namely Silver Bow county. Central Idaho and the rest of western
Montana can expect heavy rain with thunderstorms, which is a minor
downgrade in the expected intensity of storms compared to
previous forecasts.

Flash flooding is always a concern with thunderstorms with heavy
rain. For this evening, the storms are expected to be moving at
20-35 mph depending on location. This speed will keep them from
lingering too long in one place, which reduces the chances for a
flash flood. However, if storms start "training", which is
when they form one behind the other, then any location that gets
hit multiple times may still see some flash flooding. That is the
main threat we'll be watching for this evening. For Friday, the
thunderstorm situation looks very similar.

For the longer term forecast, the sub-tropical ridge over the
southwest is growing stronger. Early next week, a transitory ridge
will move across the Northern Rockies and become superimposed on
the high pressure centered over the Four Corners region of the US.
This will cause the warmest temperatures of the year so far, with
the best potential for western Montana locations to reach the
100F mark. Ensemble models agree very well on this, so forecast
confidence is high. Some moisture from the Desert Southwest
monsoon may work its way north and cause some thunderstorms over
southwest Montana next week.

But alas, the ridge is only transitory over our region, and
ensembles agree on it breaking down mid to late next week with a
return southwest flow. Naturally, this will bring back the
chances of thunderstorms.

&&

.AVIATION...Showers and thunderstorms are beginning to develop
across portions of Lemhi county and southwest Montana this
afternoon. The convection is anticipated to increase in coverage
and intensity across north central Idaho into west central and
southwest Montana during the remainder of the afternoon and
evening. KBTM and KSMN have the best chance of being impacted by a
thunderstorm until 08/02z. These storms will be capable of
producing heavy rain, hail, and gusty erratic winds. The models
are indicating that KMSO could be impacted by storms between
08/00z to 08/08z. Nocturnal convection appears to linger across
southern Lemhi county. Any places that receive some rain this
afternoon and evening have the potential of developing patchy fog
by Friday morning.

&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...None.
ID...None.
&&

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 7, 9:32 PM MST, 3 hours 16 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 7, 9:50 PM MST, 2 hours 58 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 7, 9:54 PM MST, 2 hours 54 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 7, 10:24 PM MST, 2 hours 24 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 8, 12:04 AM MST, 44 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 8, 12:43 AM MST, 5 minutes before

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The radar

The Missoula radar (KMSX), 46 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:48 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Lake

When: July 8, 12:48 AM MST to 1:15 AM MST
Where: Lake County, 0.41 mi NNW of Charlo
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.436, -114.172

One inch hail was reported in Charlo, MT.

Hail, Ravalli

When: July 8, 1:49 PM MST to 2:15 PM MST
Where: Ravalli County, 5.65 mi E of Darby
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.030, -114.063

Although the largest public report of hail was 3/4 on Deer Mountain east of Darby, MT, radar did estimate 1.25 hail with a reflectivity core of 70 dbz at 33,000 feet.

Hail, Missoula

When: July 8, 2:18 PM MST to 3:15 PM MST
Where: Missoula County, 0.88 mi W of Frenchtown to 2.39 mi NNW of Desmet
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.022, -114.248

A member of the public sent in a photo demonstrating 1.25 hail. Hail around 2.5 was reported by an employee of the NWS near Wye, MT.

Hail, Lake

When: July 8, 2:55 PM MST to 3:19 PM MST
Where: Lake County, 3.39 mi SSE of Ravalli to 2.67 mi ESE of Charlo
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.227, -114.145

Two reports of large hail were received, one of .88 around Ravalli ,MT and the second of 1 just south of Ninepipes Reservoir.

Hail, Lake

When: July 8, 3:15 PM MST to 3:30 PM MST
Where: Lake County, 2.35 mi N of Post Creek
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.414, -114.105

Hail, Missoula

When: July 8, 3:30 PM MST to 3:40 PM MST
Where: Missoula County, 2.58 mi WNW of Seeley Lake Arpt
Measured: 2 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.191, -113.502

A member of the public sent in a photo of 2 hail that fell near Seeley Lake.

Hail, Ravalli

When: July 8, 4:30 PM MST to 4:40 PM MST
Where: Ravalli County, 0.85 mi SE of Corvallis
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.313, -114.105

A member of the public reported 1 inch hail near Corvalis.

Hail, Granite

When: July 8, 6:20 PM MST to 6:25 PM MST
Where: Granite County, 2 mi E of Nimrod
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.700, -113.438

Hail, Powell

When: July 8, 6:35 PM MST to 6:40 PM MST
Where: Powell County, 5.14 mi N of Helmville
Measured: 1.2 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.944, -112.944

Hail, Missoula

When: July 8, 7:35 PM MST to 7:38 PM MST
Where: Missoula County, 1.28 mi SE of Clinton to 1.01 mi NW of Potomac
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.769, -113.708

There were two reports of 1 hail near Clinton, followed by another near US-200 2 miles from Potomac, MT.

Hail, Missoula

When: July 8, 8:00 PM MST to 8:05 PM MST
Where: Missoula County, 1.04 mi WNW of Potomac
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.888, -113.599

Hail, Missoula

When: July 8, 8:25 PM MST to 8:30 PM MST
Where: Missoula County, 4.3 mi NNW of Clearwater Junction to 5.97 mi N of Clearwater Junction
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Park/Forest Service
Coordinates: 47.060, -113.393

There were two reports of large hail near Salmon Lake; a Forest Service employee reported 1.5 hail south of the lake, while there was a report of 1.75 hail just east of the lake.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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, July 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1044678, 1044679, 1044680, 1044681, 1055487, 1044682, 1044684, 1055488, 1055489, 1044687, 1055490, 1044701.