Showers and thunderstorms developed across Central and Southwest Montana, leading to strong, gusty winds, small hail, brief downpours, and an array of lightning. Dry and seasonally mild conditions returned thereafter, leading to an increase of westerly winds in excess 55 mph across the Rocky Mountain Front and adjacent plains.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 TFX wrote it up.
Showers and thunderstorms developed across Central and Southwest Montana, leading to strong, gusty winds, small hail, brief downpours, and an array of lightning. Dry and seasonally mild conditions returned thereafter, leading to an increase of westerly winds in excess 55 mph across the Rocky Mountain Front and adjacent plains. Cooler temperatures returned during the latter half of the week, with temperatures 10 to 20 degrees below average and widespread precipitation. Lower elevations saw generally a tenth to half an inch of liquid precipitation, whereas higher elevations saw several inches of snowfall.
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 May 16, 1:48 PM MST, 15 minutes earlier.
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</html>The Great Falls radar (KTFX), 127 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:01 UTC.
14 high wind, 3 winter storm, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Mesonet station Ginger Raws recorded a wind gust of 50 knots.
An ambient weather sensor recorded a wind gust of 52 knots. Air temperature dropped from 67 F to 42 F.
Mesonet station MTSWT Sweetgrass (MT DOT) measured 65 mph wind gust.
Mesonet station DCRM8 Deep Creek raws measured 72 mph wind gust.
Mesonet station MTPND Pendroy (MT DOT) measured 67 mph wind gust.
Mesonet station YCTIM Yellowstone club - avalanche measured 60 mph wind gust.
Mesonet station TR276 L-C portable no. 1 measured 67 mph wind gust.
Personal weather station recorded a wind gust of 65.8 mph in Winifred.
Mesonet station FW9939 Chester measured 68 mph wind gust.
Mesonet station MTM07 Churchill S measured wind gust of 56 knots.
Ambient weather sensor reported 71 mph wind gust 1 mile W of Havre.
Mesonet station MTM05 Arc-WTRI Conrad measured 60 mph wind gust.
Mesonet station FW2944 Belt measured 64 mph wind gust.
Automated equipment at Mount Lockhart estimated 9 inches of new snow for the event.
Mesonet station MTM 52 measured 60 mph wind gust 7 miles SE Hogeland.
Snowfall of 7.5 inches fell. Some settling and melting of the snow (from a warm ground) has occurred since snow began falling Thursday evening.
Mesonet station DVI01740 8 miles SSW of Fort Benton measured 59 knot wind gust.
Mesonet station MTM47 MDA- Benchland measured 60 mph wind gust.
Reported 8 inches of snowfall relayed via social media with location estimated by report description.
Heavy wet snowfall of 6 inches overnight in the Bears paw Mountains.
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, May 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: 1030031, 1030032, 1030081, 1030063, 1030078, 1030073, 1030070, 1030045, 1030071, 1030050, 1030067, 1030075, 1030036, 1076213, 1030037, 1030355, 1030043, 1030069, 1030363, 1030357.