Drought in Montana, September 13 to 30, 2022

Name: Drought in Montana, September 13 to 30, 2022
Start: 2022-09-13T00:00
End: 2022-09-30T23:59
Location: Montana

September 13 to 30, 2022 · NWS GGW · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A dry August and record heat in early September caused the drought to expand further into northeastern Montana.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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: 7

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 GGW wrote it up.

A dry August and record heat in early September caused the drought to expand further into northeastern Montana.

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 Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 12, 12:33 PM MST, 11 hours 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 12, 12:33 PM MST, 11 hours 27 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Glasgow MT
133 PM MDT Mon Sep 12 2022

.DISCUSSION...
A dry Cold front was dropping south through the area today with
breezy NW to N winds in it's wake this afternoon. This air is
expected to clear out some of the smoke across the area later
today.

Look for some cooling tonight mainly over the eastern zones as
surface high pressure drops into the northern plains from
Alberta/Sask. East winds will increase Tuesday as a result and a
Lake Wind Advisory is in effect.

Remnants from an upper low from the Pacific NW and Tropical Storm
Kay to our southwest then move through the region this week but
the systems will lose their moisture and much of the precipitation
will stay south and east of the area. As a result, temperatures
will be a bit cooler with the best chance of any scant rainfall
starting Friday. TFJ

&&

.AVIATION...
Flight Condition: VFR (Slant visibility may be impacted by haze).

Discussion: Dry conditions will continue through tonight and
tomorrow. A dry cold front in the afternoon will push the smoke
and haze off to the south.

Winds: Increasing from the NW then N today, diminishing tonight.

EQUIPMENT: While the KGDV visibility sensor is down, amendments
will be limited to clouds and wind for this terminal.

TFJ

&&

.GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Lake Wind Advisory from 10 AM Tuesday to 6 AM MDT Wednesday For
Fort Peck Lake for Central and Southeast Phillips...Central and
Southern Valley...Garfield...McCone...Petroleum.

Red Flag Warning until 8 PM MDT this evening for MTZ120.

&&

weather.gov/glasgow

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Eastern Roosevelt

When: September 13, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Eastern Roosevelt forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 48.295, -105.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On the second week of September, drought conditions worsened to (D2-Severe) along the western and southern edges of Eastern Roosevelt County, while the northeastern three quarters of the county was in (D1-Moderate) drought. On the last week of September, the entire area of Eastern Roosevelt County worsened to (D2-Severe) drought.

Drought, Richland

When: September 13, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Richland forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 47.788, -104.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

During the second week of September, the northeastern half of Richland County worsened to (D2-Severe) drought conditions, while the southwestern half was in (D1-Moderate) drought. By the third week of September all of Richland County had worsened to (D2-Severe) drought conditions. On the last week of September an area of southwestern Richland County as well as the far northwestern corner had worsened to (D3-Extreme) drought, while the remainder of Richland County remained in (D2-Severe) conditions.

Drought, McCone

When: September 13, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: McCone forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 47.645, -105.795 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On the second week of September, the northwestern quarter and the far northeastern corner of McCone County were in (D2-Severe) conditions, while the remainder of the county was in (D1-Moderate) drought. By the third week of September, all but the far southern tip and far southwestern corner of McCone County had worsened to (D2-Severe) conditions, while these two small areas remained in (D1-Moderate) drought. By the last week of September the northern quarter and the southeastern quarter of McCone County had worsened to (D3-Extreme) drought, while the remaining half of McCone County in between these two areas was in (D2-Severe) conditions.

Drought, Garfield

When: September 13, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Garfield forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 47.278, -106.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On the second week of September, drought conditions on the northern quarter of Garfield County worsened to (D2-Severe), with the north central quarter of Garfield County in (D1-Moderate) drought, the south central quarter in (D0-Abnormally Dry) conditions and the southern quarter of the county in no drought classification at all. On the third week of September the northern third of Garfield County worsened to (D2-Severe) conditions, the middle third worsened to (D1-Moderate) drought and the southern third worsened to (D0-Abnormally Dry) conditions. During the last week of September the northern third of Garfield County remained in (D2-Severe) conditions while the southern two thirds worsened to (D1-Moderate) drought.

Drought, Central and Se Phillips

When: September 13, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Central and Se Phillips forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 48.259, -107.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On the second week of September, all of Central and Southeast Phillips County worsened to (D2-Severe) conditions. These conditions would remain the same through the end of September.

Drought, Petroleum

When: September 13, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Petroleum forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 47.118, -108.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

During the second week of September, the northwestern corner of Petroleum County worsened to (D2-Severe) conditions. Meanwhile the northcentral area of Petroleum County was in (D1-Moderate) drought, the southwestern corner was (D0-Abnormally Dry) conditions and the southeastern corner had no drought classification. On the third week of September the northwestern corner of Petroleum County remained in (D2-Severe) conditions while the central third of the county worsened to (D1-Moderate) drought and the southern third of the county worsened to (D0-Abnormally Dry) conditions. By the last week of September the northwestern corner of Petroleum County remained in (D2-Severe) conditions while the southern three quarters of Petroleum County worsened to (D1-Moderate) drought.

Drought, Little Rocky Mountains

When: September 13, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where: Little Rocky Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 48.259, -107.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On the second week of September, all of the Little Rocky Mountains worsened to (D2-Severe) conditions. These conditions would remain the same through the end of the month.

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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, September 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1050504, 1050508, 1050822, 1050853, 1052111, 1052112, 1052113.