A strong pressure gradient resulted in high wind gusts along Interstate 90.
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The episode as NWS BYZ wrote it up.
A strong pressure gradient resulted in high wind gusts along Interstate 90.
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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 25, 9:09 AM MST, 2 hours 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated
National Weather Service Billings MT
909 AM MST Sun Dec 25 2022
.UPDATE...
The wind advisory for the western foothills was allowed to expire
as the pressure gradient has decreased in this area. BT
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Today through Monday Night...
Satellite imagery shows a shortwave dropping from southern Alberta
into northeast MT, downstream of a Pacific coast ridge. At the
surface, downslope winds have pushed temps to the 30s & 40s over
roughly the western two-thirds of the forecast area, and it even
touched 50F at Fort Smith, but eastern valleys remain cold (mostly
teens to lower 20s). The expected band of warm-frontal light
precip was really nothing more than mid clouds and perhaps a few
sprinkles. To this point we have not seen any freezing rain.
However, a developing area of mid level frontogenesis to our
north is resulting in a few showers on local radar near Jordan.
This activity should track to the S/SE over the next few hours and
could still produce some freezing precip to our northeast (Miles
City to Baker) between now and roughly 12z. Something to watch.
Regarding wind, Livingston ASOS peaked at 69 mph in the late
evening and winds continue to gust around 60 mph. Advisory gusts
also being reported near Nye. Will make no changes to the wind
highlights in effect for the gap locations thru 15z.
The remaining western foothills (i.e. Big Timber to Harlowton)
have a 50-60% chance of seeing 50 mph gusts today, but chances of
60 mph are quite low...so no need for a wind highlight in northern
Sweet Grass to Wheatland Counties. Attention then turns to wind
potential in our east as cold advection arrives behind the passing
wave to our northeast. Latest mesoanalysis picking up 50-55 knot
850mb winds in north central MT...which will spread southeastward
thru the morning. There is plenty of descent and wind aloft to
cause high surface winds in our east, but there is a strong low
level inversion per the snow cover, and we also expect strongest
isallobaric wind to pass from northeast MT into the Dakotas today.
The HREF and all recent HRRR runs also keep surface wind gusts in
check per the poor mixing. That being said there will be impacts.
There should be enough snow cover to cause blowing snow even as
temps warm to the 30s this morning. Cold advection should yield
falling temps by afternoon and teens by evening...so any brief
melting will refreeze. Taking all of this into account, have
cancelled the high wind watch and replaced it with a winter
weather advisory for Custer, Fallon & Carter from 6am to 8 pm.
Strongest gusts should occur from late morning to late afternoon.
Aforementioned frontogenesis will sag southward thru the day,
helping to produce a band of north-to-south migrating rain/snow
showers. Our southern mountains/foothills should see some brief
upslope enhancement. Overall look for a few inches of snow over
the mountains and perhaps a little (1" or less) wet snow
accumulation over the higher hills (e.g. Aberdeen Hill and Pryor,
but flow seems too NWLY for Red Lodge to become involved).
Otherwise we are expecting a brief period of rain showers.
Conditions will dry out this evening as stronger ridging builds
from the west.
Winds will decrease quickly this evening in our east, and the
arrival of more warm advection and lee side troffing will yield
increasing gap winds at Livingston and Nye. Local wind guidance
shows a 50-60% chance of 50+ mph gusts from early Monday through
Monday night. I-90 travel will be impacted by gusty cross winds,
but not sure if a highlight will be needed. Probs for 58+ mph
gusts are only 20-30% at this time.
Temps will max out in the upper 30s and 40s today. Lower 50s are
expected along the foothills Monday, with mid 30s to upper 40s
elsewhere. Monday night is looking quite mild with foothills
locations likely to not drop below 40F. Get ready for snow melt,
folks.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
JKL
Tuesday through Saturday...
The potential for strong gap winds will continue into Tuesday,
though backing flow aloft and pressure falls to our SW will work
against the winds over time Tuesday & Tuesday night. Zonal flow
with several embedded shortwaves and lower heights sets up for the
latter half of the week. This should bring periods of accumulating
snow for the mountains and at least a chance of light rain/snow
showers at lower elevations from Tuesday night through next
weekend, though we should note that the pattern overall is looking
very unorganized and forcing in our region looks to stay weak
with these waves...with the Pacific jet setting up well to our
south. This should also keep our foothills winds in check.
After a very mild Tuesday (50s possible), temperatures will cool
some for Wednesday through Saturday. Look for highs back to the
30s or lower 40s for the end of the week...i.e. pretty seasonable.
No signs of any arctic air over the next 7-10 days.
JKL
&&
.AVIATION...
VFR conditions are generally expected across the forecast area.
Scattered mixed precipitation and gusty winds this morning may
periodically lower visibility to MVFR. Mountain obscuration is
likely. The highest gusts are expected near KLVM of 35 to 45 kt
while the rest of the region can expect 20 to 30 kt gusts. Archer
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...
Tdy Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
-------------------------------------------------------
BIL 044 026/045 036/049 031/044 024/038 022/036 024/038
3/W 10/B 01/E 11/B 11/B 11/B 11/B
LVM 044 033/049 037/050 033/040 024/037 022/035 023/035
4/W 20/N 15/W 42/J 11/B 23/J 32/J
HDN 042 017/043 026/046 027/042 019/036 016/034 017/035
3/W 10/B 01/E 11/B 11/B 01/B 11/B
MLS 038 007/035 024/039 028/037 019/031 013/028 014/028
1/Q 00/B 01/E 10/B 11/B 00/B 00/B
4BQ 042 014/039 028/044 029/040 021/035 016/033 019/034
1/N 00/B 00/B 11/B 11/B 00/B 01/B
BHK 037 002/036 027/040 028/037 020/032 013/029 014/028
1/Q 00/B 00/B 10/B 11/B 00/B 00/B
SHR 045 020/047 030/051 028/042 019/036 016/035 019/034
7/W 20/B 01/E 12/W 11/B 11/B 11/B
&&
.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 8 PM MST this evening
FOR ZONES 32-33-37.
WY...None.
&&
weather.gov/billingsPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
608 AM MST SUN DEC 25 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0112 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 17 NE WILSALL 46.16N 110.38W
12/25/2022 M71.00 MPH PARK MT MESONET
&&
JKLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
633 AM MST SUN DEC 25 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 9 WNW ABSAROKEE 45.56N 109.61W
12/25/2022 M61.00 MPH STILLWATER MT MESONET
&&
JKLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
901 AM MST SUN DEC 25 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0612 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 17 NE WILSALL 46.16N 110.38W
12/25/2022 M54.00 MPH PARK MT MESONET
0645 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 ESE EMIGRANT 45.35N 110.68W
12/25/2022 M53.00 MPH PARK MT MESONET
0712 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 17 NE WILSALL 46.16N 110.38W
12/25/2022 M51.00 MPH PARK MT MESONET
&&
JWThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds gusted 60 to 66 mph along Interstate 90.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, December 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: 1062786.