Wildfire in Montana, August 1 to 31, 2023

Name: Wildfire in Montana, August 1 to 31, 2023
Start: 2023-08-01T13:59
End: 2023-08-31T23:59
Location: Montana

August 1 to 31, 2023 · NWS TFX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The Sidney Fire (Lightning start) was a forest fire started August 1st, 2023 21 miles southwest of Browning. The fire eventually grew to be 228 acres and was active through the remainder of August.

Where it happened

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.

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Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

The Sidney Fire (Lightning start) was a forest fire started August 1st, 2023 21 miles southwest of Browning. The fire eventually grew to be 228 acres and was active through the remainder of August.

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 Aug 1, 1:11 PM MST, 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 1, 1:11 PM MST, 48 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
211 PM MDT Tue Aug 1 2023

.SYNOPSIS...

Warm weather persists the next few days as upper level high
pressure remains over the area. A weather system will move near
the area Friday and Saturday, which will bring notable cooldown
along with the potential for widespread rainfall.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

Upper level ridging will maintain its grip across the area through
the end of the week, which will keep rather warm temperatures
across the area through Thursday. As this ridge maintains its
strength, southwesterly flow around the western edge of the ridge
will begin to bring in a few rounds of monsoonal moisture into the
area, with the first one expected to arrive on Wednesday. This
will result in a few showers and thunderstorms across southwestern
Montana on Wednesday and Thursday. Across the plains, expect less
in the way of showers and thunderstorms, as temperatures continue
to rise into the mid 90s for daytime highs.

A more significant weather system is possible for Friday and
Saturday as energy works around the upper level ridge and into
Western Montana. Right now, the ensemble data shows a bit of range
with regards to this system, with some members showing very little
to no rain, while some are showing a solution with some fairly
heavy rainfall for parts of the area. For now, we will take a bit
of a middle ground forecast, but we will need to watch to see
which way the trends go over the next few days. Ludwig

Behind this system, northwesterly flow aloft settles across much
of the Treasure State thereafter, accentuating the trending cooler
temperatures through early next week. The Climate Prediction
Center (CPC) continues to depict a 40 to 60% chance of leaning
below normal temperatures through the mid-August (and a 40 to 50%
chance of leaning above normal precipitation). Perhaps a small
inkling that the August Singularity is right on the doorstep. -
Pierce/Ludwig

&&

.AVIATION...
1140 AM MDT Tue Aug 1 2023 (01/18Z TAF Period)

VFR conditions should mostly prevail over the next 24 hours, though
some smoke from Western Montana will result in periods of reduced
visibility at times. Aside from the smoke, expect just a few high
clouds and generally light winds. Ludwig

Refer to weather.gov/zlc for more detailed regional aviation
weather and hazard information.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GTF  58  94  61  90 /   0   0  10  10
CTB  50  93  55  90 /   0   0   0   0
HLN  62  94  60  90 /   0  20  20  20
BZN  56  88  53  83 /   0  30  30  40
WYS  48  72  43  71 /  10  70  60  60
DLN  53  82  50  80 /   0  40  20  30
HVR  55  97  63  95 /   0   0  10  10
LWT  58  90  58  82 /   0  10  30  30

&&

.TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, East Glacier Park Region

When: August 1, 1:59 PM MST to August 31, 11:59 PM MST
Where: East Glacier Park Region forecast zone
Reported by: Park/Forest Service
Coordinates: 48.467, -112.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On August 1, members or the Rocky Mountain Ranger District (USFS) reported the Sidney fire south of US-2 along the Rocky Mountain Front, between 2 and 2.5 miles west from the Badger Cabin admin site. The fire start was lightning. Timber was the main fuel involved and the fire eventually grew to the size of 228 acres. The fire lasted through the entire month of August, spanning into the second week of September.

What these are

Wildfire: A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Montana in 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, August 2023

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: 1129862.