A second push of strong mid level flow resulted in another period of strong winds along the Rocky Mountain Front, but also spread into Central Montana behind island ranges.
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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.
A second push of strong mid level flow resulted in another period of strong winds along the Rocky Mountain Front, but also spread into Central Montana behind island ranges.
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 Feb 7, 8:55 PM MST, 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Great Falls MT 855 PM MST Tue Feb 7 2023 .UPDATE... Pacific cold front associated with a fairly potent mid level shortwave disturbance is moving east across eastern WA this evening per observations and satellite imagery, on track to reach the continental divide from Glacier Park south to Butte shortly after midnight before sweeping east across most of north-central and SW MT Wednesday morning. No significant changes from previous forecast with respect to timing and impacts of winter and high wind highlights. Did incorporate some of the high resolution model guidance arriving this evening into PoP/wind grids through Wed morning, which increased pops across some areas with higher confidence in showers propagating east with the front late tonight through early Wed morning including the Bozeman area. Wind gusts along Rocky Mtn front and adjacent high plains look to peak overnight as the stationary mountain wave along east slopes breaks with the arrival of the shortwave and Pacific front while eastern portions of north-central MT are likely to see winds peak late Wednesday morning. Hoenisch && .SYNOPSIS... Periods of strong winds are expected over North Central MT through Wednesday, while scattered snow showers will affect the Rocky Mountain front and much of Southwest MT. It does turn drier on Thursday, with slightly above normal afternoon temperatures expected from Thursday through the weekend. && .AVIATION... 450 PM MST Tue Feb 7 2023 (08/00Z TAF Period) A Pacific cold front moving into the Northern Rockies this evening will sweep east across north-central and SW MT late tonight. SW surface winds will re-intensify ahead of the front this evening with strongest gusts across western portions of the north-central MT plains. All terminals are likely to see shift to westerly winds with the frontal passage with a brief period of snow showers likely with the frontal passage at SW MT terminals. A secondary frontal boundary moves southeast through the area by mid-day Wed, shifting winds to northwesterly along with an increase in snow showers across the central MT mountains and at some North-central MT terminals. Cloud bases lower tonight with increasing mountain obscuration late tonight. Periods of MVFR conditions are possible with snow shower activity early Wed morning across SW MT and Wed afternoon across north-central MT. Hoenisch Refer to weather.gov/zlc for more detailed regional aviation weather and hazard information. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 450 PM MST Tue Feb 7 2023/ Tonight through Wednesday...The next Pacific front will move into Central MT tonight and then exit the eastern portions of the CWA on Wednesday morning. Expect snow to develop over the Rocky Mountain Front this evening, with scattered snow showers over Southwest MT. A winter storm warning remains in effect for the Northern Rocky Mountain Front, while a winter weather advisory is in effect for the Southern Rocky Mountain Front. Further south, a winter weather advisory is in effect for portions of the mountain areas of Southwest MT later tonight and into Wednesday. Snow amounts will be a bit lower in Southwest MT, but there there is just enough dynamics that a few of the snow showers could be a bit more intense. I don't think snow squall warnings will be needed on Wednesday, but there is a small potential that one might be needed. Strong winds are likely over portions of North Central MT, with high wind highlights in effect for some areas. Overall, slightly cooler air will move into the area behind the front on Wednesday. Thursday through Tuesday...The weather pattern will not be quite as active for a few days, as upper level ridging tries to develop. This will result in slightly above normal afternoon temperatures and Little/no chance of precipitation. There is the possibly the upper ridge begins to break down by next Tuesday, resulting in a return of strong winds and a chance for mostly mountain precipitation. Brusda && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 31 39 22 41 / 10 40 20 0 CTB 29 36 21 40 / 10 20 0 0 HLN 27 34 16 35 / 40 20 10 0 BZN 20 31 6 29 / 50 70 10 0 WYS 12 25 -9 24 / 40 90 10 0 DLN 18 28 5 29 / 40 30 0 0 HVR 28 35 16 34 / 10 60 10 0 LWT 28 34 16 36 / 10 40 40 0 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning until 3 PM MST Wednesday for East Glacier Park Region. High Wind Warning until 3 PM MST Wednesday for Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera-Northern High Plains-Southern High Plains-Southern Rocky Mountain Front. Winter Weather Advisory until 3 PM MST Wednesday for Northwest Beaverhead County-Southern Rocky Mountain Front. High Wind Warning from 5 AM Wednesday to midnight MST Wednesday night for Fergus County below 4500ft-Judith Basin County and Judith Gap-Snowy and Judith Mountains. Winter Weather Advisory from 2 AM to 3 PM MST Wednesday for Gallatin and Madison County Mountains and Centennial Mountains. && http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Mesonet station MTBWG measured a gust of 58 mph.
Mesonet station DELMT Dellwo measured a gust of 61 mph.
Ambient Weather sensor measured a wind gust of 72 mph.
RAWS station TR276 L-C Portable no. 1 measured a gust of 60 mph.
Mesonet station gw2412 measured a gust of 59 mph. Additionally, this mesonet measured sustained winds averaging 42 mph between 1140 AM and 1240 PM on the 8th.
AWOS Station N Bar Ranch measured a wind gust of 60 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, February 2023
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: 1071791, 1073944, 1071793, 1071794, 1071795, 1071790.