High Wind in Montana, November 11 to 12, 2023

Name: High Wind in Montana, November 11 to 12, 2023
Start: 2023-11-11T02:25
End: 2023-11-12T06:29
Location: Montana

November 11 to 12, 2023 · NWS TFX · 17 events in 9 counties and zones

Strong mid level flow resulted in surface winds gusting 50 mph to 75 mph.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 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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Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 17

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.

Strong mid level flow resulted in surface winds gusting 50 mph to 75 mph.

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 Nov 10, 4:45 PM MST, 9 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 10, 4:45 PM MST, 9 hours 40 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Southern High Plains

When: November 11, 2:25 AM MST
Where: Southern High Plains forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.480, -112.315 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station DVI06478 1N Choteau measured 61 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Southern High Plains

When: November 11, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Southern High Plains forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.480, -112.315 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trained spotter reported 58 mph wind gust near 17 WSW Bynum.

High Wind, Fergus County Below 4500ft

When: November 11, 6:21 AM MST
Where: Fergus County Below 4500ft forecast zone
Measured: 66 kt (76 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.264, -109.224 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station JPKM8 Judith Peak RAWS measured 73 mph wind gust.

High Wind, East Glacier Park Region

When: November 11, 7:21 AM MST
Where: East Glacier Park Region forecast zone
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.467, -112.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station DCRM8 Deep Creek RAWS measured 80 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Northern High Plains

When: November 11, 12:15 PM MST
Where: Northern High Plains forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 48.467, -112.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

MDT measured 63 mph wind gust near 2 SE Browning.

High Wind, East Glacier Park Region

When: November 11, 12:28 PM MST
Where: East Glacier Park Region forecast zone
Measured: 77 kt (89 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 48.467, -112.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ambient weather station reported 89 mph wind gust.

High Wind, East Glacier Park Region

When: November 11, 12:30 PM MST
Where: East Glacier Park Region forecast zone
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 48.467, -112.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Department of Highways measured 68 mph wind gust near 1 ENE East Glacier Park. There were other wind gusts observed that met high wind criteria throughout the event.

High Wind, Southern Rocky Mountain Front

When: November 11, 1:45 PM MST
Where: Southern Rocky Mountain Front forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.480, -112.315 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station RICMT Rice Ridge measured 59 mph wind gust.

High Wind, East Glacier Park Region

When: November 11, 1:52 PM MST
Where: East Glacier Park Region forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 48.467, -112.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cut Bank Airport ASOS measured a non-thunderstorm wind gust 72 mph. There were other wind gusts observed that met high wind criteria throughout the event.

High Wind, Southern High Plains

When: November 11, 1:59 PM MST
Where: Southern High Plains forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 47.480, -112.315 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ambient weather station measured 59 mph wind gust near 14 SW Augusta.

High Wind, Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera

When: November 11, 3:08 PM MST
Where: Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 48.529, -112.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Department of Highways reported 73 mph wind gust near 6 NNW Sunburst. There were other wind gusts observed that met high wind criteria throughout the event.

High Wind, Eastern Toole and Liberty

When: November 11, 3:30 PM MST
Where: Eastern Toole and Liberty forecast zone
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.609, -111.360 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station DW9565 Whitlash measured a 67 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Southern High Plains

When: November 11, 4:45 PM MST
Where: Southern High Plains forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.480, -112.315 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station DELMT Dellwo (MCSCN) measured 64 mph wind gust.

High Wind, East Glacier Park Region

When: November 11, 7:00 PM MST
Where: East Glacier Park Region forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.467, -112.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station LGPVC Logan Pass (GNP) measured 60 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Helena Valley

When: November 11, 7:46 PM MST
Where: Helena Valley forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.122, -112.390 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

ASOS station KHLN Helena Airport measured 58 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Little Belt and Highwood Mountains

When: November 11, 9:00 PM MST
Where: Little Belt and Highwood Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 47.208, -110.733 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Department of Highways measured 59 mph wind gust near 3 NNE Monarch.

High Wind, Fergus County Below 4500ft

When: November 12, 6:29 AM MST
Where: Fergus County Below 4500ft forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.264, -109.224 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured at site MTLEWIS13 measured 58 mph wind gust near 10 SSE Fergus.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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, November 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1143727, 1143734, 1143721, 1143720, 1143726, 1143719, 1143723, 1143730, 1140870, 1143731, 1143722, 1143724, 1143725, 1143728, 1143733, 1143729, 1143732.