The Remington Fire began in Sheridan County Wyoming and quickly spread north into Montana as a result of a low-level nocturnal jet. Total acreage burned is estimated at 196,368 acres.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 BYZ wrote it up.
The Remington Fire began in Sheridan County Wyoming and quickly spread north into Montana as a result of a low-level nocturnal jet. Total acreage burned is estimated at 196,368 acres. As of this report, the cause of the wildfire remains unknown. Total agricultural and structural damage is also unknown. Extensive air attacks were used by the firefighters during the lead-up to the formation of the low level nocturnal jet. In addition, the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council issued a mandatory evacuation for the town of Birney.
For more detailed information, please see inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mtgnf-remington-fire.
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 Aug 22, 1:39 AM MST, 12 hours 21 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Billings MT
239 AM MDT Thu Aug 22 2024
.DISCUSSION...
Through Friday night...
Look for 500 mb heights to build over our region as ridging re-
asserts itself. Easterly low level flow and subsidence aloft will
prevent any deep convection. So we should have a mostly shower/storm
free day. Some of the CAM's are hinting at a little weak
convection over and near the mountains early in the evening, so
we added slight chance PoPs to the high country through mid
evening. Highs will be in the 80s to around 90s degrees...lows
will range from lower 50s west to mid 60s east.
For Friday...upper ridge axis gets shifted to the east a bit as
large upper low drops to the Pacific NW coast. Deep S/SW flow
develops over southwest Montana with thermal ridge to the east.
This pattern will induce rather warm temps across our eastern
plains (mid to upper 90s) and allow a weak perturbation to track
across our far west CWA late in the day producing isolated
afternoon showers/thunderstorms across the mountains. Some of this
convection may slip out to the east over the nearby plains, but
likely weaken in the evening as it drifts east away from the
stronger southerly flow and any forcing. However, we will need to
keep an eye on the far eastern zones where favorable CAPE and
shear will be present. BT
Saturday through Thursday...
The long term forecast remains active, but there is a lot of
uncertainty on how the upper level pattern will evolve for next
week. This means uncertainty in the temperature and precipitation
forecast. If you have outdoor plans next week, make sure to stay
up to date with the latest forecast.
Saturday is forecast to be the warmest day of the extend, with
temperatures reaching into the upper 80s and 90s, warmest in far
eastern Montana. With this, dry conditions look to prevail, with
only a low chance for showers, and maybe a rumble of thunder or
two, entering the forecast Saturday evening and night around and
west of Billings as a cold front drops through the region (15-40%
chance, highest over the mountains). Along with the warm and dry
conditions Saturday, breezy winds look to occur in the afternoon
with gusts in the 15 to 35 mph range (strongest over the western
mountains and foothills). Because of this, Saturday looks like a
fire weather day, so take care to not cause a spark.
Sunday will be much cooler with high temperatures back in the 70s
to 80 degF. Low pressure aloft will keep an overall low chance of
precipitation in the forecast through the day (10-50% chance,
highest over the mountains and lowest near Baker, MT).
Unfortunately, this is where the uncertainty begins to enter the
forecast. One thing to note: there is a chance that snow levels
drop slightly below 10,000 feet in the Beartooth/Absaroka
Mountains early Sunday morning. This could lead to light wet snow
over the highest peaks, and potentially over the Beartooth
Highway. This is something to watch over the next few days.
Models diverge on the upper level pattern for Monday through
Thursday, but there looks to be another weather system and cold
front mid-week that will bring increased chances of precipitation
and cooler weather back to the area. Arends
&&
.AVIATION...
There is a low chance for patchy fog in eastern Montana early
this morning, mainly east of KMLS. An isolated shower is also
possible over KLVM and the Beartooth/Absaroka Mountains this
evening, but the chance remains low (15%). Otherwise, VFR
conditions will prevail over the next 24 hours.
The concentration of wildfire smoke aloft looks to temporarily
increase this evening into tonight. This may allow reductions in
slant range visibility to occur at times. Arends
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...
Tdy Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed
-------------------------------------------------------
BIL 088 060/093 061/092 057/077 051/080 054/087 056/080
0/U 02/T 20/U 23/W 22/W 10/U 01/B
LVM 085 053/089 054/085 045/071 043/079 047/085 050/077
0/U 13/T 21/N 34/T 22/W 10/U 12/T
HDN 091 060/096 060/096 056/080 049/082 051/089 054/082
0/U 02/T 20/U 22/W 32/W 10/U 01/B
MLS 087 066/095 068/095 061/079 054/079 054/087 057/082
0/U 02/T 20/U 11/U 22/W 10/U 00/U
4BQ 089 067/095 068/097 062/081 053/081 056/088 058/085
0/U 12/T 20/U 01/U 32/W 10/U 00/U
BHK 086 061/092 065/096 059/080 051/079 052/087 055/084
0/U 02/T 20/U 01/U 22/W 10/U 00/U
SHR 091 059/095 059/095 055/080 047/082 049/089 052/084
0/K 01/U 10/U 13/T 32/W 10/U 01/U
&&
.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...None.
WY...None.
&&
weather.gov/billingsPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Billings MT
1116 AM MDT Thu Aug 22 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0815 PM Hail 5 N Volborg 45.85N 105.68W
08/21/2024 M2.50 Inch Custer MT Public
Report from Facebook.
&&
TSPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Billings MT
1211 PM MDT Thu Aug 22 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0723 PM Hail 1 S Colstrip 45.88N 106.63W
08/21/2024 E1.00 Inch Rosebud MT Public
Report from Facebook.
&&
TSPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Billings MT
104 PM MDT Thu Aug 22 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0958 PM Hail 6 W Baker 46.37N 104.40W
08/21/2024 E0.25 Inch Fallon MT Public
&&
TSPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Billings MT
106 PM MDT Thu Aug 22 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1130 PM Rain 6 W Baker 46.37N 104.40W
08/21/2024 M1.20 Inch Fallon MT Public
&&
TSPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Billings MT
216 PM MDT Thu Aug 22 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1051 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 1 SE Baker 46.35N 104.25W
08/21/2024 M62 MPH Fallon MT ASOS
ASOS station KBHK Baker.
&&
TSThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Please see Episode Narrative.
Please see Episode Narrative.
Please see Episode Narrative.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, August 2024
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: 1202740, 1202741, 1202782.