Montana, 2024High Wind and Strong Wind in Montana, May 17, 2024
May 17, 2024 · NWS MSO · 3 events in 3 counties and zones
A strong trough passage produced widely scattered showers and a few thunderstorms which allowed for mix-down winds between 50 and 60 mph to occur. Power outages, downed small trees and branches were reported across west-central and southwest Montana.
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.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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.
A strong trough passage produced widely scattered showers and a few thunderstorms which allowed for mix-down winds between 50 and 60 mph to occur. Power outages, downed small trees and branches were reported across west-central and southwest Montana.
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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 17, 12:56 PM MST, 54 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 17, 12:56 PM MST, 54 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
156 PM MDT Fri May 17 2024
.DISCUSSION...Westerly wind gusts of 35-45 mph will be the main
impact as a cold front pushes through the Northern Rockies this
afternoon. Brief, localized gusts over 50 mph will also occur
near ongoing scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms.
Southwest Montana and the Missoula/Bitterroot valleys will be the
most susceptible to these isolated convection induced stronger
gusts. Lakes will continue to be choppy as well, so use caution
if you are recreating on the water. Valley winds and showers will
gradually diminish this evening.
Given the lighter winds, dry air, and partial clearing tonight,
lows will drop into the low to mid 30s in lower western Montana
and higher central Idaho valleys. Protect any sensitive vegetation
that is susceptible to frost. Saturday will be a fairly nice day
overall under zonal flow. Valley high temperatures return to
seasonable levels (mid/upper 60s) along with afternoon breezes and
a few showers returning by late afternoon.
Upper level troughing settles in Sunday accompanied by cooler
temperatures and scattered showers. Snow levels drop to around
5000 feet but no impact is anticipated for road surfaces. There is
a 30-50% probability of at least 0.25 inch of precipitation from
the Flathead Valley eastward into the Glacier region. Overall,
precipitation amounts will be light for the rest of the Northern
Rockies.
As the trough lingers, scattered instability showers pop up on
Monday afternoon. Frost will continue to be a concern in valleys early
next week but overnight temperatures will be very dependent on
cloud cover.
By next Wednesday- Friday (22nd-24th), about 80% of ensemble
clusters support a pattern favorable for closed low development
across the Pacific Northwest/Northern Rockies. Closed lows often
bring widespread precipitation to the Northern Rockies this time
of year, stay tuned!
&&
.AVIATION...Westerly winds gusting 30-40 kts will be the main
impact of a cold front pushing through the Northern Rockies this
afternoon. Brief, localized gusts over 45 kts will also occur near
ongoing scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Southwest
Montana and the Missoula/Bitterroot valleys will be the most
susceptible to these isolated convection induced stronger
gusts. Showers will briefly lead to visibility and ceiling
reductions at terminal sites with mountain obscurations common.
Valley winds and showers diminish around sunset with breezy
afternoon winds again on Saturday.
&&
.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Wind Advisory until 8 PM MDT this evening for Butte/Blackfoot
Region...Missoula/Bitterroot Valleys.
Wind Advisory until 8 PM MDT this evening for Flathead/Mission
Valleys.
ID...Wind Advisory until 8 PM MDT this evening for Eastern Lemhi
County...Western Lemhi County.
&&In the hours before
Local storm report, May 17, 12:19 PM MST, 1 hour 31 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Missoula MT
119 PM MDT Fri May 17 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1253 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 6 WNW Missoula 46.92N 114.10W
05/17/2024 M48 MPH Missoula MT ASOS
ASOS station KMSO Missoula, MT.
&&
ALStrong Wind, Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys
- When
- May 17, 1:50 PM MST to 1:55 PM MST
- Where
- Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys forecast zone
- Measured
- 48 kt (55 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 46.560, -114.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
There was a gust of 49 mph measured at Missoula airport (KMSO). An NWS employee took a photo of a large, mature tree blown down at the corner of Bancroft and Brooks streets in Missoula. There were 77 locations without power in Missoula, MT (zip code 59807) according to Northwest Energy.
High Wind, Butte / Blackfoot Region
- When
- May 17, 4:00 PM MST to 4:05 PM MST
- Where
- Butte / Blackfoot Region forecast zone
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 46.306, -113.025 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
There was a measured wind gust at Bert Mooney airport (KBTM) in Butte of 52 knots, and 58 knots was observed at Montana Tech in Butte (MTM46). Northwest Energy reported 552 customers without power just south of the airport. The Walmart reportedly had no power as of 4 pm MST.
High Wind, Potomac / Seeley Lake Region
- When
- May 17, 6:55 PM MST to 7:00 PM MST
- Where
- Potomac / Seeley Lake Region forecast zone
- Measured
- 58 kt (67 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 46.986, -113.597 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
There was a measured gust of 58 knots near Clearwater Junction on the Blackfoot River (site MTM08). Northwest Energy reported 29 locations without power.
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
- 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.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, May 17, 2024$335,000 · EF1 · 6 events
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Florida, May 17 to 18, 20241 injured · $76,000 · 76 kt wind · 38 events
- Flash Flooding in Mississippi, May 17, 2024$419,000 · 8 events
- Tornado in Ohio, May 17, 2024$250,000 · EF0 · 1 event
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Alabama, May 17 to 18, 2024$57,000 · 55 kt wind · 18 events
- High Wind in Idaho, May 17, 2024$52,000 · 61 kt wind · 6 events
- Damaging Winds in South Dakota, May 17, 202478 kt wind · 21 events
- Damaging Winds in South Dakota, May 17, 2024$20,000 · 61 kt wind · 5 events
- Damaging Wind in Arkansas, May 17, 2024$20,000 · 65 kt wind · 1 event
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, May 17, 202476 kt wind · 13 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in North Dakota, May 17, 2024$6,000 · 1.25 in hail · 11 events
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Georgia, May 17, 202450 kt wind · 11 events
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: 1175720, 1175745, 1175737.