Southwest flow brought multiple thunderstorms to the region that resulted in downed trees and powerlines. One car was destroyed by a downed tree.
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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 MSO wrote it up.
Southwest flow brought multiple thunderstorms to the region that resulted in downed trees and powerlines. One car was destroyed by a downed tree.
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 28, 11:08 AM MST, 4 hours 12 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Missoula MT 1208 PM MDT Tue May 28 2024 ...WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT WITH 10 PERCENT CHANCE OF 60 MPH WINDS AFFECTING YOU... .DISCUSSION...A trough is digging into the west coast and pushing the ridge to the east and setting up southwest flow over the region, which is a classic thunderstorm pattern for this area. Convection already kicked off this morning across northwest Montana, but has remained as showers and not yet become thunderstorms. The most unstable conditions and strongest shear started over central Idaho near Grangeville and Orofino late this morning and are moving across Idaho county. This is the area most likely to get severe thunderstorms capable of producing winds over 60 mph or large hail. There is a 10 percent chance of being affected by winds greater than 60 mph for locations in central Idaho and western Montana today and tonight. Thunderstorms will continue for through the night and transition to showers Wednesday morning as the trough finally moves into our region. Wednesday, the base of the trough is over our region and it will be windy with gusts in the 15-25 mph range common and temperatures about 20 degrees cooler than today. By the end of the week it will dry out again and return to near average temperatures. The generally westerly flow will support showers at times, but so far no models are indicating another significant round of thunderstorms until next week. && .AVIATION...The ridge over the area today is breaking down causing increasing cloud cover and decreasing stability. Thunderstorms and showers will initiate early this afternoon and persist across the region through tonight. There is potential for severe thunderstorms this evening, especially from 28/22Z through 29/01Z when there is a 10 percent chance of a terminal being impacted by 60 mph or stronger winds. Tomorrow will be much cooler and showery. && .MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MT...None. ID...None. &&
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Missoula MT
301 PM MDT Tue May 28 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0240 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 15 E Mackay Bar 45.38N 115.19W
05/28/2024 M60 MPH Idaho ID Mesonet
Mesonet station LPFI1 Lodgepole.
&&
RNLPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Missoula MT
318 PM MDT Tue May 28 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0215 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 2 WNW Butte 46.01N 112.56W
05/28/2024 M48 MPH Silver Bow MT Mesonet
Mesonet station MTM46 1.5 W Butte (MT-MESO).
&&Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Missoula MT
351 PM MDT Tue May 28 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0251 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 6 SE North Fork 45.36N 113.89W
05/28/2024 M45 MPH Lemhi ID Mesonet
Mesonet station KRCI1 Kriley Creek Raws.
&&Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Missoula MT
409 PM MDT Tue May 28 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0355 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 1 E Hamilton 46.25N 114.13W
05/28/2024 M43 MPH Ravalli MT AWOS
AWOS station KHRF 1 E Hamilton.
&&Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Missoula MT
417 PM MDT Tue May 28 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0409 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 13 ENE Sula 45.93N 113.74W
05/28/2024 M54 MPH Ravalli MT Mesonet
Mesonet station TEPM8 Tepee Pt.
&&The Missoula radar (KMSX), 27 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:17 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several large, mature trees were uprooted. One tree landed on a car in Johnsrud Park and completely crushed it. Windspeed estimated from Beaufort Scale.
The Ravalli County Sheriff's Office reported U.S. Highway 93 south of Hamilton between mile marker 38 and mile marker 39 was closed due to downed power lines.
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, May 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: 1180098, 1180097.