Montana, 2024High Wind in Montana, November 16 to 17, 2024
November 16 to 17, 2024 · NWS TFX · 9 events in 8 counties and zones
Although the region was between systems, strong cross barrier flow along the Rocky Mountain Front and a modest ridgetop inversion resulted in mountain waves over the adjacent plains. Additionally, strong winds below the inversion in and around Great Falls were translated to the surface over multiple hours the morning of the 17th, with gusts in excess of 70 mph observed at the Great Falls Airport.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 9
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.
Although the region was between systems, strong cross barrier flow along the Rocky Mountain Front and a modest ridgetop inversion resulted in mountain waves over the adjacent plains. Additionally, strong winds below the inversion in and around Great Falls were translated to the surface over multiple hours the morning of the 17th, with gusts in excess of 70 mph observed at the Great Falls Airport.
High Wind, Northern High Plains
- When
- November 16, 8:00 PM MST to November 17, 12:00 AM MST
- Where
- Northern High Plains forecast zone
- Measured
- 66 kt (76 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 48.467, -112.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Montana Mesonet site DOGGU Dog Gun Lake E measured a 76 mph gust. Additionally, mesonet sensor MTBWG Browning DOT (72 mph), mesonet sensor MTBRN Two Medicine Bridge DOT (61 mph), and mesonet station SHBM Browning (65 mph) all measured criteria gusts.
High Wind, Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera
- When
- November 16, 11:59 PM MST to November 17, 4:46 AM MST
- Where
- Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera forecast zone
- Measured
- 57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 48.529, -112.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
ASOS station KCTB Cut Bank Airport measured multiple gusts in excess of 58 mph, including a peak gust of 66 mph.
High Wind, Madison River Valley
- When
- November 17, 12:00 AM MST to 8:55 PM MST
- Where
- Madison River Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 36 kt (41 mph) measured sustained
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 45.301, -111.920 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
AWOS station KEKS Ennis Airport measured sustained winds, averaged over an hour, of 42 mph in the evening of the 17th. Additionally, DOT sensor MTNOR Norris Hill measured sustained winds, averaged over an hour, of 41 mph between midnight and 645 AM on the 17th.
High Wind, Bears Paw Mountains and Southern Blaine
- When
- November 17, 2:38 AM MST to 10:47 AM MST
- Where
- Bears Paw Mountains and Southern Blaine forecast zone
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 48.314, -109.835 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Mesonet station GW0718 Joplin 25 NNW measured a few gusts of 60 mph or greater, including a peak gust of 61 mph. This station was in lee of terrain and was very much on the high end for sensors in the county, with no other sensor approaching 58 mph gusts.
High Wind, Eastern Pondera and Eastern Teton
- When
- November 17, 4:02 AM MST to 5:41 AM MST
- Where
- Eastern Pondera and Eastern Teton forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 48.033, -112.233 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
AWOS station K1JM Juliett measured a 63 mph gust. Additionally, AWOS station K1HM Hotel and mesonet station COLMT Collins both measured a 58 mph gust.
High Wind, Cascade County Below 5000ft
- When
- November 17, 5:00 AM MST to 12:30 PM MST
- Where
- Cascade County Below 5000ft forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- ASOS
- Coordinates
- 47.308, -111.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Multiple sensors measured sustained winds of at least 40 mph over an hour or gusts of 58 mph or greater, including ASOS station KGFT Great Falls Airport which measured a 72 mph gust. Additionally, the ASOS measured sustained winds, averaged over an hour, of 45 mph between 530 and 630 AM November 17th. Additional sensors measuring gusts reaching criteria include MTM76 Cascade E MDA (61 mph gust), FW5493 Vaughn (68 mph gust), AWOS station KGFA Malmstrom AFB (63 mph gust), and BENTLAK Benton Lake W (58 mph gust). Additionally, Belt Rural Fire District posted a social media image showing a semi trailer overturned on US-87 near Belt.
High Wind, Bears Paw Mountains and Southern Blaine
- When
- November 17, 5:10 AM MST to 7:00 AM MST
- Where
- Bears Paw Mountains and Southern Blaine forecast zone
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 48.314, -109.835 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Montana mesonet station acejudit Judith Gap measured a 61 mph gust. Additionally, an ambient weather station 4 WSW of Geyser measured a 66 mph gust.
High Wind, Southern High Plains
- When
- November 17, 9:00 AM MST
- Where
- Southern High Plains forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 47.480, -112.315 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Mesonet station MTM49 NE CHouteau (Montana Mesonet) measured a 58 mph gust.
High Wind, Western and Central Chouteau County
- When
- November 17, 11:35 AM MST to 12:30 PM MST
- Where
- Western and Central Chouteau County forecast zone
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 47.881, -110.435 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Mesonet station MTM02 10.2 miles S of Loma measured two gusts of 58 mph or greater, including a peak gust of 65 mph.
- 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.
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in Puerto Rico, November 16 to 17, 20241 death · $274,000 · 32 events
- Coastal Flood and Rip Current in Puerto Rico, November 16 to 17, 20241 death · $30,000 · 4 events
- Winter Weather in Wyoming, November 16, 2024$100,000 · 1 event
- Winter Weather in Washington, November 16, 20241 injured · $40,000 · 1 event
- High Wind in Hawaii, November 16, 2024$25,000 · 1 event
- Coastal Flood in South Carolina, November 16, 20244 events
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, November 16 to 18, 20242 events
- Coastal Flood in Alaska, November 16 to 17, 20242 events
- Dust Storm and High Wind in New Mexico, November 16, 202450 kt wind · 2 events
- Coastal Flood in Florida, November 16, 20241 event
- Wildfire in Hawaii, November 16, 20241 event
- Heavy Snow in Montana, November 16 to 17, 20241 event
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: 1219205, 1219245, 1219248, 1219247, 1219249, 1219195, 1219246, 1219250, 1219196.