A long tracked thunderstorm developed over Phillips County and moved east across northeast Montana, reaching severe intensity at times.
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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 GGW wrote it up.
A long tracked thunderstorm developed over Phillips County and moved east across northeast Montana, reaching severe intensity at times.
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 Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 20, 12:48 PM MST, 5 hours 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Glasgow MT 148 PM MDT Fri Sep 20 2024 .DISCUSSION... KEY MESSAGES: - SPC has upgraded most zones north of the Missouri River into a Marginal Risk through tonight with the greatest risk being gusty winds in excess of 58 mph. - Breezy conditions expected today, with a Lake Wind Advisory in effect for the overnight hours. - An upper ridge builds in next week with a return to above normal temperatures. WEATHER PATTERN OVERVIEW: A shortwave trough will slide along the Canadian border today, and drop a cold front south across the region this afternoon. Winds will increase with the cold air advection and a few showers are possible with the increasing instability. Winds will be strong enough for a Lake Wind Advisory and should persist through most of the night. Northwest flow aloft and a Canadian high over the region will bring cooler temperatures for the weekend. One more shortwave slides through the region on Monday with showers generally across central Montana. Behind this wave, the upper ridge rebounds with temperatures returning to above normal levels. FORECAST CONFIDENCE & DEVIATIONS: Winds have struggled to gust above 30 mph for most locations. As such, used the latest NBM mean guidance, however elected to keep the Lake Wind Advisory, especially with the outflow boundary enhancement of the overall synoptic winds with the frontal passage. -Enriquez && .AVIATION... UPDATED: 1945Z DISCUSSION: Showers and thunderstorms associated with the frontal passage will bring gusty and erratic winds at times. Winds will be out of the northwest behind the front, gusting as high as 30-35 kt. Most showers clear the area by Saturday morning. By late Saturday morning, winds will be sustained from the northwest at 10-15 kt. -Enriquez && .GGW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Lake Wind Advisory until 4 AM MDT Saturday for Central and Southeast Phillips-Central and Southern Valley-Garfield-McCone- Petroleum. && weather.gov/glasgow
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Glasgow MT
428 PM MDT Fri Sep 20 2024
MTZ016-059-202330-
Central and Southeast Phillips MT-Northern Phillips MT-
428 PM MDT Fri Sep 20 2024
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of central Phillips
County through 530 PM MDT
...
At 427 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 11
miles east of Fort Belknap, or 31 miles west of Malta, moving east at
45 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Malta, Dodson, Bowdoin, Sleeping Buffalo, and Wagner.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
&&
LAT...LON 4869 10741 4813 10743 4829 10841 4845 10841
4844 10840 4844 10836 4843 10837 4843 10835
4857 10835 4857 10832 4858 10832
TIME...MOT...LOC 2227Z 272DEG 40KT 4843 10854
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
ZankerSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Glasgow MT
530 PM MDT Fri Sep 20 2024
MTZ016-017-059-061-210030-
Central and Southeast Phillips MT-Northern Valley MT-
Northern Phillips MT-Central and Southern Valley MT-
530 PM MDT Fri Sep 20 2024
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of central Phillips and
southwestern Valley Counties through 630 PM MDT
...
At 529 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 9
miles southeast of Malta, moving east at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Malta, Saco, Dodson, Hinsdale, Vandalia, Sleeping Buffalo, Wagner,
Content, The Bentonite Plant, and Bowdoin.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
&&
LAT...LON 4845 10841 4844 10840 4844 10836 4843 10837
4843 10836 4844 10834 4857 10835 4857 10832
4863 10832 4859 10675 4781 10702 4828 10841
TIME...MOT...LOC 2329Z 286DEG 31KT 4827 10772
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
ZankerSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Glasgow MT
629 PM MDT Fri Sep 20 2024
MTZ016-017-059-061-210130-
Central and Southeast Phillips MT-Northern Valley MT-
Northern Phillips MT-Central and Southern Valley MT-
629 PM MDT Fri Sep 20 2024
...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of northeastern Phillips
and central Valley Counties through 730 PM MDT
...
At 629 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from 7 miles south of Whitewater to 11 miles
southwest of Saco. Movement was east at 50 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Saco, Hinsdale, St. Marie, Vandalia, Sleeping Buffalo, Frenchman
Reservoir, Baylor, Bowdoin, and Larslan.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 4872 10627 4836 10598 4831 10761 4873 10780
TIME...MOT...LOC 0029Z 274DEG 43KT 4866 10768 4834 10753
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
ZankerPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Glasgow MT
640 PM MDT Fri Sep 20 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0525 PM Hail 5 SSE Malta 48.28N 107.84W
09/20/2024 M0.25 Inch Phillips MT Trained Spotter
Also estimated 50 mph wind gust for the max
wind gust.
&&
AEPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Glasgow MT
645 PM MDT Fri Sep 20 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0606 PM Hail 13 WNW The Bentonite Pl 48.22N 107.27W
09/20/2024 M0.70 Inch Valley MT Trained Spotter
Largest hail stones were dime-sized but most
stones were pea-sized. Personal weather
station measured a max gust of 31 mph.
0528 PM Hail 8 SSE Malta 48.26N 107.82W
09/20/2024 M0.25 Inch Phillips MT Trained Spotter
Pea-sized hail and estimated 40 mph gust.
&&The Glasgow radar (KGGW), 26 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:48 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A COOP Observer measured an 80 mph thunderstorm wind gust. Thunderstorm wind gusts of 70 to 80 mph were measured over a 20 minute period.
A trained spotter reported a tree limb 6 inches in diameter had broken off a tree. Patio furniture was also blown away. Winds were estimated at 60 mph. Time was estimated by radar.
The Wolf Point Airport ASOS (KOLF) measured a 64 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
The Poplar RAWS site (POPM8) measured a 61 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
The Sioux Pass MT-16 DOT site (MTSOO) measured a 58 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
The US-2 Stateline DOT site (MTSTA) measured a 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
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, September 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: 1205625, 1205620, 1205612, 1205610, 1205605, 1205602.