Localized, strong winds occurred across favorable terrain of south-central MT, producing gusts up to 60 mph.
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.
Localized, strong winds occurred across favorable terrain of south-central MT, producing gusts up to 60 mph.
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 Apr 7, 8:21 AM MST, 3 hours 9 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Billings MT
921 AM MDT Tue Apr 7 2026
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Warm, dry, and windy west of Billings Today. Gusts 50-60 mph
possible.
- Showers and isolated thunderstorms region-wide by this evening.
- Windy over the plains Wednesday afternoon. Strongest winds in
far eastern Montana.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Through Sunday...
Main impactful weather for the next few days will be strong winds
over the western half of the forecast area Tuesday
afternoon/evening, and then over the eastern half of the forecast
area on Wednesday. Both of these areas of gusty to locally
strong winds will be associated with a cold front moving through
the area. Tuesday along and ahead of the front, and Wednesday post
frontal. Also associated with the front will be at least a slight
chance for Thunderstorms mixed in with scattered shower activity
along the front and a few hours post frontal.
High Wind Warnings and Wind Advisories are currently in effect
from Tuesday afternoon through midnight Tuesday night over the
western foothills including Livingston, Big Timber, and Harlowton.
NBM probabilities for gusts over 50 mph during this period are
well over 90 percent in the highlited area, with Red Lodge showing
a 58% chance, Billings a 25% chance, and Roundup showing a 45%
chance. Wind probabilities for 50+ mph diminish sharply the
further east you go. That said these chances don't take into
account convective gust potential and although the probabilities
for a thunderstorm are under 30%, HREF does show the potential for
local wind gusts around 50 mph in and near any storms, especially
over areas east of Billings during the early evening hours. So, be
alert for these early season thunderstorms and be prepared to take
shelter should one approach your area as these strong wind gusts
along with small hail are possible with Tuesdays convection.
Precipitation amounts look pretty low with this system with most
areas seeing less than a tenth of an inch. WPC guidance does show
a few streaks of over a tenth likely associated with the isolated
thunderstorm activity, but even this amounts to less than 2
tenths. Precipitation chances then fade quickly overnight into
Wednesday morning.
Good mixing Wednesday will allow gusty northwest winds to build in
behind the front across the eastern half of the forecast area.
NBM probabilities for gusts over 50 mph Wednesday afternoon are in
the 30-90% range across SE Montana, with 43% in Miles City, and
85% in Baker. Probabilities for 60+ mph in Baker are currently
46%. This is still below thresholds for a High Wind Watch so no
wind highlites anticipated at this time, but certainly something
for those in SE Montana to be aware of for Wednesday afternoon.
High Temperatures Tuesday will be warm ahead of the front with
most locations pushing into the 70s, effectively melting any
remaining low elevation snow from the weekend. Wednesdays
temperatures will drop around 20 degrees into the 50s for high
temperatures.
A reinforcing disturbance drops in from the northwest on Thursday.
Overall this energy will simply keep heights low and hold
temperatures mainly in the 50s for Thursday, though the NBM is
showing some precipitation chances in the teens associated with
it.
Ridging aloft builds over the area for Friday and Saturday for
warmer and mainly dry conditions. Highs on Saturday will flirt
with 80 degrees in some areas (Billings/Hardin/Forsyth). By late
Saturday energy rotating south to north on the east side of a
strong upper system (still located off the west coast) may bring
enough lift and moisture to generate some showers/thunderstorms
over the western mountains, translating into the plains Saturday
night. A strong southerly divergent flow over the area is the
right set up for widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms so
this seems reasonable with NBM showing 30 to 50% precipitation
chances late Saturday afternoon into the evening. This pattern
persists into Sunday as the upper low makes little progress to the
east allowing that favorable pattern to persist, with the
atmosphere moistening over time. Thus precipitation chances
increase and spread further east for Sunday/Sunday night.
This system has the potential to be a much needed precipitation
producer for the area, lasting several days into next week, if it
comes together just right. If you have outdoor or travel plans for
next weekend keep tabs on the forecast through the week as the
models narrow down the specifics for this system. Chambers
.AVIATION...
Updated 15z.
VFR conditions will prevail today. Westerly winds will increase
over the foothills west of Billings by midday, including KLVM,
K6S0 & KHWQ (gusts 40-50kts). Breezy conditions will spread over
the plains through the afternoon as well (gusts 25-35kts). Cold
front will bring widespread gusty W-NW winds (25-40kt gusts)
through the evening, in addition to scattered showers and a few
weak t-storms. Greatest potential for TS is E/SE of KBIL. Showers
may produce local MVFR conditions, otherwise look for VFR to
prevail through tonight. JKL
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...
Tdy Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon
-------------------------------------------------------
BIL 073 034/057 032/056 032/065 043/076 046/068 041/054
3/T 40/U 01/B 01/U 02/W 36/W 67/W
LVM 068 032/059 032/059 032/066 042/071 043/064 038/054
2/W 20/N 01/U 01/B 13/W 47/W 67/W
HDN 074 032/057 031/057 031/070 041/079 044/070 040/056
5/T 51/U 11/B 11/B 12/W 46/W 77/W
MLS 073 034/048 027/051 029/065 043/077 046/068 038/050
5/T 60/N 12/J 00/U 00/B 24/W 66/W
4BQ 071 034/051 029/053 030/065 044/078 046/070 041/055
4/W 50/N 11/B 10/U 11/B 14/W 66/W
BHK 066 030/044 021/049 026/060 038/072 044/067 035/048
3/N 50/N 12/J 00/U 00/B 13/W 55/W
SHR 068 029/052 027/054 030/066 041/073 041/066 037/055
5/W 61/U 11/B 11/B 12/W 26/W 67/W
&&
.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...High Wind Warning in effect until midnight MDT tonight FOR
ZONES 63-68-141-172-228.
Wind Advisory in effect until midnight MDT tonight FOR ZONES
65-66.
WY...None.
&&
weather.gov/billingsThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Twodot gusted to 58 mph.
Big Timber airport gusted to 60 mph.
Judith Gap DOT gusted to 58 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, April 2026
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: 1329014, 1329015, 1329013.