High Wind in Montana, January 30 to 31, 2026

Name: High Wind in Montana, January 30 to 31, 2026
Start: 2026-01-30T18:00
End: 2026-01-31T02:30
Location: Montana

January 30 to 31, 2026 · NWS TFX · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

An upper-level disturbance moving through the region brought strong winds aloft. These stronger winds were able to mix down to the surface mostly along the Rocky Mountain Front, with isolated strong winds across the North-Central MT plains.

Where it happened

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.

Tornadoes
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Floods
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Heat and drought
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Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
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Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS TFX wrote it up.

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 Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 30, 4:43 PM MST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 30, 4:43 PM MST, 1 hour 17 minutes before

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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Northern High Plains

When: January 30, 6:00 PM MST to January 31, 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 DOGM8 Dog Gun Lake measured a 76 mph wind gust. They also measured high sustained winds over the span of an hour during this time frame. Mesonet station MTBRN Two Medicine Bridge (MT DOT) also measured high sustained winds and gusts. Mesonet station MTBWG Browning (MT DOT) also measured high wind gusts.

High Wind, Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera

When: January 30, 6:45 PM MST to 11:15 PM MST
Where: Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.529, -112.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Montana Mesonet MINM8 Mission Lake S measured a 61 mph wind gust. ASOS station KCTB Cut Bank Airport also measured a high wind gust.

High Wind, East Glacier Park Region

When: January 30, 7:00 PM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where: East Glacier Park Region forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.467, -112.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station MRRGN Milk River Ridge measured a 63 mph wind gust. Mesonet station SNPMT Sunpoint also measured a high wind gust.

High Wind, Cascade County Below 5000ft

When: January 30, 9:19 PM MST
Where: Cascade County Below 5000ft forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 47.308, -111.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

ASOS station KGTF Great Falls Airport measured a 60 mph gust.

High Wind, Eastern Pondera and Eastern Teton

When: January 30, 10:30 PM MST
Where: Eastern Pondera and Eastern Teton forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.033, -112.233 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station MTM73 Ledger N Mda measured a 61 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Judith Basin County and Judith Gap

When: January 30, 11:00 PM MST to 11:14 PM MST
Where: Judith Basin County and Judith Gap forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.155, -109.745 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station MTGYS Geyser (MT DOT) measured a 59 mph wind gust. AWOS station K1CM Charlie also measured a high wind gust.

High Wind, Eastern Toole and Liberty

When: January 30, 11:30 PM MST
Where: Eastern Toole and Liberty forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.609, -111.360 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Montana mesonet site MTLM8 Mt Lebanon SE measured a 61 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Upper Blackfoot and Macdonald Pass

When: January 31, 12:15 AM MST
Where: Upper Blackfoot and Macdonald Pass forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.122, -112.390 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station MTFPS Flesher Pass measured a 59 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Southern High Plains

When: January 31, 2:30 AM MST
Where: Southern High Plains forecast zone
Measured: 69 kt (79 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.480, -112.315 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station DELMT Dellwo (MCSCN) measured a 79 mph wind gust.

What these are

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.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Montana in 2026 Every state in 2026 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, January 2026

Sources

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: 1308892, 1308894, 1308890, 1308909, 1308899, 1308910, 1308896, 1308911, 1308898.