Montana, 2026

High Wind in Montana, January 6, 2026

January 6, 2026 · NWS TFX · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

An upper level trough brought strong winds aloft. The timing of these stronger winds aloft coincided with deep daytime mixing in the atmosphere, which brought those stronger winds to the surface across mostly North-Central MT.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

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.

An upper level trough brought strong winds aloft. The timing of these stronger winds aloft coincided with deep daytime mixing in the atmosphere, which brought those stronger winds to the surface across mostly North-Central MT.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Eastern Toole and Liberty

When
January 6, 2:30 AM MST
Where
Eastern Toole and Liberty forecast zone
Measured
64 kt (74 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
48.609, -111.360 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station DELMT Dellwo (MCSCN) measured a 74 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Northern High Plains

When
January 6, 3:40 AM MST to 1:45 PM MST
Where
Northern High Plains forecast zone
Measured
70 kt (81 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
48.467, -112.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet Site DOGM8 Dog Gun Lake MT measured an 81 mph wind gust. Mesonet station MTBRN Two Medicine Bridge (MT DOT) also measured a high wind gust.

High Wind, East Glacier Park Region

When
January 6, 5:00 AM MST to 8:00 AM MST
Where
East Glacier Park Region forecast zone
Measured
65 kt (75 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
48.467, -112.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station SNPMT Sunpoint measured a 75 mph wind gust. Mesonet station LGPVC Logan Pass (GNP) also measured high wind gusts.

High Wind, Cascade County Below 5000ft

When
January 6, 10:15 AM MST to 12:10 PM MST
Where
Cascade County Below 5000ft forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
47.308, -111.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

MT Mesonet Eden NW measured a 65 mph wind gust. A few other site including MT mesonet Belt NW, Mesonet station MTM76 Cascade E Mda, Mesonet station FW1843 Great Falls, and ASOS station KGTF Great Falls Airport also reported a high wind gust.

High Wind, Western and Central Chouteau County

When
January 6, 10:55 AM MST to 12:45 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 S Loma (MT-MESO) measured a 64 mph wind gust. Mesonet station DVI04529 Fort Benton also measured a high wind gust.

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

When
January 6, 10:56 AM MST to 1:35 PM MST
Where
Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera forecast zone
Measured
59 kt (68 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 a 68 mph wind gust. MT mesonet station Sunburst NW also measured a high wind gust.

High Wind, Judith Basin County and Judith Gap

When
January 6, 11:01 AM MST to 9:45 PM MST
Where
Judith Basin County and Judith Gap forecast zone
Measured
63 kt (72 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 72 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Little Belt and Highwood Mountains

When
January 6, 11:53 AM MST
Where
Little Belt and Highwood Mountains forecast zone
Measured
53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
47.208, -110.733 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station SFJM8 S. Fork Judith RAWS measured a 61 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Southern High Plains

When
January 6, 1:09 PM MST
Where
Southern High Plains forecast zone
Measured
59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
47.480, -112.315 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wunderground sensor KMTAUGUS3 Upper Elk Creek measured a 68 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Big Belt, Bridger and Castle Mountains

When
January 6, 1:11 PM MST to 1:30 PM MST
Where
Big Belt, Bridger and Castle Mountains forecast zone
Measured
53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
46.398, -111.485 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station MTBDC Bridger Canyon Mt measured a 61 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Snowy and Judith Mountains

When
January 6, 2:09 PM MST
Where
Snowy and Judith Mountains forecast zone
Measured
57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
47.264, -109.224 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wunderground sensor KMTLEWIS74 reported a 66 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

More

Every storm in Montana in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1301871, 1301869, 1301868, 1302864, 1302839, 1301870, 1302867, 1302917, 1301872, 1302967, 1302908.