High Wind in Montana, March 12, 2026

Name: High Wind in Montana, March 12, 2026
Start: 2026-03-12T05:15
End: 2026-03-12T14:30
Location: Montana

March 12, 2026 · NWS GGW · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A strong low pressure system from the Canadian Rockies directed strong and severe winds to many locations across northeast Montana.

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 GGW wrote it up.

A strong low pressure system from the Canadian Rockies directed strong and severe winds to many locations across northeast Montana.

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 Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 12, 2:10 AM MST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

Very strong winds expected today with a High Wind Warning in effect today for all of northeast Montana.
A significant snow event is expected from tonight through Saturday. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for Petroleum and Southwest Phillips counties, with a Winter Weather Advisory in effect for Garfield County.
The colder temperatures will persist through the weekend, with much warmer temperatures expected by the middle of next week.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 12, 2:10 AM MST, 3 hours 5 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Glasgow MT
310 AM MDT Thu Mar 12 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Very strong winds expected today with a High Wind Warning in
  effect today for all of northeast Montana.

- A significant snow event is expected from tonight through
  Saturday. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for Petroleum and
  Southwest Phillips counties, with a Winter Weather Advisory in
  effect for Garfield County.

- The colder temperatures will persist through the weekend, with
  much warmer temperatures expected by the middle of next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

WEATHER PATTERN OVERVIEW:
The northern high plains will remain under the influence of
northern stream zonal flow from a strong westerly upper level jet.
A deep trough in the Gulf of Alaska and strong upper level
ridging centered off the coast of CA puts Montana in a good
position to receive an influx of pacific moisture through the
weekend.

A shortwave disturbance moving through the flow today is spinning
up an Alberta low and moving it across the region. A band of
precipitation occuring ahead of this low, with rain or wet snow
with little accumulation is expected early this morning. As the
low moves east, gradient tightens along with the jet, to produce
very strong winds today. This will also bring temperatures up,
leading to precip trending toward rain. With this trend, have
cancelled the Winter Weather Advisory for the northern zones.

The trailing cold front from the Alberta Low will drag colder air
southward, for an increase in overrunning snow across central
Montana. This front hangs up along the edge of the cwa for several
days, leading to some significant accumulations over southwest
Phillips, Petroleum and Garfield counties. Have upgraded Winter
Storm Watch to Warning and Advisory. Potentially will need to
expand the area or timing of both hazards for Saturday.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE & DEVIATIONS:
Confidence in snow amounts is moderate at best. Totals continue
to raise and track southwest. Confidence is high that the
northeast zones will receive less snow than initially anticipated,
and southwest zones may receive upwards of 12 inches in a high
end scenario.

&&

.AVIATION...
Mostly VFR, with occasional MVFR as rain or snow showers move
across the region early this morning. Another push of mostly rain
is expected in the late morning.

A quick and widespread push of strong to severe west winds will
begin after 15Z today, peaking in the middle of the day. Gusts
greater than 50 kts are likely. Sustained winds greater than 30
kts are expected. Winds begin to lighten after 0Z Friday.

Periods of LLWS are possible between 6Z and 18Z.

&&

.GGW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
High Wind Warning until 7 PM MDT this evening for Central and
Southeast Phillips-Central and Southern Valley-Daniels-Dawson-
Eastern Roosevelt-Garfield-McCone-Northern Phillips-Northern
Valley-Petroleum-Prairie-Richland-Sheridan-Southwest Phillips-
Western Roosevelt-Wibaux.

Winter Storm Warning from midnight tonight to 6 PM MDT Saturday
for Petroleum-Southwest Phillips.

Winter Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to 6 PM MDT
Saturday for Garfield.

&&

weather.gov/glasgow

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, Little Rocky Mountains

When: March 12, 5:15 AM MST to 8:45 AM MST
Where: Little Rocky Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 64 kt (74 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 48.259, -107.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Multiple observations in southwest Phillips County recorded wind gusts in excess of 59 mph, the strongest of which was 74 mph, measured at the Malta South US-191 DOT site (MTMAL). Some observations from southwest Phillips County were sporadic due to power outages.

High Wind, Garfield

When: March 12, 6:05 AM MST to 9:30 AM MST
Where: Garfield forecast zone
Measured: 72 kt (83 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 47.278, -106.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Multiple observations in Garfield County recorded wind gusts in excess of 57 mph, the strongest of which was 83 mph, measured at the South Sawmill Creek RAWS site (SSMM8). Some observations from Garfield County were sporadic due to power outages.

High Wind, Petroleum

When: March 12, 6:30 AM MST to 11:00 AM MST
Where: Petroleum forecast zone
Measured: 64 kt (74 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.118, -108.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Multiple observations in Petroleum County recorded wind gusts in excess of 58 mph, the strongest of which was 74 mph, measured at the War Horse NW Montana Climate Office mesonet site (WRHM8). Some observations from Petroleum County were sporadic due to power outages.

High Wind, Central and Southern Valley

When: March 12, 8:30 AM MST to 9:00 AM MST
Where: Central and Southern Valley forecast zone
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 48.365, -106.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A few observations in central and southern Valley County recorded wind gusts in excess of 62 mph, the strongest of which was 66 mph, measured at the King Coulee RAWS site (KIGM8).

High Wind, Western Roosevelt

When: March 12, 8:38 AM MST
Where: Western Roosevelt forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 48.295, -105.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Wolf Point Airport ASOS site (KOLF) recorded a 59 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Central and Se Phillips

When: March 12, 8:50 AM MST to 9:15 AM MST
Where: Central and Se Phillips forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.259, -107.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Sun Prairie Montana Climate Office mesonet site (SNPM8) recorded a wind gust of 65 mph. Observations here were sporadic due to power outages.

High Wind, McCone

When: March 12, 9:00 AM MST to 12:15 PM MST
Where: McCone forecast zone
Measured: 64 kt (74 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.645, -105.795 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Multiple observations in McCone County recorded wind gusts in excess of 59 mph, the strongest of which was 74 mph, measured at the Fort Peck Dam handar site (GGWFP). Some observations from McCone County were sporadic due to power outages.

High Wind, Richland

When: March 12, 10:00 AM MST to 1:30 PM MST
Where: Richland forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 47.788, -104.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Multiple observations in Richland County recorded wind gusts in excess of 59 mph, the strongest of which was 64 mph, measured at the Lambert MT-200 DOT site (MTLBT).

High Wind, Prairie

When: March 12, 10:00 AM MST to 11:15 AM MST
Where: Prairie forecast zone
Measured: 67 kt (77 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 46.861, -105.378 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Multiple observations in Prairie County recorded wind gusts in excess of 60 mph, the strongest of which was 77 mph, measured at the Sheep Mountain S-253 DOT site (MTSHP).

High Wind, Dawson

When: March 12, 10:05 AM MST to 2:30 PM MST
Where: Dawson forecast zone
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 47.266, -104.899 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Multiple observations in Dawson County recorded wind gusts in excess of 58 mph, the strongest of which was 80 mph, measured at the Beaver Hill I-94 DOT site (MTBVR).

High Wind, Wibaux

When: March 12, 10:15 AM MST to 10:45 AM MST
Where: Wibaux forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 46.965, -104.249 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Ash Creek MT-7 DOT site (MTASH) recorded a wind gust of 72 mph.

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, March 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: 1311503, 1311508, 1311506, 1311510, 1327536, 1311511, 1311507, 1311504, 1311505, 1311509, 1311502.