High winds spread off the mountains and across the lower elevations of south-central MT. Gusts in the mountains got up to 91 mph, and across the lower elevations, up to 76 mph.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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.
High winds spread off the mountains and across the lower elevations of south-central MT. Gusts in the mountains got up to 91 mph, and across the lower elevations, up to 76 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 Mar 7, 12:32 AM MST, 9 hours 13 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Billings MT
1232 AM MST Sat Mar 7 2026
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Warmer with stronger and more widespread wind for the weekend.
Gusts across the plains in the 35 to 55 mph range, strongest on
Sunday.
- Strong to damaging wind gusts (60-75 mph) for areas north and
west of Billings. Strongest winds on Sunday.
- Locally elevated grass fire concerns, especially on Sunday with
very warm and dry conditions. Greatest concerns in areas that
received minimal precip this week.
- Turning cooler and more active next week. This may include
periods of lower elevation snow Sunday night through Tuesday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Today through Friday...
Higher heights and northwest flow will give way to tight westerly
flow for the weekend. This, along with increasing 700 mb winds
will allow for strong to very strong winds, especially along the
foothills west of Billings. Looking at today (Saturday), 700 mb
winds increase to around 40-50 kts, creating potential for strong
winds mixing to the surface for Big Timber up through Judith Gap
given the lack of inversions shown in model soundings. As for the
Livingston to Nye area, although there is a decent gradient in
place (15-18 mb), gradient and 700 mb wind orientation doesn't
align perfectly. Currently there is about a 50% chance for gusts
to 60 mph on Saturday with about a 50-60% chance for areas
previously mentioned. Moving into Sunday, 700 mb winds increase to
around 55-70 kts with leeside troughing also strengthening over
the foothills. For this time frame, probabilities for gusts to at
least 70 mph increase to 50-60%. These winds will create dangerous
travel conditions along I-90 from Livingston to Big Timber and
along highway 191 from Big Timber to Judith Gap. Consider
alternate travel possibilities ahead of travel. With regards to
potential mountain wave activity, there is still some uncertainty
given unfavorable 700 mb wind direction, but there is currently
about a 40% chance for the Red Lodge foothills to get gusts of 60
mph Sunday, so this will be something to monitor. Across the
remainder of the area, breezy conditions with gusts 25 to 40 mph
will be common Saturday with gusts 35-55 mph for Sunday. High Wind
Watches have been upgraded to High Wind Warnings along the western
foothills, and have added in the Absaroka/Beartooth mountains on
Sunday to the High Wind Warning as well. Be careful to not cause a
spark over the weekend, especially if little to no precip has
recently fallen in your area. The potential for fire to spread
across dry grasses will be elevated during this time.
Sunday evening, ensembles bring a system in from the north which
will allow for strong winds to break down. This system will bring
cooler and wetter conditions Sunday night through Wednesday. Areas
of south central MT and northern WY have moderate to high chances
(highest for the mtns and foothills) for at least a quarter inch
of precipitation with southeast MT having a low chance.
Additionally, models are showing north and easterly winds in the
low to mid levels, potentially favoring upsloping for north and
east facing foothills. As a tight zonal flow builds in for the
late Wednesday through Friday, moderate chances for strong winds
come into play once again.
High temperatures will be in the 50s and 60s for the weekend (with
a few places touching 70). Temperatures will cool to the 40s and
50s Monday, 30s and 40s Tuesday, warming back to the 50s and 60s
for the latter half of the week. TS/STP
.AVIATION...
Expect wind gusts around 30 to 40 kts near KLVM, K1KM, and K6S0
early this morning, increasing to 40 to 50 kts by late morning.
Breezy winds will spread east this morning, with gusts around 25
to 35 kts common near all other TAF sites. Expect occasional
mountain obscuration over the Absaroka/Bearooths and Crazy
mountains with mountain snow showers. Archer
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...
Tdy Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
-------------------------------------------------------
BIL 060 041/068 036/049 028/041 022/049 036/063 033/051
0/N 00/N 26/W 84/J 11/N 23/W 54/W
LVM 052 041/060 042/052 023/036 017/046 036/057 036/050
2/W 10/N 25/W 65/J 12/J 23/W 44/W
HDN 060 037/070 033/049 028/043 021/049 033/064 030/051
1/N 00/N 36/W 85/J 21/N 33/W 55/W
MLS 058 041/067 028/042 026/041 022/044 031/059 026/041
0/N 00/N 34/W 43/J 11/B 23/W 44/J
4BQ 057 039/068 034/050 027/041 022/045 030/061 029/048
0/U 00/N 13/W 65/J 11/B 13/W 44/W
BHK 055 037/064 025/042 023/039 018/042 025/053 023/039
0/N 00/N 24/J 53/J 11/B 23/W 44/J
SHR 057 030/066 034/054 021/038 016/044 025/061 025/047
0/B 00/B 14/W 88/J 31/B 12/W 45/W
&&
.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...High Wind Warning in effect from 5 PM this afternoon to
midnight MST Sunday night FOR ZONES 29-34-42-68.
High Wind Warning in effect from 8 AM this morning to
midnight MST Sunday night FOR ZONES 63-141-172-228.
High Wind Warning in effect from 5 AM early this morning to
midnight MST Sunday night FOR ZONES 65-66.
High Wind Warning in effect from 6 AM Sunday to midnight MST
Sunday night FOR ZONE 67.
High Wind Watch in effect late Sunday night FOR ZONE 68.
WY...None.
&&
weather.gov/billingsPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Billings MT
514 AM MST Sat Mar 7 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0415 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 7 ENE Livingston 45.70N 110.43W
03/07/2026 M54 MPH Park MT ASOS
ASOS station KLVM Livingston.
0435 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 SSW Big Timber 45.80N 109.97W
03/07/2026 M51 MPH Sweet Grass MT AWOS
AWOS station K6S0 Big Timber.
0355 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 ENE Harlowton 46.45N 109.80W
03/07/2026 M48 MPH Wheatland MT AWOS
AWOS station K1KM 2 ENE Harlowton.
&&Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Billings MT
604 AM MST Sat Mar 7 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0545 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 1 SSE Livingston 45.64N 110.55W
03/07/2026 M60 MPH Park MT Mesonet
Mesonet station MTLRH Livingston River Hill.
0533 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 7 ENE Livingston 45.70N 110.43W
03/07/2026 M58 MPH Park MT ASOS
ASOS station KLVM Livingston.
0535 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 SSW Big Timber 45.80N 109.97W
03/07/2026 M52 MPH Sweet Grass MT AWOS
AWOS station K6S0 Big Timber.
0551 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 ENE Harlowton 46.45N 109.80W
03/07/2026 M51 MPH Wheatland MT AWOS
AWOS station K1KM 2 ENE Harlowton.
&&Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Billings MT
628 AM MST Sat Mar 7 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0601 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 1 SSE Livingston 45.64N 110.55W
03/07/2026 M65 MPH Park MT Mesonet
Mesonet station MTLRH Livingston River Hill.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Roundup mtdot gusted to 60 mph.
Wind gusted to 89mph at K6S0.
Reed Point NE gusted to 59mph.
Livingston River Hill gusted to 76 mph.
Twodot E gusted to 59 mph.
Lavina N gusted to 65 mph.
Harlowton S gusted to 61 mph.
Quad Creek RAWS gusted to 91 mph.
Angela gusted to 58 mph.
Frequent gusts 60 to 70 mph across multiple weather stations.
KBIL gusted to 60 mph.
KMLS gusted to 61 mph.
Busby 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, March 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: 1327451, 1327441, 1327447, 1327432, 1327437, 1327444, 1327438, 1327434, 1327456, 1327435, 1327453, 1327458, 1327455.