Worsening drought conditions expanded northward through through the northeast corner of Montana.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 GGW wrote it up.
Worsening drought conditions expanded northward through through the northeast corner of Montana.
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 May 11, 11:57 PM MST, 3 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Glasgow MT 1257 AM MDT Tue May 12 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Warm and mainly conditions are expected the next few days, peaking on Wednesday. - A Fire Weather Watch is in effect for Wednesday area wide, and another fire product is likely needed for Thursday. A Lake Wind Advisory will be needed for Wednesday and Thursday. A High Wind Watch is in effect for the whole area, mainly from Wednesday evening through Thursday evening. - There is moderate uncertainty on when the next low pressure system will move through beyond Thursday. && .DISCUSSION... WEATHER PATTERN OVERVIEW: An upper ridge is expected to move in today according to the latest GFS ensemble. The peak of this ridge is going to occur on Wednesday and will be the warmest day of 2026 so far for most locations. Some locations will likely have highs in the 90s with increased dry southerly flow, which will contribute to the critical fire weather conditions. A trough moves through Wednesday night and keeps winds elevated through at least Friday, with potential gusts between 50 and 60 expected, and few isolated gusts higher than that. Although cooler temperatures will occur on Thursday, a fire weather product will likely be issued as the event draws closer. A more zonal flow pattern develops thereafter to moderate temperatures some and bring smaller synoptic ridge/trough couplets embedded in it. This will bring chances for showers and thunderstorms at times across the region through the weekend with possible wetting rains or even a marginal severe potential depending on whether it matches up with peak heating. Individual ensemble members continue to disagree on what day/time any given ridge/trough couplet moves through though. FORECAST CONFIDENCE & DEVIATIONS: No deviations were made. There is high confidence in temperatures through Thursday and a Lake Wind Advisory being needed on Wednesday and Thursday. There is moderate to high confidence on fire weather conditions Wednesday and Thursday, as well as for high winds occurring on Thursday. There is moderate confidence in scattered showers and thunderstorms moving through on Wednesday and Thursday. && .AVIATION... LAST UPDATED: 0700Z FLIGHT CAT RANGE: VFR DISCUSSION: Dry conditions and partly cloudy conditions are expected through tonight as an upper ridge moves in. WIND: Northwest at 6 to 16 knots becoming light and variable after 00Z Wednesday. EQUIPMENT: No obs from KSDY. TAF will be AMD NOT SKED until obs return. && .GGW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Fire Weather Watch from Wednesday morning through Wednesday evening for Dawson/McCone/Prairie/Richland/Wibaux Counties-Fort Peck Reservation and Daniels/Roosevelt/Sheridan Counties- Northern Valley and Northern Phillips Counties-Southern Petroleum and Southern Garfield Counties-The Little Rockies-The Lower Missouri River Breaks including the Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge. High Wind Watch from Thursday morning through Thursday evening for Central and Southeast Phillips-Central and Southern Valley- Daniels-Dawson-Eastern Roosevelt-Garfield-McCone-Northern Phillips-Northern Valley-Petroleum-Prairie-Richland-Sheridan- Western Roosevelt-Wibaux. High Wind Watch from Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for Southwest Phillips. && weather.gov/glasgow
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
D2 drought conditions encroached into the northeastern edge of Prairie County from the east in the second week of the month. For the last week of the month, D2 drought conditions expanded through the eastern half of Prairie County.
In the second week of May, D2 drought conditions entered the southern edge and a central swath of Eastern Roosevelt County. Through the remainder of the month, D2 drought conditions expanded into all but the far eastern edge and northwestern corners of Eastern Roosevelt County, while a small protrusion of intensified D3 drought conditions developed in the southern portion of Eastern Roosevelt County.
In the second week of May, a small protrusion of D2 drought conditions developed in the southern edge of Sheridan County. By the third week and through the remainder of the month, D2 drought conditions expanded through central and northwestern portions of Sheridan County.
D2 drought conditions encroached into the southeastern corner of Western Roosevelt County in the second week of May and remained through the end of the month.
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, May 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: 1341255, 1341262, 1341264, 1341272.