Dust Storm and Damaging Winds in Montana, May 13 to 14, 2026

Name: Dust Storm and Damaging Winds in Montana, May 13 to 14, 2026
Start: 2026-05-13T16:50
End: 2026-05-14T17:45
Location: Montana

May 13 to 14, 2026 · NWS GGW · 21 events in 11 counties and zones

On May 13th, scattered thunderstorms with strong and damaging winds impacted northeast Montana late in the day. After which, a re-enforcing cold front brought additional widespread damaging winds.

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
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: 21

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.

On May 13th, scattered thunderstorms with strong and damaging winds impacted northeast Montana late in the day. After which, a re-enforcing cold front brought additional widespread damaging winds. Recently plowed fields allowed this wind to create areas of blowing dust on the 14th.

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 May 13, 3:13 PM MST, 1 hour 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 13, 3:13 PM MST, 1 hour 37 minutes before

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The radar

The Billings radar (KBLX), 124 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:51 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 thunderstorm wind, 7 high wind, 2 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Petroleum

When: May 13, 4:50 PM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Petroleum County, 5.6 mi SE of Teigen
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.970, -108.500

The Winnett SW Montana Climate Office mesonet site (WIEM8) measured a 72 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Petroleum

When: May 13, 5:00 PM MST to 5:10 PM MST
Where: Petroleum County, 7.61 mi N of Teigen
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.140, -108.590

The War Horse NW Montana Climate Office mesonet site (WRHM8) measured a 72 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Petroleum

When: May 13, 5:40 PM MST to 5:45 PM MST
Where: Petroleum County, 0.84 mi NE of Dry Blood Creek Raws
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 47.240, -108.360

The Dry Blood Creek RAWS site (DBCM8), measured a 59 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Garfield

When: May 13, 6:08 PM MST to 6:15 PM MST
Where: Garfield County, 0.69 mi S of South Sawmill Raws
Measured: 69 kt (79 mph) measured gust
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 47.560, -107.530

The South Sawmill Creek RAWS site (SSMM8) measured a 79 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Phillips

When: May 13, 6:15 PM MST to 6:20 PM MST
Where: Phillips County, 7.61 mi S of Sun Prairie
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.770, -107.680

The Sun Prairie Montana Climate Office mesonet site (SNPM8) measured a 61 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Valley

When: May 13, 7:50 PM MST to 7:55 PM MST
Where: Valley County, 2.49 mi SSE of Larslan
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.540, -106.220

The Larslan SW Montana Climate Office mesonet site (LLNM8) measured a 63 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Petroleum

When: May 13, 8:55 PM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where: Petroleum County, 7.66 mi N of Teigen
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.140, -108.600

The War Horse NW Montana Climate Office mesonet site (WRHM8) measured a 69 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Petroleum

When: May 13, 9:00 PM MST
Where: Petroleum County, 6.43 mi SE of Teigen
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 46.960, -108.490

The Winnett SW Montana Climate Office mesonet site (WIEM8) measured a 61 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Petroleum

When: May 13, 9:15 PM MST to 9:20 PM MST
Where: Petroleum County, 0.84 mi NW of Winnett
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.010, -108.360

The Winnett MT-200 Montana Climate Office mesonet site (MTWIN) measured a 58 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Phillips

When: May 13, 9:15 PM MST to 9:18 PM MST
Where: Phillips County, 0.46 mi W of Hays Dot
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 47.920, -108.730

The Hays MT-66 DOT site (MTHAY) measured a 58 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Petroleum

When: May 13, 9:25 PM MST to 9:30 PM MST
Where: Petroleum County, 10.87 mi NE of Dry Blood Creek Raws
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.350, -108.220

The Dovetail Montana Climate Office mesonet site (VLTM8) measured a 68 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Petroleum

When: May 13, 9:35 PM MST to 9:40 PM MST
Where: Petroleum County, 13.18 mi ENE of Winnett
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.050, -108.080

The Jitney Road Montana Climate Office mesonet site (MOBM8) measured a 61 mph wind gust.

Dust Storm, Western Roosevelt

When: May 14, 7:15 AM MST to 4:35 PM MST
Where: Western Roosevelt forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 48.295, -105.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Poplar Municipal Airport AWOS site (KPO1) reported visibility of one-quarter of a mile or less in blowing dust for multiple hours, from recently plowed fields and large scale dangerously strong winds.

High Wind, Central and Southern Valley

When: May 14, 9:23 AM MST to 12:05 PM MST
Where: Central and Southern Valley forecast zone
Measured: 71 kt (82 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 48.365, -106.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Glasgow International Airport ASOS site (KGGW) measured a wind gust of 82 mph. Some blowing dust was also observed, mainly east of Nashua (see image).

High Wind, McCone

When: May 14, 10:00 AM MST to 11:00 AM MST
Where: McCone forecast zone
Measured: 67 kt (77 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.645, -105.795 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Fort Peck handar site (GGWFP) measured a 77 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Richland

When: May 14, 10:00 AM MST to 5:45 PM MST
Where: Richland forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.788, -104.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Badger Creek mesonet site (FW2498) measured a 69 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Western Roosevelt

When: May 14, 10:34 AM MST to 12:18 PM MST
Where: Western Roosevelt forecast zone
Measured: 66 kt (76 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 48.295, -105.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The McDonalds MT-13 DOT site (MTMCD) measured a 76 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Eastern Roosevelt

When: May 14, 11:15 AM MST to 1:31 PM MST
Where: Eastern Roosevelt forecast zone
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 48.295, -105.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The US-2 @Stateline DOT site (MTSTA) measured a 66 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Daniels

When: May 14, 11:30 AM MST to 12:15 PM MST
Where: Daniels forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 48.784, -105.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Navajo MT-5 DOT site (MTRED) measured a 73 mph wind gust.

Dust Storm, Sheridan

When: May 14, 11:35 AM MST to 3:35 PM MST
Where: Sheridan forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 48.721, -104.505 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Sher-Wood Airport AWOS site (KPWD) reported visibility of one-quarter of a mile or less in blowing dust for multiple hours, from recently plowed fields and large scale dangerously strong winds.

High Wind, Sheridan

When: May 14, 11:58 AM MST to 2:00 PM MST
Where: Sheridan forecast zone
Measured: 64 kt (74 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 48.721, -104.505 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Sher-Wood Airport ASOS site (KPWD) measured a 74 mph wind gust.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Dust Storm: Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.
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, May 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: 1325294, 1325302, 1325303, 1325304, 1325305, 1325306, 1325307, 1325314, 1325315, 1325316, 1325317, 1325318, 1325546, 1325343, 1325344, 1325347, 1325341, 1325342, 1325346, 1325544, 1325345.