Dust Devil in Montana
Every dust devil event the National Weather Service has filed in Montana, year by year, with the most significant episodes. A small rotating column of dust from surface heating that caused damage or injury.
The most significant on the map
The most significant dust devil episodes in Montana.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 7
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 3
- Damage
- $46,000
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Wildfire and Dust Devil in Montana, August 16, 2003Cool front passed through western Montana during the afternoon and evening hours with gusty west winds behind the front. A dust devil formed over the Nine Mile fire camp with wind speeds estimated at 40 to 50 mph, which blew over a supply tent.
- Dust Devil in Montana, July 2, 2003Several dust devils formed in Missoula during the late afternoon hours, knocking down road signs and causing local damage at an auto shop. The auto shop had cylinder blocks blown off the building.
- Dust Devil in Montana, September 3, 2003A dust devil went through the Rathbone Wildfire Base Camp on the 3rd. The dust devil was on the ground for 1 minute, it was 6 feet wide, and traveled one half mile. The dust devil struck a few camping tents and one equipment tent.
- Dust Devil in Montana, July 4, 2003Dust Devil picked up tethered portable inflatable slide and injured 4 people who required hospitalization.
- Dust Devil in Montana, May 1, 2008On a breezy day a dust devil damaged a shed 13 miles west northwest of Helena.
- Dust Devil in Montana, July 26, 2013Temperatures rose well into the 90s across much of western Montana which allowed a strong dust devil to form north of Rexford. A school was damaged as a result.
- Dust Devil in Montana, August 24, 2016A person from the public took photos of a spinning vortex over northern Missoula on August 24th.
More
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.