Thunderstorm Wind in Montana
Every thunderstorm wind event the National Weather Service has filed in Montana, year by year, with the most significant episodes. 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.
The most significant on the map
The most significant thunderstorm wind 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
- 6,635
- Deaths
- 12
- Injuries
- 56
- Damage
- $66 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Tornado and Hail in Montana, July 26, 2010An upper air disturbance moves east just north of a frontal boundary that helped to trigger severe weather. The severe weather that included one of the strongest tornadoes in Montana history started in far southern Saskatchewan and moved southeast across the area.
- Tornado and Hail in Montana, June 11, 2016A moist southeast surface flow resulting in 50 to 60 degree dewoints along with strong deep shear combined with a strong mid-level speed max were centered over eastern Montana. As a result, severe thunderstorms developed across Rosebud, Custer and Fallon Counties.
- Damaging Winds in Montana, July 16, 2008Severe thunderstorms producing large hail and damaging winds moved across portions of Big Horn and Powder River Counties during the early evening hours of the 16th. Two fatalities, both drownings, occurred from a severe thunderstorm that moved across the Tongue River Reservoir.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Montana, July 5, 1988
- Damaging Wind in Montana, August 25, 1985
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Montana, July 15, 2022A north/south line of thunderstorms that stretched across multiple counties produced outflow winds well ahead of the thunderstorms. This outflow was very strong and produced winds over 60 mph. These winds produced an area of blowing dust across Interstate 90 just west of Hardin.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Montana, June 20 to 21, 2010Meteorologically speaking, this was a very active severe weather day for south central Montana. A very moist and unstable atmosphere was in place across portions of the Billings Forecast area during the afternoon and evening of the 20th (Father's Day).
- Damaging Winds in Montana, August 10 to 11, 2015A cluster of thunderstorms developed at 3 pm MDT over Lemhi county and was associated with very frequent lightning strikes. This cluster of thunderstorms developed into a line and brought strong damaging winds to the Bitterroot and Missoula valleys.
- Tornado and Flash Flood in Montana, June 16 to 17, 2010A strong system ejecting out of the central Rockies brought heavy rainfall and severe thunderstorms to the area during the evening. This episode produced an EF1 tornado in northern McCone county and a microburst in eastern Roosevelt county that killed one person near Froid, MT.
- Damaging Wind in Montana, July 10, 1998Thunderstorm wind gusts ranging from 55 to 69 mph were reported from Frenchtown through Missoula. A large portion of the roof of the fire lab at the Smokejumper Center was blown off with damage estimate of $250,000.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Montana, June 16 to 17, 2007During the late afternoon and evening of June 16, 2007, a high precipitation supercell thunderstorm tracked from across northern Montana, just to the north of a warm front.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Montana, June 6, 1994A roof was ripped off a mobile home.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Montana, June 21 to 22, 2010Severe weather continued into the third week of June across the Billings Forecast Area. |Plenty of low-level moisture continued to be in place across Southeast Montana.
- Tornado and Hail in Montana, July 15, 2013As surface dewpoints from the southwest reached 70 degrees and daytime temperatures soared above 90 degrees, a lee-side surface trough of low pressure focused the development of thunderstorms with very strong updrafts.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Montana, August 11, 2019A southeast low-level surface flow advected very moist air from the central plains westward across southeast and south-central Montana. Dewpoints were in the 50s to lower 60s across the Billings Forecast Area.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Montana, July 13, 2005A severe bow echo raced from west to east across Roosevelt County and caused extensive damage from Poplar to Culbertson between 8 and 9 pm. The National Weather Service performed a storm survey of the damage the following day.
- Tornado and Hail in Montana, July 6, 2016A strong upper level short wave resulted in large-scale forcing across the eastern portions of the Billings Forecast Area. This resulted in severe thunderstorms across Custer and Fallon Counties during the afternoon of the 6th.
- Damaging Winds in Montana, July 22, 200050 to 60 mph thunderstorm wind gusts at the Missoula airport blew down storage area wall next to NWS office. Report of minor roof damage in Ovando in Powell County from thunderstorm winds. Billboard blown down along HWY 93 near Evaro Hill in Missoula County.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Montana, May 6, 2017One isolated severe thunderstorm tracked NE from Lost Trail to Georgetown Lake to Garrison to Elliston and eventually Great Falls. Strong shear and modest instability allowed for the storm to maintain its structure and become a long-tracked super cell.
- Damaging Winds and High Wind in Montana, August 16, 2021A weak disturbance that moved over the Billings Forecast area resulted in the development of a few thunderstorms that produced some severe wind gusts.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Montana, June 10, 2021A near stationary low pressure surface trough, warm moist air from the southeast and a strong cold front from the west all combined to allowed many severe thunderstorms to develop and strengthen through the afternoon and evening hours.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Montana, July 21, 1999Two supercell thunderstorms moved across northeast Montana causing a path of damage that extended from southern Phillips county to the North Dakota border. The hardest hit was the community of Glasgow where 4.5 inch hail fell damaging cars, roofs, windows and trees as it passed.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Montana, July 4, 1998Several spotters and amateur radio operators reported funnel clouds in and around Laurel.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Montana, July 20, 2001A large supercell formed in Southwestern Phillips County and headed east across southern Valley County. The storm produced a tornado that crossed from Phillips County into Valley County.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Montana, July 4, 1998Large hail destroyed a wheat field.
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.