Power Outage in Great Falls, MT

Great Falls ASOS KGTF measured wind gust to 63 mph. Power outages in the area near the airport.

Northwest Energy reported power outages throughout Cascade County, including the Great Falls area due to snow and wind. Snowfall amount totals up to 3 inches were observed in the area.

Power lines down and blocking south bound lane of interstate 15 at miler marker 281.6.

Power outage reported in Sun Prairie due to high winds. Estimated 52 kt/60 mph wind gusts.

Strong winds knocked down a power line into cured vegetation, causing a fire. The fire reportedly jumped the Sun River due to the strong winds. The number of acres burned is unknown.

Strong winds knocked down a power line. Wind gust estimated.

Power went out at WFO Great Falls. Currently running on backup power. Wind and lightning in area at the time.

Ten inches of snow fell at Monarch 5SSE. Also, seven inches of snow fell at Great Falls 5SW (the Great Falls ASOS site). Additionally, because of the heavy snow, 40 power poles were downed across the area resulting in power outages in Vaughn, Cascade, Ulm, Sun Prairie, Black Eagle, and Great Falls. Over a dozen slide-off vehicle crashes were reported throughout Cascade County. Two semi-tractor trailers jack-knifed on I-15 near Vaughn, blocking the northbound lanes. Many large tree limbs were also downed due to the heavy snow across Great Falls. Winds gusting to over 40 mph and visibilities less than one mile, caused near white-out conditions at times across Cascade County. The Great Falls Police Department issued a traffic alert via social media Twitter during the morning advising citizens to exercise extreme caution while driving.

High winds estimated at 50KT (58MPH) were reported as the cause for multiple power line breakages across Great Falls.

A wind gust to 61 mph was reported at Cascade 5S. Numerous trees and power poles were reported down across the county.

A thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 60 mph at Great Falls. Power poles were reported down in the city and tree limbs 2 to 3 inches in diameter were snapped.

Seven inches of snow fell at the Great Falls Forecast Office. The heavy wet snow downed more than 50 trees in the city of Great Falls as well as numerous power poles. Parts of the city of Great Falls lost electricity and numerous auto accidents were reported.

A wind gust to 58 mph was reported at Neil Creek. A downed power pole was attributed to the strong winds in Great Falls.

A gust to 65 mph was reported at the Great Falls ASOS site. The strong winds were responsible for downing seven power poles in the Great Falls area resulting in scattered power outages. Power poles were also downed at Sand Coulee, Belt, Dutton and Chester.

A strong Canadian cold front pushed through North Central MT during the late morning and early afternoon hours on the 16th. Strong sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph, with gusts over 70 mph accompanied the front. Enough cold air filtered in behind this cold front to produce light snow along the Rocky Mountain Front and the adjacent plains. There was widespread wind damage with this event. Over 50 power lines were knocked down in the Great Falls area. Major tree damage was reported in Cascade, Teton and Lewis and Clark counties. Here is a list of some of the top wind speeds recorded during the event:Augusta 10W 80 mph at 1135 MST; Choteau 73 mph at 0920 MST; Vaughn 70 mph at 0955 MST; Fort Shaw 70 mph at 1020 MST; Great Falls 70 mph at 1020 MST; Hobson 66 mph at 0930 MST; Helena 15S 66 mph at 1030 MST; Cascade 5W 65 mph at 1030 MST; Lewistown 10N 60 mph at 1035 MST; Lewistown 20S 59 mph at 1100 MST; Inverness 45-50 mph sustained winds from 1000-1100 MST; Hays 42 mph sustained winds at 1224; Sweetgrass 42 mph sustained winds at 0945 MST.

A severe thunderstorm produced a 66 mph wind gust at the NWS office in Great Falls. Hail up to 0.75 inches was reported just south of town. Numerous power lines were knocked down, and several trees were uprooted.

A late season winter storm moved through much of North Central and Southwest Montana on the 23rd. The snow began to fall over the Rocky Mountain Front late on the 22nd, and over much of the rest of the Northern Plains by day break on the 23rd. The snow moved into Southwest Montana during the morning hours on the 23rd. The snow came to an end across the area early on the 24th. At the peak of the storm, blizzard warnings where issued for several hours for the Rocky Mountain Front and all of the adjacent Plains. Sustained winds of 40 mph, with gusts to 60 mph occurred throughout the morning hours in the blizzard area. Numerous roads were closed across North Central Montana due to zero visibility, and power was temporary knocked out in many locations. Snow drifts ranged from 4 to 8 feet in Glacier and Judith Basin counties. The heaviest snowfall occurred in the western and southern mountains.Some total snow accumulations from this event include: 17 inches at Saint Mary's, 12 inches at Cut Bank and Sweetgrass 25 SE, 10 inches at Shonkin, 8 inches at Ethridge, Showdown Ski Resort, Chester, Boulder Hill, and Shelby, and 4 to 7 inches across the remainder of the plains and valleys in North Central and Southwest Montana.

A high wind event occurred over much of North Central Montana during the afternoon and early evening hours of the 22nd. Sustained winds over 40 mph, with gusts near 60 mph were recorded.Some of the strongest wind gusts recorded from this event include: 67 mph at Great Falls, 63 mph at Rudyard, and 60 mph at Loma and Power 7 SW.

A high wind event occurred across all of North Central Montana beginning on the 13th and ending on the 14th. The winds began to increase in intensity over the Rocky Mountain Front early on the 13th and then increased in intensity over the northern plains by the mid afternoon hours. The winds subsided a bit during the overnight hours between the 13th and 14th. However, by midday on the 14th, strong winds were once again blowing across all of North Central Montana. Sustained winds between 40 and 50 mph, with wind gusts between 60 and 70 mph occurred across the region.Areas of blowing dust caused near zero visibilities across much of the northern sections of the state, resulting in several roads being closed. The blowing dirt drifted to a depth of 3 feet in some areas. Additionally, numerous power outages occurred due to downed power lines and poles. One downed power line caused a 100-acre grass fire near Box Elder. An empty 60 foot grain elevator was blown over near Cut Bank. Several vehicles were blown off roads during this event.Some peak wind speeds from this event include:75 mph at Browning, 71 mph at Cut Bank, 70 mph at Rudyard, 64 mph at Shelby, 70 mph at Dupuyer and Pendroy, and 60 mph at Inverness, Big Sandy, Sweet Grass, and Del Bonita.

A high wind event occurred over all of North Central Montana and a portion of Southwest Montana, which began on the afternoon of the 21st and ended on the afternoon of the 22nd. Some of the strongest winds of the winter season were recorded during this event. Sustained winds of 45 to 65 mph were common across much of North Central Montana, with gusts between 60 and 80 mph. However, locations near the Rocky Mountain Front had wind gusts in excess of 100 mph.This high wind event caused scattered power outages throughout much of North Central Montana. One power line that was blown down 15 miles Southwest of Choteau sparked a grass fire. This fire was fanned by the wind, and burned 6000 acres. One farm and homestead were lost in the blaze. A few vehicles were blown off Interstate 15, while other vehicles had windshields cracked as stones were blown into them while driving. Many locations reported visibilities near zero at times, due to blowing dust over the plains and blowing snow over the mountains. Here is a list of some of the top wind speeds recorded during this event.On February 21st:Cut Bank 70 mph at 2046 MST; 4 W Augusta 75 mph at 2225 MST; Fort Shaw 80 mph at 2230 MST; Browning 81 mph at 2255 MST; 18 W Pendroy estimated 100 mph at 2310 MST.On February 22nd27 W Choteau 115 mph at 0040 MST; Silver City 73 mph at 0606 MST; 6 N Big Sandy estimated 85 mph at 0900 MST; 4 E Hobson estimated 70 mph at 1230 MST.

A high wind event occurred over all of North Central Montana on the 10th and 11th of February. The winds began to pick up in intensity over the Rocky Mountain Front late in the afternoon on February 10th. By late evening, high winds were reported across much of the region. The winds began to diminish in intensity during the morning hours on the 11th.During the peak of the wind event, visibilities were less than one mile in many locations due to blowing dust over the plains, and blowing snow in the mountain passes. Several power outages also occurred in Cascade and Lewis and Clark counties from the wind having knocked down power lines. Here is a list of some of the peak wind speeds recorded.On February 10th:Cut Bank 60 mph at 2233 MSTOn February 11th:13 West of Helena 58 mph at 0024 MST; Great Falls 72 mph at 0210 MST; 25 SE of Sweetgrass 65 mph at 0300 MST; Choteau 58 mph at 0330 MST; 68 to 78 mph gusts recorded across much of Fergus county between 0400 MST and 0700 MST; and Silver City 65 mph at 0625 MST.

A high wind event moved across north central Montana on the 12th. Sustained wind speeds of 40 to 50 mph were very common throughout the afternoon, and into the evening hours. Wind gusts were near 70 mph during the peak of the event. These winds started to increase in strength around 1100 MST and then they did not diminish until 2000 MST. The peak wind speeds occurred between 1300 MST and 1600 MST. Due to the very strong winds, blowing dust became a real hazard. The blowing dust reduced visibilities to near zero in many locations for a period of time. As a result of the near zero visibilities, a 12 vehicle accident occurred about 13 miles Southeast of Great Falls near 1330 MST, resulting in 2 fatalities and 4 injuries.Power was knocked out to over 1500 customer in the Great Falls metro area. A few trees were uprooted and several roofs were blown off as well. Near 1745 MST a train was blown off the tracks, just west of East Glacier, at the Midvale trestle. A total of 20 cars and 24 box containers were blown off the track. Wind speeds were estimated to be near 80 mph at the time of the accident.Some of the peak wind speeds recorded during the day were; Great Falls 68 mph at 1330 MST: Conrad 20 SE 68 mph at 1330 MST; Browning 62 mph at 1555 MST; Havre 50 mph at 1756 MST; Boulder 64 mph at 1951 MST, and Lewistown 51 mph at 1954 MST.

Reported by spotter at Cascade 5 S...Other gusts within a few minutes of this report also occurred in Cascade county at Great Falls (53 kt - measured - KRTV television studios) and Power 6 SE (55 kt - measured - spotter report).

Reported by spotter at Cascade 5 S...Short power outages also occurred in Great Falls (25 miles NE of Cascade).

6 inches snowfall reported by spotter at Power.

Power 6 SE spotter.

Power 6 SE spotter.

Roof torn off mobile home...trailer tipped over...power outages.

The new year began with an Arctic Air mass over the region, powered by a 1028 mb surface high. Temperatures plunged below zero as northerly winds were just strong enough to produce dangerous wind chills down to 40 below zero along the Hi-Line. Milder westerly flow quickly replaced this air mass and brought strong gusty surface winds to much of north-central MT. Temperatures along the Rocky Mountain Front remained below freezing, resulting in widespread ground blizzard conditions over the East Glacier and Browning areas. The strong surface winds were mostly over the plains resulting from 50kt+ 700 mb westerly flow, but there was a brief period of strong southwesterly flow over the southwest that brought criteria magnitudes to Madison County. Another surge of Arctic air moved into the region again after the high winds subsided.

A strong upper level jet streak moved over North-Central Montana, bringing powerful winds to the area, especially along the Rocky Mountain Front. Wind gusts along the Rocky Mountain Front exceeded 100 mph in some locations, particularly at Deep Creek and at the Two Medicine Bridge along US 2. Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph spread across the plains, with most of North-Central Montana seeing High Wind Criteria. Of note, several fires occurred during this wind event. More information on these fires are under the episode titled Wind-fueled fires sweep across the plains.

Strong westerly flow continued into the middle of November over the Northern Rockies. H700 winds routinely exceeded 70 kts as surface pressure gradients assisted with mixing these winds to the surface. The strongest winds were initially observed over the Rocky Mountain Front, before expanding into the remainder of the region, when a strong Pacific trough moved through the region and a 982 mb surface low developed over the Canadian Prairies. There were many reports of structural damage, power outages, and disruptions to travel, especially along the rocky Mountain Front.

On Wednesday May 19, 2021, an upper level Pacific trough dove south through the Pacific Northwest into the Great Basin and then became nearly stationary for a couple of days. The southerly flow ahead of this system transported middle and upper level moisture into the state, while an upslope east to northeast flow developed at the lower levels in response to relatively strong surface high and low pressure systems respectively set up over Alberta Canada and Utah. The upslope flow eventually led to cold air damming and the development of a low level barrier jet along the Divide. This resulted in strong northerly surface winds along eastern slopes adjacent to the Rocky Mountain Front for periods of near blizzard conditions and subsequently sent the unseasonably cold air into the southwestern portion of the state. Locations from Roger���s Pass northward into the East Glacier and Browning areas observed the worst conditions due to the combination of falling snow and gusty northerly winds. The impacts ranged from severe driving conditions on area roadways to isolated power outages. By Thursday morning, the rain began to change to snow at lower elevations over North-central Montana and this transition eventually reached the southwest valleys later that evening.

The onset of a high impact wind event began on Tuesday January 13th, 2020, when a typical brand of strong winds descended over the normally wind prone Rocky Mountain Front and adjoining areas. Widespread anomalously strong winds then swept through much of Montana on the following day as a vigorous Pacific weather system and its associated 70 to 100 kt 700 mb jet max moved east through the Northern Rockies into the plains. A Pacific cold frontal passage helped transfer these winds to the surface and cold air advection on the sub-sident side of the trough maintained higher winds speeds for much of the day. Great Falls (76 mph), Helena (80 mph), and Havre (78 mph) all set wind wind speed records for the month of January. The winds were not only abnormally strong but they persisted longer than what is normally experienced, with some locations seeing frequent severe wind gusts for six hours or more. The impacts were felt throughout North-central and Southwest Montana and included, road closures due to areas of dense blowing dust, semi trailer roll overs, power outages, property damage, and even a few grass fires.

A deepening surface low positioned over southern Alberta on October 16th generated strong southwest winds winds across the region during the day on Friday. The strongest winds were along the Rocky Mountain Front. As of 3 PM, short-term model guidance was supporting the expectation that winds would spread onto the adjacent plains and across North-central Montana late in the afternoon into the evening, once the surface low began to pull away from the Rocky Mountain Front. Thus, high wind warnings remained in effect at least through early evening.||Areas of light rain and mountain snow were ongoing Friday afternoon. These were associated with weak warm advection aloft, mainly for areas mainly north and east of|a line from Great Falls to Cut Bank. This activity appeared likely to continue through the evening, along with continuing snow over the Northern Rockies. ||As the surface low moved away to the east, the cold front would be drawn southward into North-central Montana. This was expected to occur by around 9pm for the HiLine, midnight for central MT, and early Saturday morning for south-central Montana. As the front moved by, light rain developed, which then changed over to snow. Initially wet roads were expected to freeze by morning, especially the bridges and overpasses. Wet snow sticking and freezing to power lines and branches had the potential to cause some isolated power outages. Rain and snowfall amounts were expected to be light across the North-central plains as the shallow front slid by. Some orographic enhancement in the northwest flow aloft had the potential to help maintain precipitation into Saturday for upslope areas along the Rocky Mountain Front and the upslope areas of central Montana. The cold air behind the front was shallow, and given northwesterly flow aloft, model guidance suggested the front would stall out somewhere north of I-90. Although this was not explicitly forecast at the time time, we would need to monitor for the possibility of the development of snow bands along this frontal convergence zone early|Saturday morning. Total snowfall amounts from this first wave had trended lower in Friday's updated forecast guidance. However, the forecaster noted that regardless of snow totals, any icing that developed with this early season event would be worth noting and extra precautions should be taken while driving.||The first set of Winter Weather Advisories remained in effect until 6 pm Saturday for north-central areas and midnight Saturday night for the southwest. A second disturbance would allow very little time to pass before the next round of snow and perhaps some mixed precipitation moved in late Saturday night and into Sunday. This system was a bit warmer but it it was a tricky forecast to know how much cold air would remain in the lower levels. There was potential that snow may become mixed with rain or even freezing drizzle at times, which will ultimately determine how much snow accumulation is realized. Most of this precipitation was expected to fall Sunday morning and afternoon but there was potential for some to linger through Monday morning. This resulted in another set of Winter Weather Advisories being issued from midnight Saturday through noon on Monday, for roughly the same areas as the first set that had been issued. Confidence was lowest in the Southwest due to the fact that warmer air may infiltrate before the most significant precipitation fell, but the forecaster decided to keep them in it since a little shift in timing could produce more impactful results. As mentioned earlier, forecast confidence in snowfall totals remain low but areas along the Divide and the central mountains had the potential to receive snow totals up to 6 inches or more in some cases. High temperatures for this afternoon were to be the coldest of the season thus far, with highs struggling to reach the 30s over much of Central/North-central Montana, with warmer 30s and 40s over the southwest. The cold temperatures would continue on Sunday but were expected to be slightly warmer than Saturday. More seasonal temperatures were expected by Monday afternoon after a brief period of patchy freezing rain.

A vigorous mid-level disturbance and attendant surface cold front moved through Montana in a northwest to southeast direction on Sunday April 28th. This brought a several hour period of strong gusty northerly winds and moderate to heavy snow, which combined to produce blizzard conditions across much of North-central Montana. During the peak of the storm, wind gusts as high as 70 mph were reported, causing isolated power outages, motor vehicle accidents and weather related closures on area roadways, and a boating incident possibly attributed to gusty winds. The timing of the cold front passage possibly enhanced the impact of this storm because most of the event occurred before daytime heating was able to warm roadway surface temperatures above freezing.

A supercell produced a wet microburst in the vicinity of Simms, Sun River, Fort Shaw, Fairfield, and Power in Cascade and Teton Counties between 6:40 PM and 7:10 PM MDT on June 25th. Winds associated with this microburst were estimated to have been in the range of 70 to 90 mph. Torrential rainfall and several inches of hail accumulation from pea-size to dime-size hailstones also accompanied the storm and caused extensive crop damage. In addition, a line of thunderstorms crossed Great Falls and caused minor street flooding. These thunderstorms were triggered by a Pacific cold front that encountered a warm, humid air mass and moderate instability amidst strong vertical wind shear.

A strong westerly flow aloft developed along the U.S. - Canadian border and was able to mix down to the surface. The resulting high winds overturned a semi tractor-trailer on U.S. Highway 2 near Browning, snapped one inch tree limbs, tore shingles off of homes and outbuildings, and caused power outages. Wind gusts in excess of 80 mph were reported.

A storm system developed over the Great Basin and tracked northeastward into central and eastern Montana the first week of November. Heaviest snow amounts were in the mountains but the storm's impacts at lower elevations included power outages in Bozeman and numerous vehicle slide offs on area roads.

Areas of strong winds and heavy snowfall combined to cause power outages and road closures across portions of Central and North Central Montana.

Deep surface low pressure moving across southern Canada produced a tight surface gradient across North Central Montana which resulted in high winds. Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph were common. Many trees were downed by the winds as were power poles resulting in thousands of customers losing service.

A powerful spring Pacific storm brought widespread snow to most of North Central Montana. Snow amounts ranged from 6 inches to over a foot.

A very unstable airmass led to a widespread outbreak of severe weather during the afternoon hours. Hail the size of golf balls and wind gusts in excess of 60 mph was reported. Power outages occurred in many cities as numerous trees and power lines were blown down by storm winds. Heavy rain was also reported.

A vigorous upper level low brought cold air and heavy wet snow to a large portion of North Central Montana. Snow accumulations up to 24 inches was reported in some areas. The heavy wet snow downed numerous tree limbs, toppled many power poles resulting in areas losing their electricity and caused many accidents.

A powerful winter storm brought heavy snow, gusty winds and extreme cold to a large portion of North Central Montana. Snowfall amounts in excess of 6 inches, wind gusts over 40 mph and extremely cold temperatures were reported. The temperature fell to 8 below zero in Great Falls which is the second coldest April reading of all time for the city. The extreme cold was responsible for the deaths of lambs and livestock as well as crippling many trees and flowering plants.

Strong winds aloft along with a series of deep surface lows moving across southern Canada combined to produce strong winds over a wide area of North Central Montana. A wind gust to 133 mph was reported at the Logan Pass Visitor Center in Glacier Park. Numerous reports of 60 to 80 mph gusts were reported elsewhere along the Rocky Mountain front and adjacent plains. Many power poles were blown down resulting in areas of power outages. Many trees were reported down in the Little Belt mountains resulting in the blocking of snowmobile trails. Also, the eastbound Amtrak was delayed by four to five hours.

An early season winter storm brought heavy wet snow to portions of North Central Montana on the 16th. The heavy snow downed numerous tree limbs, and power lines, within the city of Great Falls. An estimated 9000 NorthWestern Energy customers were without power for several hours. No injuries were reported. Power outages were also reported at Monarch and Neihart.

Severe thunderstorms produced a wind gust to 73 mph at Loma 1N (Loma DOT site), a gust to 70 mph at Carter 24N, a gust to 65 mph at Big Sandy and a gust to 60 mph at Fort Benton 16E. The storms downed numerous power lines and damaged the roof at the Big Sandy Airport. Heavy rain and hail were also reported. Virgelle reported 1.25 inches of rain in 30 minutes and Carter 27NW reported a storm total of 1.6 inches of rain. A funnel cloud was reported by the public near Vaughn.

Severe thunderstorms occurred across a large portion of North Central Montana on the 4th. Reported wind gusts include: 76 mph at Havre, 71 mph at Great Falls and Inverness 1W, 66 mph at Hobson, 65 mph at Loma 1N, 64 mph at Roy 1E and at Great Falls 3SW, 63 mph at Cut Bank 3SW and Lewistown 2W, 62 mph at Dunkirk 7NE, 61 mph at Hays 19SW, and 60 mph at Silver City, Craig 5N, Ulm, Cascade 25SE, Bozeman, Conrad, Raynesford 2SE, Chester 15SW, Inverness 15S, Geraldine 13E, Roy 25NE, Chinook 1E, and Hogeland 7W. These storms caused damage to numerous trees as well as some structural damage. The roof of a pizza restaurant in Lewistown was torn off and a ranch home northwest of Hobson had a metal fence blown threw a picture window. Power lines were also downed resulting in some interruption of service.Additionally, a funnel cloud was reported by law enforcement at Black Eagle 1NE with no damage sustained.

A fast moving thunderstorm moved through Great Falls during the early evening hours of the 1st. The storm produced a lightning strike that damaged an electrical substation leaving more than 1100 people without power for several hours. Street lights and traffic signals were also rendered inoperative. Minimal damage was reported.

Heavy rains fell over portions of Cascade and Chouteau counties the weekend of June 3rd through the 5th. Some areas received an estimated 6 to 12 inches of rain. Seven bridges were washed out in the Highwood area of Chouteau County which resulted in many people being stranded and over 30 property owners warned about the rising waters. Additionally, several campers were stranded at camp sites that became flooded. In Cascade County, over 200 feet of Willow Creek Road was washed out. Power poles were knocked down in both counties resulting in 9-1-1 emergency communications being out in Chouteau County.

A powerful spring storm brought heavy snow to a wide area of Southwest Montana from the 18th through the afternoon of the 19th. Reported snow fall amounts include: 18 inches at Lewistown 11SSE; 16 inches at Lewistown 22S; 12 inches at Clancy 3W, 12 inches at Crstal Lake, 12 inches at Rogers Pass; 11 inches at Bozeman; 10 inches at Lewistown 10S, 10 inches at Half Moon Pass; 9 inches at Big Sky 2WNW, 9 inches at Lima, 9 inches at Montana State University (Bozeman) and 4 inches at Lewistown, Utica 11SW and Hobson 16SW.

A well organized and powerful winter storm brought blizzard conditions to a large area of North Central Montana during the morning and afternoon hours of the 12th. Sustained north winds of 30 to 40 mph were common throughout the area. The wind and accompanying snow caused whiteout conditions as visibilities were reduced to less than a quarter mile in many areas. The blizzard conditions closed many roads and restricted use on others to emergency travel only. Law enforcement reported numerous accidents and many vehicles sliding into ditches. In addition to the strong winds, the storm brought very cold air to much of North Central Montana and produced dangerous wind chills.

A high wind event occurred over a large portion of North Central Montana from the morning of the 19th through early evening on the 20th. Reported wind speeds include: a gust to 84 mph at the Two Medicine Bridge, a gust to 77 mph at Chinook 11S, a gust to 70 mph at Choteau, Cut Bank, Gold Butte and Townsend 3W, a gust to 69 mph at McDonald Pass, a gust to 66 mph at Inverness, Bozeman 11E and Roy 1E, a gust to 65 mph at Sweet Grass, Dupuyer and Geyser, a gust to 63 mph at Browning and Pendroy, a gust to 61 mph at Roy, a gust to 60 mph at Great Falls, a gust to 58 mph at Loma and a gust to 57 mph at Fort Belknap and Malmstrom Air Force Base. The strong winds downed trees and power lines in the Helena Valley as well as damaging several business signs.

A strong thunderstorm moved across the southern portion of the city of Great Falls during the early evening hours of the 29th. The storm produced numerous lightning strikes. One person was injured when lightning struck the ground and traveled to the metal machine he was operating. Lightning also struck a residence and blasted a large hole in the roof above a bedroom. Many branches and power lines were downed by the storm. Lightning also knocked out power to 2500 Great Falls area residents.

A high wind event occurred over a large portion of North Central Montana during the 18th. Reported wind speeds include: 86 mph 11 SE East Glacier Park, 77 mph 2 E East Glacier Park, 64 mph 1 N Great Falls, 63 mph at Great Falls and 60 mph at Pendroy, Cut Bank, and Floweree. Sustained wind speeds of 40 mph were reported at Kevin, Chester and Power.

A strong and powerful storm brought heavy snows to central Montana during the Christmas holiday season, December 26 and 27. A swath of snow (over 3 feet of snow fall) fell from northern Meagher to Southern Phillips counties. The storm tied the maximum 24-hour snowfall total for Montana when 48 inches fell at Millegan 14SE (near the Cascade-Meagher county line). Reported snow fall amounts include: 53 inches at Shonkin 7S, 48 inches near Millegan 14SE, 41 inches at the Crystal Lake SNOTEL site, 36 inches at Hobson, 25 inches at the Onion Park SNOTEL site, 24 inches at Stanford, 20 inches at Lewistown, 14 inches at Chinook, 13 inches at Valentine, 12 inches at Grassrange, 12 inches at Utica, 12 inches at Bozeman, and 5 inches at Ennis and White Sulphur Springs. The heavy snow was notable for its high water content. Water equivalents of 2 to 3 inches were common with the storm. In addition to the heavy snow, northwest wind gusts up to 50 mph created blizzard conditions over portions of central and eastern Montana. Snow drifts 3 to 4 feet high were reported in some areas.The storm caused dozens of traffic accidents including numerous semi tractor-trailers sliding off roads or into ditches. Hundreds of motorists were stranded and many roads were closed including portions of Interstate 90. Holiday air travelers were also stranded as airlines canceled many flights. Some ski areas were forced to postpone opening due to the heavy snow. Bridger Bowl (a ski area 16 miles north of Bozeman) received more than 5 feet of snow and could not open as planned on the 26th.

A high wind event occurred over a large portion of North Central Montana during daylight hours of the 18th. Wind gusts from 90 to 100 mph were recorded along the Northern Rocky Mountain front. Power outages were reported throughout the area as well as minor damage to various structures. A semi tractor-trailer was blown off of Highway 200 and the eastbound Amtrak passenger train was delayed for several hours due to the high winds.Peak wind speeds reported include: 100 mph at Browning, 94 mph at the Choteau Airport, 78 mph at Choteau 2E, 72 mph at Babb 25NW, 64 mph at the NWS office in Great Falls, 63 mph at MacDonald Pass, 62 mph at Del Bonita, and 60 mph at Sweetgrass.

A severe thunderstorm moved across the southern sections Great Falls between 1945 and 2000 MST. Hail up to 0.75 inches and wind gusts to 58 mph occurred as the storm moved through. A funnel cloud was reported over the southern sections of Great Falls between 1950 and 2000 MST. Damage was minor, with several power lines were knocked down, and some minor street flooding.