Power Outage in Polson, MT

Multiple large, mature Colorado spruce and ponderosa pine trees were blown down along with smaller deciduous trees across the Mission Valley. Shingle damage also occurred on several homes with power outages in Pablo.

Power lines and trees were downed by the wind. One of the trees that was knocked over was 18 inches in diameter.

National Weather Service storm survey crew saw numerous trees and several power poles down along the storm's track. Two structures received roof damage. The damage observed was indicative of straight line winds. A flag pole was bent in half southwest of Polson. Based upon the damage observed, winds were estimated to be between 80 to 100 mph.

An agrimet weather station reported a wind gust of 73 mph. In addition, numerous trees were blown down near McDonald Lake road. St. Ignatius experienced power outages.

Microbursts were common across Northwest Montana causing strong winds. Power lines were reported down in Lake County with many reports of fallen trees.

Strong thunderstorms moved through Sanders and Lake Counties during the evening hours producing heavy rain, hail, damaging winds and igniting several lightning strike fires. Thunderstorm winds blew down trees over Highway 35 around Flathead Lake and down the Mission Valley. Trees were blown down onto power lines. which triggered some small fires near Arlee.

Strong thunderstorm moved through Lake County between 230 PM and 300 PM MST, producing damaging winds and large hail. Near Arlee, a semi truck north bound on highway 93, was blown off the highway. As the storm passed through Pablo, power lines and trees were knocked down. Near Ronan, nickel size hail damaged a home owner's yard.

The most significant damage from strong thunderstorms occurred near the towns of Noxon, Troy, Libby and Trout Creek in northwest Montana, where several 12 to 18 inch diameter trees were blown over by winds gusting to 60 mph. In Noxon, two vehicles sustained damage from trees falling on them. A tree fell on a trailer in Libby and a metal roof was blown off a building. Similar wind speeds were reported in Hamilton, MT, which downed a number of tree branches in the area. Numerous tree limbs were also reported down in the towns of Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Kalispell in northwest Montana. Many of the tree limbs fell on to power lines, resulting in a number of power outages and small fires. In Lake County, a thunderstorm just north of the Ronan Airport snapped and toppled numerous trees, crushed a home roof and destroyed a shed and corrals in its wake.