High Wind — Madison River Valley, Montana

2024-11-17 · Madison River Valley, Montana

Event narrative

AWOS station KEKS Ennis Airport measured sustained winds, averaged over an hour, of 42 mph in the evening of the 17th. Additionally, DOT sensor MTNOR Norris Hill measured sustained winds, averaged over an hour, of 41 mph between midnight and 645 AM on the 17th.

Wider weather episode

Although the region was between systems, strong cross barrier flow along the Rocky Mountain Front and a modest ridgetop inversion resulted in mountain waves over the adjacent plains. Additionally, strong winds below the inversion in and around Great Falls were translated to the surface over multiple hours the morning of the 17th, with gusts in excess of 70 mph observed at the Great Falls Airport.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1219248. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.