High Wind — Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera, Montana

2025-01-21 · Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera, Montana

Event narrative

ASOS station KCTB Cut Bank Airport measured a gust of 67 mph in addition to measuring sustained winds, averaged over an hour, of 41 mph. Montana mesonet site Mission Lake S measured a 61 mph gust.

Wider weather episode

The combination of an increasing pressure gradient, cross barrier flow, and an upper level wave resulted in a period of falling and blowing snow, most notable from the Little Belts eastward through Fergus County, where blizzard conditions were observed on the 22nd. On the front end of the event, strong winds were observed from Cut Bank westward toward the Northern Rocky Mountain Front.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1226787. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.