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

2025-12-15 to 2025-12-16 · Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera, Montana

Event narrative

Numerous sensors in this zone reported sustained winds of 40 mph or greater observed over at least an hour or gusts to 58 mph or greater, including MT mesonet stations Mission Lake S, Buffalo Lake E, Sunburst NNW, Conrad N, Ledger N MDA, and Ethridge N, MT DOT sensors Sunburst (MTSUN), Sweet Grass (MTSWT), and Valier Jct (MTVAR), and ASOS/AWOS stations KCTB Cut Bank and KSBX Shelby. There were more sensors than this, but you get the point. Peak observed gust in this zone was 84 mph at Mission Lake S.

Wider weather episode

Strong zonal flow ahead of an initial shortwave during the afternoon of the 15th was translated to the surface through early on the 16th. These winds were stronger and more widespread than the previous event a day prior, but paled in comparison to the winds that developed just a day or so later on the 17th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1303313. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.