Thunderstorm Wind in Flathead County, Montana

The Daily Inter Lake newspaper reported that a tree had fallen on a home on Kokanee Bend two miles southwest of Columbia Falls. The law enforcement scanner traffic indicated that the tree had cut the home in half trapping the people inside. They were uninjured and were eventually able to get out of the house.

As an upper level low approached the Pacific Northwest coast, a mid-level jet maximum of 40 to 50 knots triggered a line of thunderstorms that moved from eastern Oregon into the Idaho Panhandle. As this line continued to track east-northeast, they formed a gust front triggering even stronger storms over western Montana that brought strong gusty winds, frequent lightning, heavy rain and damage. The lightning detection network reported over 1500 strikes during the event.