Funnel Cloud in Flathead County, Montana
Funnel Cloud May 5, 2014 · Flathead County, Montana
Where the report was made, with tornadoes recorded within 15 miles over the years.
What the National Weather Service wrote
An official observer at the Glacier Park International Airport observed a funnel cloud approximately 8 miles to the northwest. They reported that it didn't seem to reach the ground and only lasted for a minute. Radar and lightning data confirmed that the funnel cloud was attached to a cumulonimbus cloud(thunderstorm). Due to strong deep layer southwest wind shear ranging between 40 and 45 knots and with the relative location of the precipitation shaft to the base of the storm, the thunderstorm could have been supercellular. The Glacier National Park ASOS observed high relative humidities and south to south-southeast winds between 13 and 17 knots which added low-level wind shear. The appearance of the thunderstorm cloud base was relatively low which is another favorable atmospheric condition for funnel cloud development. Thanks to James LaDue from the NWS Warning Decision Training Branch for his added contribution to this report.
The wider storm
Very unstable conditions contributed to thunderstorm development northwest of Kalispell which allowed for a funnel cloud to develop.
Began near Whitefish (48.3688, -114.4071).
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 510873. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.
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