High Wind — Meagher, Montana

2021-01-03 · Meagher, Montana

Event narrative

Station K7S6 (4 S White Sulphur Springs) measured a 51 kt (59 mph) non-thunderstorm wind gust.

Wider weather episode

A fast moving Pacific trough and vigorous attendant cold front brought the first high wind event of 2021 to Central and North-central Montana. The strong winds began to materialize well ahead of the upper level system on Saturday January 2nd as lee side surface troughing over the Canadian prairies interacted with high pressure over Eastern Idaho and Wyoming for a tightening pressure gradient over the wind prone Rocky Mountain Front and north-central plains. By Sunday January 3rd, a 60 to 80 kt H700 jet max passed through the region while a strong Pacific cold front quickly moved northwest to southeast, bringing a line scattered convective showers with it. This is when some of the strongest winds were mixed to the surface and swept through the populated areas of the forecast area. Numerous reports of wind gusts ranging from 50 to 70 mph were observed.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 928141. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.