Flathead storm history

There were multiple reports from Kalispell, MT of 1.75 to 2.5 hail which caused extensive body and windshield damage to vehicles. Additionally, multiple homes sustained damage, especially roofs that needed to be replaced. One homeowner spent $80,000 US dollars to replace their ro…

The Associated Press reported 7.0 million in damages. Glacier National Park received 9.1 of rainfall in 36 hours. An additional .5 to 1.0 million in damages occurred to the park's trails.

Flooding was reported on the Highline Trail. People needed to be rescued, but ongoing thunderstorms prevented helicopter operations.

A trained spotter reported one inch diameter hail. A flight into Kalispell was diverted to Spokane due to the storm.

Flathead Electric reported about 15,000 without power due to downed power lines and downed trees. There was a social media post reporting a 64 mph gust near Badrock.

A trained spotter measured one inch hail near Columbia Falls.

A wind gust of 68 mph was recorded at the Glacier Park International Airport. The thunderstorm resulted in a couple hundred customers without power in West Glacier and near Coram, according to Flathead Electric COOP. Numerous reports of downed trees were also received.

Several areas of flooding and debris flows occurred, mainly on June 15. Trumbull Creek west of Columbia Falls, flooded a dozen homes near Highway 2 with water on to the highway. Flooding also occurred on North Hilltop Road along Garnier Creek and Blankenship Road near Columbia Fa…

The Flathead River at Columbia Falls reached minor flood stage on June 12 as Flathead Lake reached full pool, and continued at minor flood stage until June 26. Impacts included groundwater flooding agricultural fields along the Steel Bridge Road. Also water flooded recreational v…

Backpackers camping at the edge of Lake Ellen Wilson in Glacier National Park were awakened by torrential rainfall and the clapping of thunder around midnight. Bias-corrected radar data estimated over half an inch of rain fell in one hour through 1 am on the 11th. The rain contin…

Thunderstorm outflow winds caused a few downed trees and tree branches which resulted in several power outages around Flathead Lake northward to Whitefish. The main power outages were centered on Woods Bay, Echo Lake, and in the Whitefish area with around 1000 customers without p…

A photo was received via social media of a hailstone that appeared a little larger than a golf ball in Kila. Damage to cars, trailer and roof in Kila was also reported. Half dollar hail was reported in Kalispell and just south of Whitefish.

Overbank flooding was reported along much of the North Fork of the Flathead River, from the North Fork and Camas Road intersection, north to the Canadian border. While much of the adjacent areas are rural, flooding did occur on North Fork Road and other local roads around Polebri…

Widespread high winds were reported as a line of thunderstorms, in the form of a squall line, moved north-northeastward across the region. While wind gusts of 50 to 60 miles per hour were common, a person from the public in Kila reported a measured peak wind gust of 78 miles per …

Multiple thunderstorms collided together just south of Flathead Lake and produced a severe gust front that tracked north to the Flathead Valley. Multiple observers reported that the strong winds lasted for up to 15 minutes. Dozens of toppled trees, damaged power poles, transmissi…

Multiple reports of tree damage and a localized power outage occurred southeast of Kalispell and Evergreen according to a call to the NWS office and via Twitter reports.

The public sent a photo in to local media showing hails stones up to approximately 1.5 inches in diameter. Photos of hail damage to cars in the vicinity also came across social media feeds.

A hotel employee reported lots of hail ranging from dime size to quarter size. The storm lasted about 10 minutes and was accompanied by gusty winds.

A member of the public located 5 miles west-southwest of Lupfer reported ping pong size hail, which dented 3 vehicles and broke the windshield of 1 vehicle. There were also many plants defoliated by the hail.

Larger than quarter sized hail was reported at residence north of MT-35 bridge over Flathead River. The hail punched larger than golf ball-sized holes in plastic chicken coop roofing, destroyed residence's surveillance camera, and dented their metal barn roof.

The public reported quarter-sized hail from a thunderstorm west of Kalispell, MT.

The public sent a photo showing multiple hailstones as large as quarters in Kalispell, MT.

The public reported 1-inch hail via social media 3 miles south of Columbia Falls, MT.

Between 4 to 6 inches of rain fell within 24 hours causing Spoon and Duck lakes to spill out onto Lake Drive and North Fork Road, and ending up near the Blankenship Road intersection as culverts were unable to handle the extra runoff. Rabe Road also experienced flooding from wate…

A rockslide was reported along US-2 just east of West Glacier, MT. The eastbound lane was blocked by softball-sized rocks. Road crews cleared debris and the road was usable again an hour later.

The Glacier National Park RAWS reported 0.76 of rainfall in one hour. Other heavy rainfall reports include 0.78 40 min. ending 4:10 pm MDT 3 miles east of Creston and 0.65 in one hour via Hungry Horse RAWS at 6:11 pm MDT.

A COOP observer reported a 4 day precipitation total of 4.25 during this event which was the highest manual observation. Other total amounts include: 4.20 Bigfork 3.2 miles east-northeast, 4.08 Columbia Falls 7.7 miles south, 3.52 Kalispell 1.7 miles northwest, 3.23 Olney, 3.22 R…

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…

The Kalispell International airport tower observer estimated half dollar sized hail. Out of at least 5 vehicles damaged, one cost $5,600 to repair.

The Kalispell International Airport ASOS measured 0.38 of rain in 20 minutes with a west-southwest wind gust to 25 mph at 1:54 pm.

A trained spotter northwest of Kila reported estimated penny sized hail and strong winds estimated at 50 mph that blew off patio furniture from their deck.

A trained spotter northwest of Kalispell reported strong winds with penny size hail.

The weather sensor at the Kalispell International airport reported a gust to 55 mph, and heavy rain with reduced visibilities as low as one mile for at least 19 minutes. It reported 0.27 of rainfall in 23 minutes from 4:32 to 4:55 pm MDT. As the gust front moved through the Kalis…

A trained spotter reported strong gusty winds that brought down power lines and trees of unknown size. They also reported pea size hail.

A trained spotter reported nickel size hail southwest of Columbia Falls.

A Glacier National Park official reported several cars damaged from downed trees. They also reported that there were several areas with rocks on the road partially blocking lanes, but no major landslide activity. Approximately 22 miles to the northwest in Polebridge, the RAWS sen…

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…

An 80-foot-tall pine tree fell over on 5th Ave West in Kalispell crushing a Corvette and damaging a truck, car and a boat.

A member of the public measured strong gusty winds that pushed over three large Ponderosa Pine trees and power outages. A tree fell onto a transmission line that impacted two power substations causing power outages for the Many Lakes and Echo Lake area.

The Kalispell ASOS station measured a strong southerly wind gust to 55 mph. The Flathead Valley power companies reported that around 5,000 customers lost power from 8pm MDT through the early morning hours on August 26. Multiple trees fell on power lines causing the outages.

Downed power lines caused power outages and temporarily blocked U.S. 2 in Evergreen Sunday night.

A right-moving supercell developed just southeast of Kila and tracked north and east across the Creston area. A local business sustained considerable damage due to the estimated quarter size hail.

A right-moving supercell developed just southeast of Kila and tracked north and east across the Creston area. A local resident measured up to one inch hail in diameter that covered the ground to three inches deep.

A right-moving supercell developed just southeast of Kila and tracked north and east across the Creston area. A farmer reported hail accumulation between 6 and 8 inches that dented vehicle hoods and damaged barley, spring wheat and canola crops. The half inch hail was estimated.

A right-moving supercell developed just southeast of Kila and tracked north and east across the Creston area. At least two different people from the Many Lakes residential area reported jagged edged-hail to the estimated size of golf balls. One person said the hail looked like it…

A right-moving supercell formed 30 miles southwest of Marion and tracked northeast around 40 mph to just north of Kila. A trained spotter located 2 miles north of Kila measured penny sized hail.