The Missoula area, the Bitterroot Valley, and other areas of West Central Montana were slammed by severe thunderstorms Wednesday evening, downing lines and trees and starting fires.
The National Weather Service had been tracking the storm for several hours as the cells began moving across Idaho.
Around 8:30 pm NWS issued a warning of severe thunderstorms moving into the Northern Bitterroot and Missoula Valley, and when the weather came it hit hard, with pounding winds, lots of lightning, and heavy rain.
One of the strongest windstorms in several years
Forecasters are still analyzing data, but winds appeared to be gusting 50 to 60 miles per hour. At one point, NWS reported a gust hitting 81 miles per hour at the forecast center at the Missoula Montana Airport.
Additionally, forecasters tell us they reported a gusting hitting 120 miles per hour at the top of Mount Sentinel.
The winds ripped through Lolo and Miller Creek, knocking down trees and power lines. Then the storm blasted across Missoula and moved into East Missoula, kicking up a major dust storm and debris.
Lightning strikes were expected to total several hundred in the Missoula area.
Damage everywhere
Missoula area fire and police crews were kept busy responding to a rapid-fire succession of reports of downed power lines and trees, with multiple wildfire starts. At one point, firefighters were called out to stop a structure fire in East Missoula that was threatening other homes.
Missoula Electric Coop was reporting several hundred people without power from Lolo to Missoula to Superior and in Seeley Lake.
Northwestern Energy was also reporting several thousand customers without power in the Missoula and Bitterroot service areas.
Storm moved NE
The storm was continuing to move northeast toward the Upper Blackfoot, the Front, and Great Falls area before 10 pm.
With extremely dry conditions across the state, the Michigan DNR is reminding residents of the following everyday items that may accidentally spark a fire.
Gallery Credit: Lauren Gordon
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Posted at 6:54 AM, Jul 25, 2024
MISSOULA — Storms that rolled across Western Montana on Wednesday evening brought down trees and knocked out power to thousands in the Missoula and Bitterroot valleys.
Power outage continued into Thursday morning for thousands of people in and around Missoula.
More local news from KPAX
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An AIR QUALITY ALERT continues for the Hi-Line and eastern Montana.
A HEAT ADVISORY continues for north-central Montana and the Helena Valley through 9 PM Thursday.
A HEAT ADVISORY continues for the Flathead/Mission Valleys, West Glacier, Missoula/Bitterroot Valleys and the Potomac/Seeley Lake region through 12 AM tonight.
A HEAT ADVISORY continues for the Lower Clark Fork and Kootenai/Cabinet Regions of Western Montana through 12 AM tonight.
An EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING continues for eastern and south-central Montana from 9 PM Thursday.
A RED FLAG WARNING continues for the East Glacier region through 9 PM Thursday.
A RED FLAG WARNING continues for southwest Montana through 9 PM tonight.
A FIRE WEATHER WATCH continues for central Montana through midnight Thursday.
——————————————————————————————————————————
Heat, fire, and air quality alerts are in effect for just about every Montana county this morning ahead of what should be a record breaking heatwave. Temperatures will start to decrease tomorrow and into the weekend.
High temperatures, low relative humidity, and strong west winds once again increase the fire danger in the mountains of Montana today. There is also a chance of seeing dry thunderstorms pop over the Idaho/Montana border and move northeastward throughout the afternoon. Lighting strikes from this type of storm can spark wildfires. Not all the storms will be dry.
MTN
Record daily high temperatures are possible today, especially in eastern Montana where 110 degree heat is expected. Helena and Great Falls will be at or above the triple digits today as well.
The Last Chance Stampede starts today. It will be very hot today and tomorrow during afternoon events. Be sure to drink plenty of water and take advantage of shaded areas.
Relief from extreme conditions is on the way. A cold front will advance through the state on Thursday and Friday. Behind it will be cooler air dropping temperatures back down to near average for the start of the weekend.
MTN
The beginning of next week will be about the same has the weekend, with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s. Extreme heat will return by the end of next workweek.
Helena Temperature Records Today:
High: 100 (1929)
Low: 40 (1918)
AVG: 89/57
Great Falls Temperature Records Today:
High: 102 (1929)
Low: 36 (1918)
AVG: 87/53
Stay safe in the heat!
Joey Biancone
Meteorologist
Facebook: Meteorologist Joey Biancone
Instagram: joeybianconewx
Email: joey.biancone@ktvh.com
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