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Montana high wind and dust storms

Every recorded high wind record since 1996 · 56 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 7,814 high wind and dust records in Montana from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 272 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the January 12, 2002 high wind in Cascade County: 2 deaths and 4 injuries. Montana ranks 3rd of 52 states and territories by count and 20th of 51 per square mile.

High wind and dust storms in Montana, 1996 to 2026

Wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $1 million
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
Records
7,8141996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
272average
Deaths
734 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$16Mas filed
Busiest year
2022568 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are high wind and dust records common in Montana?

Montana averages about 272 high wind and dust records a year since 2000, 3rd of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2022 (568). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Montana records 537 high wind and dust records since 1996, 20th of 51 states and territories by that measure.

  1. 1. Rhode Island 7061
  2. 2. New Jersey 4882
  3. 3. Massachusetts 4776
  4. 4. Delaware 3705
  5. 5. Maryland 1330
  6. 6. Connecticut 1301
  7. 7. Vermont 1178
  8. 8. Hawaii 1067
  9. 9. New York 1028
  10. 10. Wyoming 900
  11. 20. Montana 537

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Montana have the most high wind and dust records?

Per square mile, Pondera County leads Montana: 646 days with a high wind record since 1996, 397.6 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Glacier County has the most wind records (1,273 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

  1. Pondera County 397.6 (1,020)
  2. Glacier County 248.7 (1,273)
  3. Teton County 193.7 (682)
  4. Wheatland County 177.9 (344)
  5. Toole County 154.1 (425)
  6. Lewis and Clark County 134.7 (746)
  7. Sweet Grass County 133.1 (332)
  8. Liberty County 130.8 (224)
  9. Cascade County 109.3 (389)
  10. Stillwater County 99.6 (208)
  11. Judith Basin County 98.9 (228)
  12. Golden Valley County 82.6 (116)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is the windy season in Montana?

Montana's high wind and dust records by month. The busiest month is January (1,258 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 1,258 · Feb 931 · Mar 820 · Apr 547 · May 406 · Jun 258 · Jul 107 · Aug 101 · Sep 179 · Oct 876 · Nov 1,097 · Dec 1,234 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest high wind and dust records in Montana?

Montana: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2002-01-12 High WindCascade County · forecast zone Cascade A high wind event moved across north central Montana on the 12th. Sustained wind speeds of 40 to 50 mph were very common throughout the afternoon, and into the evening hours. Wind gusts were near 70 mph during the peak of the event. These winds started to increase in strength around 1100 MST and then they did not ... 60 kt wind 2 4 –
2022-04-14 Strong WindFlathead County and Lake County · forecast zone West Glacier Region Two teenager kayakers drowned on Swan Lake following the development of strong offshore winds. 26 kt wind 2 0 –
2000-09-09 Dust StormLake County and 2 more · forecast zone Blackfoot Region Wind gusts between 40 to 50 mph blew over a newly plowed farm field, which reduced visibility to near zero from dust on highway 200 near Greenough. A multiple car accident occurred in the dust storm with eight people injured. One women died along the highway as she got out of her vehicle and was struck by a passing ... 1 8 –
2025-07-14 High WindFlathead County and 2 more · forecast zone Flathead/Mission Valleys One storm episode: 3 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. During the late evening of July 14th, a strong backdoor cold front moved into northwest Montana. Combined with a strong pressure gradient that was accentuated by a low-pressure system over Oregon, this front produced a period of intense and damaging downslope winds, particularly along the Mission and Swan mountain ... 50 kt wind 1 0 $32K
2006-12-13 High WindGallatin County · forecast zone Gallatin An estimated wind gust to 60 mph blew a worker off the roof of the Federal Building in downtown Bozeman resulting in his death (direct fatality). 52 kt wind 1 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

The costliest high wind and dust records in Montana

Montana: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-12-17 High WindFlathead County and 2 more · forecast zone Flathead/Mission Valleys One storm episode: 8 records in 7 places; the totals are the episode's. 58 kt wind 0 0 $2.3M
2020-04-11 Strong WindFlathead County and 2 more · forecast zone Flathead/Mission Valleys 43 kt wind 0 0 $1.1M
2021-12-23 Strong WindMissoula County and Ravalli County · forecast zone Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys 47 kt wind 0 0 $1.1M
2007-11-12 High WindDeer Lodge County and 3 more · forecast zone Butte / Blackfoot Region One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 78 kt wind 0 3 $961K
2005-04-09 High WindGarfield County · forecast zone Garfield 50 kt wind 0 0 $754K
2021-01-13 High WindFlathead County and 2 more · forecast zone Kootenai/Cabinet Region 70 kt wind 0 0 $545K
1999-10-31 High WindHill County · forecast zone Blaine / Chouteau / Hill 0 0 $531K
1999-10-31 High WindGlacier County · forecast zone Eastern Glacier / Eastern Pondera / Toole / Liberty 0 0 $531K

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.

Are high wind and dust records becoming more frequent in Montana?

Montana's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

High wind and dust storms: Montana and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeMontanaUnited StatesMontana's share
1996-9932614,0262.3%
2000s1,66237,2544.5%
2010s2,78641,7486.7%
2020-263,04036,3008.4%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent high wind and dust records in Montana

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-28 High WindToole County and Liberty County · forecast zone Eastern Toole And Liberty 56 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-28 High WindHill County · forecast zone Hill County 61 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-16 High WindToole County and Liberty County · forecast zone Eastern Toole And Liberty 54 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-16 High WindLewis and Clark County · forecast zone Upper Blackfoot And Macdonald Pass 61 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-16 High WindGlacier County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, And Central Pondera 54 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-12 Strong WindMissoula County and Ravalli County · forecast zone Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys 42 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-06 High WindMadison County · forecast zone Madison River Valley 57 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-31 High WindToole County and Liberty County · forecast zone Eastern Toole And Liberty 62 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-20 Strong WindSanders County 48 kt wind 0 0 $5K
2026-05-14 High WindGolden Valley County · forecast zone Golden Valley 56 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-14 High WindSweet Grass County and Wheatland County · forecast zone Melville Foothills 63 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-14 High WindGolden Valley County and Wheatland County · forecast zone Judith Gap 53 kt wind 0 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.

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