199
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$4.4M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in McCone County, Montana: 199 recorded events between 1959 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 109. That places the county #1,047 nationally and #12 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in McCone County, Montana: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in McCone County is the 2020s, when 66 of the county's 199 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the McCone County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 41.5% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,047 for this hazard and #12 within Montana, putting it in the 66.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in McCone County with 83 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22, 2026 | FT PECK LAKE HANDAR | 57 | $0 |
| Apr 22, 2026 | VIDA | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 22, 2026 | VIDA | 50 | $0 |
| Apr 22, 2026 | WELDON | 57 | $0 |
| Apr 11, 2026 | FT PECK LAKE HANDAR | 51 | $0 |
| Aug 7, 2025 | FT PECK LAKE HANDAR | 70 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | BROCKWAY | 52 | $0 |
| Jul 22, 2025 | FT PECK LAKE HANDAR | 52 | $0 |
| Jul 3, 2025 | VIDA | 55 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 2025 | FT PECK LAKE HANDAR | 52 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from McCone County
- Hail 237
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Damaging downburst winds blew down 25 steel electric towers as well as 25 wooden power poles. It also caused 100 percent crop damage over a 20 mile long area starting from 10 miles north and northwest of Circle, then southeast along Highway 200 to the Dawson County line. The crop damage ranged from 1 to 5 miles wide. Several farms had significant damage to buildings and property. The town of Circle had the grain elevators crushed in, with significant wind damage to other portions of the elevator buildings. Metal sheeting from the grain elevators was found downstream nearly a mile away. Many houses and vehicles had windows broken or shattered, and large trees were uprooted. The Circle Airport had a measured wind gust of 113 mph.
Several power line poles (both from the local electric cooperative and the Department of Energy, which were replaced in recent years) were snapped at their bases in this area. A nearby home weather station recorded a 79 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
Public reported wind damage just west of Brockway and just south of US Highway 200. Former emergency manager's roof was blown half off, and part of his garage was collapsed. Event time is estimated. House was totaled by insurance.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in McCone County, Montana?
199 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in McCone County between 1959 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in McCone County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in McCone County measured 109.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for McCone County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in McCone County, Montana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/montana/mccone-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.