44
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$651K
Property damage
Tornado in Valley County, Montana: 44 recorded events between 1954 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F2. That places the county #513 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Valley County, Montana: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Valley County is the 2000s, when 11 of the county's 44 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 Valley County archive, tornado makes up 3.5% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #513 for this hazard and #1 within Montana, putting it in the 82.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for tornado in Valley County with 22 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-07-18 | EF2 | 8.0 mi | 457 yd | Touched down here |
| 1975-06-25 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1975-06-25 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1972-06-11 | EF2 | 0.3 mi | 30 yd | Touched down here |
| 1962-08-04 | EF2 | 42.9 mi | 73 yd | Touched down here |
| 2007-08-10 | EF1 | 0.3 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1999-06-21 | EF1 | 0.2 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1983-07-10 | EF1 | 1.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1972-06-11 | EF1 | 3.6 mi | 30 yd | Touched down here |
| 1970-08-06 | EF1 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 13, 2024 | LARSLAN | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 13, 2024 | LARSLAN | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 13, 2024 | BAYLOR | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2023 | HINSDALE | EFU | $0 |
| Jul 18, 2022 | GLENTANA | EF2 | $0 |
| May 21, 2020 | NASHUA | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 30, 2011 | GLASGOW | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2010 | KING COULEE RAWS | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 2009 | FRAZER | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 2009 | FRAZER | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Valley County
- Thunderstorm Wind 575
- Hail 470
- Flood 78
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A fully loaded grain truck weighing 40,000 to 45,000 pounds was in the path of this tornado. A bolted down upper portion of the truck's grain bin, which weighed 400 pounds, was lifted straight into the air causing minimal damage to the rest of the truck bin. It then spun overhead and slammed into the ground twice at a distance of about 80 feet from the vehicle. A witness reported a rotating wall cloud and a rain wrapped tornado. A damage survey was conducted by the NWS and the tornado was rated in the low EF1 range.
A tornado moved into Southwest Valley County and moved east before dissipating. It moved through open prairie and caused no damage. The storm and wall cloud were seen from the National Weather Service office over 35 miles away.
A trained spotter reported tornado damage to multiple farm buildings, including a roof completely blown off a barn and some wooden walls knocked down. Wood debris was scattered a great distance and a circular hay bale was blown a large distance. Time was estimated by radar. Path length is estimated from storm survey.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Valley County, Montana?
44 tornado events are recorded in Valley County between 1954 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Valley County?
The strongest tornado on record in Valley County measured F2.
Where does the tornado data for Valley 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
“Tornado in Valley County, Montana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/montana/valley-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.