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Tornadoes in Montana

Montana has recorded 444 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 6.4 per year over the last 30 years. They killed 4 people and injured 32. June is the most active month.

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Map data: NWS, OpenFreeMap, OpenStreetMap

Tornadoes per year

96: 896897: 997998: 11981199: 22992200: 10001001: 901902: 11021103: 603604: 604605: 10051006: 106107: 507508: 208209: 409410: 10101011: 911912: 312313: 613614: 814815: 315316: 616617: 117118: 10181019: 419420: 320321: 121122: 322323: 623624: 4244
Montana tornadoes per year, 1996–2025
50s: 2250s2260s: 3860s3870s: 5170s5180s: 5580s5590s: 13790s13700s: 6400s6410s: 6010s6020s: 1720s17
Tornadoes per decade (the 2020s are partial)

When tornadoes happen in Montana

Jan: 0JanFeb: 0FebMar: 2Mar2Apr: 6Apr6May: 48May48Jun: 165Jun165Jul: 150Jul150Aug: 64Aug64Sep: 7Sep7Oct: 1Oct1Nov: 1Nov1Dec: 0Dec
Tornadoes by month, 1950–2025
EF0: 287EF0287EF1: 95EF195EF2: 45EF245EF3: 10EF310EF4: 1EF41EF5: 0EF5
Tornadoes by (E)F rating

Ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita (F) scale; later tornadoes use the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. How the EF scale works.

Deadliest tornadoes in Montana

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
July 26, 2010EF3Sheridan County18 mi880 yd21
July 19, 1952F3—16.4 mi10 yd12
July 9, 1983F1McCone County1 mi500 yd11

Strongest tornadoes in Montana

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
June 29, 1961F4Dawson County15.9 mi10 yd01
July 26, 2010EF3Sheridan County18 mi880 yd21
July 19, 1952F3—16.4 mi10 yd12
July 19, 1952F3Fallon County55.5 mi10 yd00
June 16, 1965F3Yellowstone County20.6 mi10 yd00
July 5, 1988F3Chouteau County12 mi200 yd00
July 5, 1988F3Chouteau County10 mi200 yd00
June 17, 2014EF3Carter County10 mi880 yd00
May 24, 1953F3Wibaux County9.3 mi400 yd00
July 5, 1988F3Chouteau County3 mi200 yd02

Most recent tornadoes

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
July 12, 2024EF0Valley County3 mi25 yd00
July 12, 2024EF0Valley County2 mi25 yd00
July 12, 2024EF0Valley County1 mi25 yd00
May 16, 2024?Phillips County0.5 mi20 yd00
August 6, 2023?Jefferson County3.7 mi70 yd00
August 6, 2023EF0Beaverhead County1.6 mi40 yd00
June 10, 2023?Hill County2.1 mi60 yd00
June 9, 2023?Valley County0 mi10 yd00
June 1, 2023?Daniels County1.5 mi50 yd00
May 9, 2023EF0Lake County0.5 mi15 yd00

Counties with the most tornadoes

CountyTornadoes since 1950Per 1,000 sq mi
Valley County4423134389
Fergus County2816713528.5
Yellowstone County2120657045.2
Powder River County1814135839.9
Judith Basin County1824930481.3
Carter County1813958083.8
Roosevelt County1718696390.7
Chouteau County1711082305.6
Phillips County157558365.8
Fallon County1523966687.2
Dawson County1516378583.5
Beaverhead County146541584
Cascade County1312479614.5
Garfield County126645285.4
Richland County1214906474.8
Rosebud County126206070.3
Big Horn County115700280.1
Custer County106846418.2
Daniels County1018162692.8
Sheridan County1015444245.7

About this data

Tornado records come from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center database of confirmed tornadoes, 1950–2025. Tornadoes that crossed state lines are counted in the state where they began. Counts in the early decades are lower partly because many weak tornadoes went unreported before Doppler radar and storm spotter networks.