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Storms That Hit

NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Big Timber, MT

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated

No tropical storm or hurricane has passed within 75 miles of Big Timber, Montana since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 2 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
0

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
0

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
2

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
0

no recorded deaths

What the records show for Big Timber

The strongest of the 2 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F1 on August 22, 1965; its path came within 7 miles. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 1973. Of the 73 Montana cities on this site, 73% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Big Timber. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 62 times since 1955, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Big Timber has more hail reports within 10 miles than 82% of the 73 Montana cities.

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Tornadoes within 25 miles of Big Timber

By decade

  • 1970s1
  • 1960s1
Strongest tornadoes near Big Timber, Montana
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Aug 22, 1965F17 mi1.5 mi0 / 0
May 20, 1973F04 mi0.1 mi0 / 0

The strongest 2 of 2, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Big Timber

The Storm Prediction Center has 62 hail reports within 10 miles of Big Timber since 1955, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 45 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 3 days, most recently June 6, 2011. The most recent report is from June 16, 2025. June has the most reports, 20.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Weather by month in Big Timber

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Big Timber, MT, 4 miles southwest of Big Timber at 4,100 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 54°F; December is the coolest, at 37°F and 20°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 27 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 153 nights a year. Snowfall averages 54.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 17.0 inches is more than at 46 of the 58 Montana stations used on this site (79%). Columbus, 37 miles southeast, has its own station (Columbus, MT): 15.7 inches a year, 1.3 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 86°F.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Big Timber, MT
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Snow in
Jan38200.727.1
Feb40200.7210.8
Mar49261.039.1
Apr57322.263.6
May67403.170.6
Jun76482.660.0
Jul86541.440.0
Aug85511.030.0
Sep74431.340.5
Oct59341.544.8
Nov46260.827.9
Dec37200.7210.2
Year593417.04554.6

Averages for 1991–2020 at Big Timber, MT (4,100 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Big Timber

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 28 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Big Timber: 25 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 flash floods and 1 flood. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 3, 2006.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.

Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings

Sweet Grass County, which includes Big Timber, has been named in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1997, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 fires, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 1 flood). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds, on April 7, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Sweet Grass County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.9 million a year, the 35th highest of 56 Montana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.4 million (58%), is from inland flooding.

Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.

Cities near Big Timber

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