Tornado touches down in Dillon, MT

Photo: Kim Roberts

MISSOULA, Mont. - A tornado touched down shortly after 12:30 Sunday afternoon between Dillon and Badger Pass as thunderstorms moved through the area. The twister was visible to travelers along Montana Highway 278 and in the city of Dillon.
No damage or injuries were reported according to the Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office.

The storm that produced the tornado also dropped quarter sized hail near Dillon and nickel-sized hail near Twin Brides in Madison County. A funnel cloud was also spotted with the storm when it entered Madison County.

Photo: NWS Great Falls, KDBM-KBEV Radio

Other storms on Sunday dropped nickel sized hail in the city of Dillon and turned over a metal carport in Sheridan, damaging a greenhouse.

The storm that spawned the tornado was not the typical supercell thunderstorm that meteorologists look for when predicting the often destructive beasts. However, strong wind shear and a rapid change in temperature that was driving the thunderstorms in the area was enough to form a cold air funnel. Unlike this case, cold air funnels rarely touch down and become tornadoes. Most that do are rated very low on the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF0 - EF5).

Tornado rating is determined by the National Weather Service (NWS). As of Sunday night the Great Falls NWS office told NBC Montana they hadn't made a decision on sending a survey crew to Dillon.
Bron: http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/montana/tornado-touches-down-in-dillon/30407242 | Gewijzigd: 13 februari 2017, 15:31 uur, door Joyce.s