States › Montana › Lincoln County › Wind
Wind in Lincoln County, Montana
38 damaging wind events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Thunderstorm Wind, High Wind, Strong Wind.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Lincoln County, Montana, has 38 wind events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 20 different years.
July is the busiest month, with 16 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 19 events against 14 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.3% of the 14,438 wind events recorded in Montana; its 1.1 per 100 square miles compares with 9.9 statewide.
24 wind reports with a measured or estimated speed reached the 58 mph severe threshold, and 12 reached hurricane force (74 mph).
Compared with Montana
| Measure | Lincoln County | Montana | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind events since 1950 | 38 | 14,438 | 701,953 |
| Per 100 square miles | 1.1 | 9.9 | 19.9 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 18.5 | 130.7 | 21.1 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 18 | 2,166 |
| Busiest month | July | July | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
1May
7Jun
8Jul
16Aug
6Sep
0Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
NWS wind thresholds
- under 58 mph
- below severe threshold
- 58–73 mph
- severe
- 74–95 mph
- hurricane-force
- 96 mph and over
- extreme
Wind speed converted from the knots NCEI records; estimated and measured gusts are combined. Events without a speed are not binned.
Recorded events
All 38 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 May 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | 75 mph | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | 49 mph | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | 64 mph | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $4K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $4K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 86 mph | $11K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jul 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | $35K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | 75 mph | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 29 Jun 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | 75 mph | $30K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 5 Jun 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | 69 mph | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 6 Jul 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | 69 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 1 Jun 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 20 May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jul 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | $1.5M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 31 May 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Apr 1987 | Thunderstorm Wind | 90 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 1983 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 1981 | Thunderstorm Wind | 100 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 1979 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 1973 | Thunderstorm Wind | 81 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 1964 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many wind events has Lincoln County had?
38 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of damaging wind became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded wind event in Lincoln County?
28 May 2026 (Thunderstorm Wind, 75 mph). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging wind event recorded in Lincoln County?
The thunderstorm wind of 21 Jul 1997, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $1.5M.
How does Lincoln County compare with Montana for wind?
1.1 events per 100 square miles against 9.9 statewide; the county holds 38 of the state's 14,438 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Wind hub and the county page.