Montana’s Strongest Winds Once Matched A Cat 4 Hurricane

You know when I initially found out my family and I were moving to Montana, I imagined a life surrounded by mountains, snow, and amazing scenery. Since being here, we've checked all of those boxes but there was one aspect I wasn't prepared for...

Mountains, Winter, and Wind... OH MY!

That's right - the wind. I had no earthly idea as to how windy it gets in the Big Sky Country and recently, we got a small sample taste of the Montana wind over the weekend.

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My wife and I, both from Texas, noticed all of our kids' outdoor toys flying all over the backyard. Once we scrambled to get everything secured, I began wondering just how fast the wind gets in Montana; more specifically, what are the fastest winds Montana has ever seen?

What Is The Windiest Day In Montana's History?

According to several reports, including Distinctly Montana, the state record for the windiest day in Montana history took place on February 21, 2002 about 10 miles northwest of Choteau at the Miller Colony. Wind gusts that day reached insane record speeds of 143 mph.

To put that in perspective, gusts of 143 MPH are equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane (130-156 mph) or an EF3 tornado that has wind speeds between 136 and 165 mph.

ALSO READ: Montana's Biggest Snow Days Ever Recorded

According to Weather.gov, hurricane winds (which they define as anything over 75 mph) can peel the roof off your home, break your windows, uproot trees, push vehicles off the road, and even overturn RVs and small mobile homes.

There's no telling if we'll ever reach those wind speeds again but you better believe we'll be as ready as we can be if we do!