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Montana Tornado History — 444 Tornadoes Since 1950

3 cities covered · 1950–present · NOAA Storm Prediction Center
Confirmed records complete through December 29, 2025

How many tornadoes does Montana get per year?

Montana has had 444 tornadoes on record since 1950, including 11 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes — averaging about 5.8 per year since 1950 (about 3.8 per year over the last decade). Counts come from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center archive for Montana. The 3 cities below report tornadoes within their own search radius, so those figures overlap each other and do not sum to the state total.

When was the most recent tornado in Montana?

The most recent confirmed tornado in our Montana dataset was an EF0 tornado on July 13, 2024. Confirmed records are complete through December 29, 2025; more recent preliminary reports are listed below.

When is tornado season in Montana?

June is historically the peak month for tornadoes in Montana, with 163 on record since 1950. Tornadoes can occur any time of year, but spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most US states.

Montana at a Glance

Cities Covered
3
Tornado-prone metros
Tornadoes on Record
444
Sum across city radii
EF3+ Tornadoes
11
2.5% of all tornadoes
Peak Month
June
163 aggregate

Notable Tornadoes in Montana

Deadliest Tornado in Montana
EF3 on July 27, 2010 — 2 fatalities.
Most Recent Tornado
EF0 on July 13, 2024.

1 preliminary tornado report in Montana since December 29, 2025

This is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is not counted in the confirmed totals above.

Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.

Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.

Preliminary May 13, 2026
10 WNW Big Sandy, Chouteau County

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.

Recent tornado warnings in Montana

County-by-county tornado warning pages for Montana →

Cities