Billings, Montana – Drivers traveling across Montana’s wide-open plains during volatile spring storms may face a life-threatening situation if a tornado suddenly develops nearby. Long rural corridors along Interstate 90, Interstate 15, and U.S. Highway 87 stretch through sparsely populated areas where sturdy shelter can be many miles away when severe thunderstorms begin rotating.
According to the National Weather Service, tornadoes are less common in Montana than in the central Plains, but spring storms across the eastern part of the state can still produce sudden tornadoes when warm air clashes with colder systems moving out of the Rockies. These storms can produce tornado winds exceeding 90 to 100 mph, while blowing debris becomes the most immediate danger to drivers caught along open highways.
Emergency managers warn that vehicles provide little protection from tornado-force winds. If a tornado warning is issued while driving or a funnel cloud becomes visible, motorists should immediately exit the roadway and seek shelter inside the nearest sturdy building. Gas stations, travel centers, and rural community buildings along highways offer significantly better protection than remaining inside a vehicle.
If no buildings are available along remote stretches of highway, drivers should safely pull off the road, leave the vehicle, and move into the lowest ground available such as a ditch or depression. Lying flat and covering the head and neck with your arms or a jacket can help reduce the risk of injury from flying debris.
NOAA safety guidance strongly warns drivers not to shelter beneath highway overpasses. Winds can intensify through these structures, and debris often funnels underneath them, increasing the risk of serious injury.
Travelers crossing Montana should monitor weather alerts closely during spring storm season before starting long highway trips. Tornado warnings can be issued with little lead time, and emergency officials say acting immediately is critical when severe storms rapidly intensify.
