Glacier County

Population 13,463 (2025) 2,995 sq mi

Large wildfires have burned 123,689 acres of Glacier County since 1984, 26th most of 56 counties in Montana; the largest was the Red Eagle Fire in 2006.

Hazard fingerprint for Glacier County Tornado: 2th percentile. Tropical: 0th percentile. Wildfire: 68th percentile. Flood: 10th percentile. Hail & wind: 25th percentile. Heat: 0th percentile. Cold: 87th percentile. Winter: 70th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed

2026
  • Tornado damage paths since 19503
  • Wildfire burn scars since 198420

At a glance

The record for Glacier County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.

Acres burned since 1984

123,689

26th of 56 in Montana

20 large fires; the largest was Red Eagle, 2006

Details

Flood insurance claims

8

30th of 56 in Montana

$32,000 paid since 1978

Details

Tornadoes since 1950

3

35th of 56 in Montana

Fewer than the typical Montana county, which has had 6

Details

Strongest tornado

F1

June 13, 2006, 10.0 mile path

Largest earthquake within 50 mi

5.5magnitude

March 31, 1952, 29.9 miles away

Details

Federal disaster declarations

12

Most recent: Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds, 2026

Details

Record high

107°F

August 5, 1961

Details

Record low

−47°F

February 15, 1936

Details

Tornadoes

About one every 25 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

June 13, 2006

F1, 10.0 mile path

100 yards wide.

Most recent

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

F1, 10.0 mile path

20 years ago.

Tornadoes by decade Doppler radar era² 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 1 2000s: 1 1 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 0 F: 0 M: 0 A: 0 M: 0 J: 3 3 J: 0 A: 0 S: 0 O: 0 N: 0 D: 0 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes in Glacier County since 1950
Jun 13, 2006F110.010000
Jun 6, 1994F10.11000
Jun 1, 1977F10.11000
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Glacier County: 0.
  2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

No tropical storm or hurricane has tracked within 100 miles since records began in 1851.

Wildfire and smoke

123,689 acres burned in 20 large fires since 1984, equal to 6.5% of the land.

Largest

July 28, 2006

Red Eagle Fire, 32,560 acres

32,563 acres inside Glacier County.

Most recent

March 28, 2021

Greenhouse Fire

14,495 acres in total.

Acres burned since 1984, cumulative 1984: 3,6801992: 3,0881994: 3,6681996: 4,4611998: 1,0932002: 5,9492003: 4,3012006: 33,6632007: 25,0432012: 11,8482015: 7,1872017: 3,1262018: 2,0822021: 14,500 123,689 acres 198519901995200020052010201520202025
Running total of acres burned inside the county (line) and each year’s acres (bars).

Every large fire

Large wildfires since 1984
Greenhouse202114,50014,495
Boundary20182,0822,863
Wolverine20173,1263,122
Family Peak Complex20152,36749,762
Thompson20152918,049
Reynolds20154,7894,791
Wye Fire20126,1416,139
Boy20125,7065,702
Skyland200725,04341,230
Mission Lake Fire20061,0991,101
Red Eagle200632,56332,560
Poll Haven2003324,494
Pardue20034,2684,262
Fox Creek20025,9485,948
Kootenai Complex (Mcdonald)19981,0938,063
Sharpsfire19964,4614,459
Livermore19941,9351,935
Walbergers19941,7321,730
Rdoorecmpx19923,0873,083
Napi Peak19843,6793,678
  1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

Smokiest year

2023: 52 days

Heavy smoke on 29 days in 2021, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

28.6 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

21 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 42 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 7 2012: 15 2013: 13 2014: 19 2015: 27 2016: 1 2017: 34 2018: 37 2019: 12 2020: 19 2021: 47 2022: 18 2023: 52 52 2024: 45 2025: 21 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the county’s population centre, 2011 to 2025.
  1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Floods and flood insurance

8 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, with $32,000 paid.

Federal flood insurance claims by year
Claims per year since 1978. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Claims by ZIP code

Flood insurance claims by ZIP code
594175$32,000

Flood events since 1996

  • Heavy Rain32
  • Flood8
  • Flash Flood2

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

Most severe crest

June 21, 1975

Saint Mary River at International boundary, 13.46 ft

5.96 feet above the 7.5 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.

Most recent moderate or major crest

May 28, 2019

Saint Mary River at International boundary, 12.02 ft

Major flooding.

Highest river crests above flood stage
Jun 21, 1975Saint Mary River at International boundary13.46+5.96Major
May 28, 2019Saint Mary River at International boundary12.02+4.52Major
Jun 7, 1995Saint Mary River at International boundary10.99+3.49Major
Mar 13, 2003Saint Mary River at International boundary9.96+2.46Major
Jun 19, 2014Saint Mary River at International boundary9.00+1.50Moderate
Jun 19, 1975Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning13.58+6.58Minor
May 25, 2008Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning10.35+3.35Minor
Dec 20, 1989Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning10.35+3.35Minor
Feb 24, 1986Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning9.41+2.41Minor
Feb 2, 1986Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning9.41+2.41Minor
Jun 7, 2011Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning9.35+2.35Minor
May 19, 1991Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning9.25+2.25Minor
Jun 18, 2002Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning8.81+1.81Minor
Jun 7, 1995Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning8.74+1.74Minor
Jan 18, 1994Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning8.62+1.62Minor
Nov 10, 1986Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning8.60+1.60Minor
Jan 7, 2007Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning8.47+1.47Minor
May 27, 2019Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning8.45+1.45Minor
May 26, 1997Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning8.24+1.24Minor
Feb 9, 1996Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning8.16+1.16Minor
Dec 7, 1982Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning8.08+1.08Minor
May 26, 1980Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning7.80+0.80Minor
Jul 1, 2002Saint Mary River at International boundary8.30+0.80Minor
Jun 2, 1997Saint Mary River at International boundary8.29+0.79Minor
Jun 21, 1991Saint Mary River at International boundary8.22+0.72Minor

River gauges

River gauges and their highest listed crests
Badger Creek below Four Horns Canal near Browning7.013.58 ftJun 19, 19750
Saint Mary River at International boundary7.513.46 ftJun 21, 19754
  1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Drought

In severe drought or worse for 199 of 1,581 months since 1895 (13%); the longest spell lasted 35 months.

199

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

83

Months in extreme drought

13%

Share of all months, severe or worse

Lowest reading

March 2001

−6.12, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

35 months

January 2023 to November 2025.

Latest month

September 2026

+0.87, incipient wet spell

Last severe month: November 2025.

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 0 1897: 0 1898: 0 1899: 0 1900: 0 1901: 0 1902: 0 1903: 0 1904: 3 1905: 11 1906: 4 1907: 0 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 0 1911: 0 1912: 0 1913: 0 1914: 0 1915: 0 1916: 0 1917: 0 1918: 1 1919: 12 12 1920: 1 1921: 7 1922: 0 1923: 0 1924: 0 1925: 0 1926: 1 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 0 1930: 0 1931: 2 1932: 0 1933: 0 1934: 0 1935: 1 1936: 11 1937: 0 1938: 0 1939: 1 1940: 5 1941: 0 1942: 0 1943: 1 1944: 12 1945: 2 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 0 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 0 1953: 0 1954: 0 1955: 0 1956: 0 1957: 0 1958: 0 1959: 0 1960: 1 1961: 2 1962: 0 1963: 0 1964: 0 1965: 0 1966: 0 1967: 0 1968: 0 1969: 1 1970: 1 1971: 0 1972: 0 1973: 5 1974: 1 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 5 1978: 0 1979: 2 1980: 2 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 1 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 0 1988: 9 1989: 2 1990: 0 1991: 0 1992: 2 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 3 2001: 12 2002: 2 2003: 5 2004: 7 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 6 2008: 4 2009: 0 2010: 1 2011: 0 2012: 0 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 5 2016: 5 2017: 1 2018: 0 2019: 3 2020: 0 2021: 1 2022: 0 2023: 12 2024: 12 2025: 11 18951905191519251935194519551965197519851995200520152025
Months each year with a Palmer index of −3 or lower, 1895 to 2025. Twelve means the whole year.
  1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Earthquakes and landslides

12 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 5.5 in 1952.

18

Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973

93

Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973

12

Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900

1

Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900

Largest within 50 miles

March 31, 1952

Magnitude 5.5

Western Montana; 29.9 miles away.

Most recent, magnitude 3 or more

March 14, 2024

Magnitude 3.0

17 km SSE of Swan Lake, Montana; 40.7 miles away.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles, by year 1973: 0 1974: 1 1975: 3 1976: 1 1977: 0 1978: 1 1979: 4 1980: 1 1981: 0 1982: 1 1983: 3 1984: 2 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 1 1988: 0 1989: 2 1990: 4 1991: 3 1992: 4 1993: 2 1994: 3 1995: 11 11 1996: 3 1997: 2 1998: 2 1999: 1 2000: 4 2001: 0 2002: 2 2003: 2 2004: 0 2005: 5 2006: 2 2007: 0 2008: 3 2009: 4 2010: 1 2011: 0 2012: 1 2013: 0 2014: 3 2015: 1 2016: 1 2017: 2 2018: 3 2019: 0 2020: 2 2021: 1 2022: 0 2023: 0 2024: 1 2025: 0 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023
Per year, 1973 to 2025.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

Earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
Mar 3, 20004.611.90.635 km S of Pincher Creek, Canada
Apr 14, 19984.127.82.711 km NE of Swan Lake, Montana
Jun 29, 19954.146.73.12 km NNW of Kila, Montana
May 2, 19954.146.75.62 km NW of Kila, Montana
Apr 1, 19924.034.33.110 km ESE of Swan Lake, Montana
Feb 11, 19844.520.311.246 km SW of Pincher Creek, Canada
Oct 20, 19754.337.315.52 km S of Evergreen, Montana
Feb 3, 19754.632.35.012 km E of Evergreen, Montana
Jan 31, 19754.135.33.110 km NE of Forest Hill Village, Montana
Nov 6, 19694.348.32.50 km S of Rollins, Montana
Sep 14, 19694.348.311.80 km S of Rollins, Montana
Mar 31, 19525.529.9—Western Montana
  1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
  2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Mapped landslides

3

Landslides mapped, probable or better

0

With a recorded date

1

Source inventory

Mapped by USGS Conterminous (3).

  1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

Severe weather and other events

970 events in the National Weather Service record, 950 of them since 1996.

66

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

0

Hail, 2 inches or larger

49

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

103

Winter weather events since 1996

0

Heat events since 1996

39

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

July 28, 1992

1.75 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

July 18, 2022

81 mph

More event types since 1996

Other Storm Events types since 1996
Lightning103Jul 17, 2013
Dense fog and smoke300Dec 27, 2020
Debris flows100Jun 8, 2023

Costliest events since 1996

  1. Jun 8, 2023Debris Flow$50,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Glacier National Park reported that portions of Montana Highway 49 and the Looking Glass Highway were closed due to debris flows from heavy rain.

  2. Mar 19, 2026High Wind, East Glacier Park Region$3,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Ambient Weather Station Howards Lodge measured a 75 mph wind gust. It was reported on social media of multiple trees blow down in East Glacier. Winds were gusting anywhere between 70 and 91 mph between 3:30am and 12:45pm MST. Montana Highway 49, Looking Glass Road, was closed between MP 0.0 and 4.0 due to multiple fallen trees that are blocking all lanes for some time.

  1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

Weather records

From Cut Bank Airport, 19.5 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1903.

All-time high
107°FAug 5, 1961
All-time low
−47°FFeb 15, 1936
Warmest night
70°F2 times, most recently Jul 16, 1935
Coldest day
−32°FJan 21, 1943
Wettest day
2.80 inJun 7, 1924
Snowiest day
18.0 inDec 15, 1924
Hottest year
1939mean 45.3°F
Coldest year
1951mean 36.4°F
Wettest year
197523.34 in
Driest year
20063.96 in
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Cut Bank Airport 32°F 33° 13° 0.2 Jan 33° 12° 0.3 Feb 42° 20° 0.3 Mar 52° 28° 0.8 Apr 62° 37° 1.5 May 70° 45° 2.3 Jun 82° 50° 0.8 Jul 80° 49° 0.9 Aug 69° 41° 1.1 Sep 55° 30° 0.5 Oct 41° 21° 0.4 Nov 33° 13° 0.3 Dec Precipitation, inches
Average daily high and low by month, and average monthly precipitation, over the last 30 years.
Nights at or below freezing per year 1976: 193 1977: 184 1978: 195 1979: 198 1980: 179 1981: 180 1982: 204 204 1983: 189 1984: 173 1985: 186 1986: 174 1987: 163 1988: 170 1989: 186 1990: 183 1991: 177 1992: 180 1993: 173 1994: 178 1995: 192 1996: 190 1997: 176 1998: 184 1999: 189 2000: 193 2001: 187 2002: 202 2003: 192 2004: 193 2005: 175 2006: 187 2007: 174 2008: 188 2009: 190 2010: 186 2011: 186 2012: 190 2013: 189 2014: 177 2015: 176 2016: 171 2017: 177 2018: 199 2019: 191 2020: 185 2021: 186 2022: 181 2023: 174 2024: 183 2025: 174 19761986199620062016
Nights at or below freezing each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 184.8.

Station Cut Bank Airport (USW00024137), 3,845 ft elevation, 19.5 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1903 to October 26, 2026; 99.3% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Federal disaster declarations

12 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds, April 7, 2026.

Federal disaster declarations
Apr 7, 2026Straight-Line WindsSevere Winter Storm and Straight-Line WindsMajor disasterDR-4902-MT
Mar 31, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4508-MT
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3476-MT
May 24, 2016Severe StormSevere Winter Storm and Straight-Line WindsMajor disasterDR-4271-MT
Jun 17, 2011Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1996-MT
Sep 13, 2005HurricaneHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3253-MT
Jul 3, 2002Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1424-MT
Aug 30, 2000FireWildfiresMajor disasterDR-1340-MT
Mar 15, 1986FloodHeavy Rains, Landslides & FloodingMajor disasterDR-761-MT
Aug 22, 1977DroughtDroughtEmergencyEM-3050-MT
Jun 28, 1975FloodRains, Showmelt, Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-472-MT
Jan 29, 1974FloodSevere Storms, Flooding & LandslidesMajor disasterDR-417-MT

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

How this compares

Where Glacier County stands among 56 counties in Montana and 3,143 in the United States.

Ranks
Tornadoes since 1950335 / 562,775 / 3,143
Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger0——
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi0——
Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi0——
Wildfire acres since 1984123,68926 / 56289 / 3,143
Flood insurance claims830 / 562,410 / 3,143
Flood insurance paid$32,00030 / 562,581 / 3,143
Disaster declarations1219 / 562,631 / 3,143
Flood events since 19964211 / 561,655 / 3,143
Hail and wind events since 19967565 / 56150 / 3,143
Winter storm events since 199610333 / 56923 / 3,143
Reported damage since 1996$53,00052 / 563,109 / 3,143
River crests at major flood stage49 / 56981 / 3,143
High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years0.0——
Months in severe drought since 189519914 / 56314 / 3,143
Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years28.633 / 56304 / 3,143
Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 19001223 / 56354 / 3,143
Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 19731811 / 56275 / 3,143

Neighbouring counties

Neighbouring counties
Flathead County40747,532132
Pondera County0075,6560
Toole County7001

Sources and vintage

Every number on this page comes from these public records.

  • Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
  • Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
  • Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
  • Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
  • Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
  • Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00024137.
  • River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
  • Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
  • Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.