Meagher County

Population 2,137 (2025) 2,392 sq mi

Large wildfires have burned 61,846 acres of Meagher County since 1984, 34th most of 56 counties in Montana; the largest was the Woods Creek Fire in 2021.

Hazard fingerprint for Meagher County Tornado: 3th percentile. Tropical: 0th percentile. Wildfire: 60th percentile. Flood: 6th percentile. Hail & wind: 7th percentile. Heat: 0th percentile. Cold: 72th percentile. Winter: 88th 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 198414

At a glance

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

Acres burned since 1984

61,846

34th of 56 in Montana

14 large fires; the largest was Woods Creek, 2021

Details

Flood insurance claims

6

35th of 56 in Montana

$78,000 paid since 1991

Details

Tornadoes since 1950

3

35th of 56 in Montana

Fewer than the typical Montana county, which has had 6

Details

Strongest tornado

EF1

June 5, 2012, 2.8 mile path

Largest earthquake within 50 mi

6.6magnitude

June 27, 1925, 22.7 miles away

Details

Federal disaster declarations

10

Most recent: Covid-19 Pandemic, 2020

Details

Record high

98°F

July 28, 2017

Details

Record low

−44°F

February 4, 1989

Details

Tornadoes

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

Strongest

June 5, 2012

EF1, 2.8 mile path

300 yards wide.

Most recent

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

EF1, 2.8 mile path

14 years ago.

Tornadoes by decade Doppler radar era² 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 1 1 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: 2 2 J: 0 A: 1 S: 0 O: 0 N: 0 D: 0 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes in Meagher County since 1950
Jun 5, 2012EF12.830000
Jun 15, 1996F02.01000
Aug 22, 1978F00.11000
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Meagher 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

61,846 acres burned in 14 large fires since 1984, equal to 4.0% of the land.

Largest

July 10, 2021

Woods Creek Fire, 55,808 acres

38,192 acres inside Meagher County.

Most recent

July 17, 2021

American Fork Fire

20,717 acres in total.

Acres burned since 1984, cumulative 1988: 2,0911992: 1,1131994: 2,1822000: 4052001: 2,1292003: 2,5332017: 8,0272021: 43,365 61,846 acres 198519901995200020052010201520202025
Running total of acres burned inside the county (line) and each year’s acres (bars).

Every large fire

Large wildfires since 1984
American Fork20213,91020,717
Woods Creek202138,19255,808
Balsinger20211088,309
Ellis20211,1541,155
Blacktail20179974,027
Chinn Ma20177,0297,022
Hay Field20031,0321,032
Burnt Ridge Complex (Ant Park)20031,5001,776
Lost Fork-Monarch Complex (Lost Fork)20012,1292,308
Judith Complex (Lost Fork Ridge)20004051,388
Smith Creek19941,0981,098
9-Mile-Y19941,0831,083
Hussey Creek19921,1131,113
Two Dot19882,0915,096
  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

2021: 61 days

Heavy smoke on 47 days in 2021, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

28.0 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

18 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 32 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 5 2012: 23 2013: 15 2014: 13 2015: 15 2016: 5 2017: 32 2018: 27 2019: 7 2020: 23 2021: 61 61 2022: 24 2023: 32 2024: 51 2025: 18 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

6 federal flood insurance claims since 1991, with $78,000 paid.

Federal flood insurance claims by year
Claims per year since 1991. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Flood events since 1996

  • Heavy Rain9
  • Flood4
  • 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.

Drought

In severe drought or worse for 257 of 1,581 months since 1895 (16%); the longest spell lasted 36 months.

257

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

155

Months in extreme drought

16%

Share of all months, severe or worse

Lowest reading

July 1936

−8.06, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

36 months

November 1934 to October 1937.

Latest month

September 2026

−3.19, severe drought

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 0 1897: 0 1898: 0 1899: 0 1900: 3 1901: 0 1902: 0 1903: 0 1904: 3 1905: 12 12 1906: 4 1907: 0 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 3 1911: 0 1912: 0 1913: 0 1914: 0 1915: 2 1916: 0 1917: 0 1918: 0 1919: 7 1920: 4 1921: 10 1922: 0 1923: 0 1924: 0 1925: 0 1926: 0 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 0 1930: 2 1931: 3 1932: 2 1933: 0 1934: 2 1935: 12 1936: 12 1937: 10 1938: 0 1939: 0 1940: 0 1941: 3 1942: 0 1943: 0 1944: 0 1945: 0 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 0 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 0 1953: 2 1954: 0 1955: 3 1956: 0 1957: 0 1958: 0 1959: 0 1960: 0 1961: 8 1962: 0 1963: 0 1964: 0 1965: 0 1966: 0 1967: 0 1968: 0 1969: 0 1970: 0 1971: 0 1972: 1 1973: 8 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 0 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 1 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 2 1986: 0 1987: 1 1988: 12 1989: 6 1990: 0 1991: 7 1992: 5 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 2 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 12 2001: 12 2002: 9 2003: 3 2004: 7 2005: 3 2006: 0 2007: 1 2008: 3 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 5 2013: 8 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 0 2017: 5 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 0 2021: 9 2022: 6 2023: 0 2024: 2 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

34 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 6.6 in 1925.

6

Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973

182

Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973

34

Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900

12

Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900

Largest within 50 miles

June 27, 1925

Magnitude 6.6

The 1925 Clarkston Valley, Montana Earthquake; 22.7 miles away.

Most recent, magnitude 3 or more

September 18, 2026

Magnitude 3.7

7 km NNW of Black Eagle, Montana; 35.0 miles away.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles, by year 1973: 0 1974: 1 1975: 7 1976: 4 1977: 6 1978: 0 1979: 1 1980: 0 1981: 0 1982: 1 1983: 2 1984: 3 1985: 2 1986: 8 1987: 1 1988: 0 1989: 6 1990: 1 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 4 1994: 0 1995: 1 1996: 0 1997: 3 1998: 0 1999: 3 2000: 9 2001: 0 2002: 1 2003: 2 2004: 5 2005: 2 2006: 1 2007: 1 2008: 4 2009: 2 2010: 0 2011: 2 2012: 0 2013: 0 2014: 5 2015: 3 2016: 2 2017: 48 48 2018: 6 2019: 18 2020: 3 2021: 5 2022: 2 2023: 1 2024: 2 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
Jan 29, 20264.236.414.69 km N of Black Eagle, Montana
Aug 15, 20194.225.51.54 km NW of Manhattan, Montana
Aug 5, 20194.125.83.13 km NW of Manhattan, Montana
Jul 13, 20194.019.63.911 km NNE of Manhattan, Montana
Jul 17, 20174.041.87.812 km ESE of Lincoln, Montana
Jul 6, 20174.442.16.014 km SE of Lincoln, Montana
Jul 6, 20174.044.55.714 km SSE of Lincoln, Montana
Jul 6, 20175.048.19.215 km S of Lincoln, Montana
Jul 6, 20175.843.47.611 km SE of Lincoln, Montana
Jan 30, 20164.336.01.019 km E of Lincoln, Montana
Nov 10, 20004.06.51.314 km NE of Townsend, Montana
Apr 8, 20004.110.22.98 km ENE of Townsend, Montana
Nov 6, 19974.025.93.04 km WSW of Springhill, Montana
Aug 7, 19894.023.10.25 km NE of Manhattan, Montana
Dec 31, 19834.020.33.18 km SSW of Toston, Montana
Aug 26, 19774.532.96.215 km NW of Three Forks, Montana
Mar 10, 19774.619.93.16 km SSW of Toston, Montana
Feb 7, 19754.021.43.19 km SSE of Ponderosa Pines, Montana
Jul 16, 19744.428.66.23 km SW of Manhattan, Montana
Nov 1, 19724.219.83.15 km WSW of Toston, Montana
Mar 7, 19664.815.48.12 km SE of Townsend, Montana
Feb 15, 19634.57.120.5Western Montana
Nov 28, 19355.023.4—2 km ENE of Helena, Montana
Oct 31, 19355.921.36.2The 1935 Helena, Montana Earthquakes (Largest Aftershock)
Oct 18, 19356.111.49.3The 1935 Helena, Montana Earthquakes (Mainshock)
Oct 12, 19355.923.43.12 km ENE of Helena, Montana
Feb 15, 19294.713.1—Northeast of Three Forks, Montana
Feb 29, 19284.928.6—4 km NNW of Clancy, Montana
Dec 12, 19265.49.2—Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock)
Jul 10, 19255.522.7—Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock)
Jun 27, 19255.522.7—Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock)
Jun 27, 19255.522.7—Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock)
Jun 27, 19256.422.7—Clarkston Valley, Montana (Aftershock)
Jun 27, 19256.622.7—The 1925 Clarkston Valley, Montana Earthquake
  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.

Severe weather and other events

393 events in the National Weather Service record, 378 of them since 1996.

36

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

2

Hail, 2 inches or larger

18

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

188

Winter weather events since 1996

0

Heat events since 1996

22

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

June 24, 2007

2.50 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

July 14, 2002

75 mph

Costliest events since 1996

  1. May 7, 2024Blizzard, Little Belt And Highwood Mountains$114,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    MT DOT sensor at Monarch Canyon showed visibility at or below one-quarter mile for at least 7 hours (Power failed at that point). US-89 was closed from Armington Junction to White Sulphur Springs early morning May 8. The Onion Park Snotel estimated 28 inches new snow with rates of 2 inches per hour. Elsewhere, the Porphyry Peak RAWS reported sustained winds averaging 25 mph, with gusts into the 50's mph before the sensor failed at 1005 PM MDT May 7. A widespread power outage affected much of the zone through Wednesday morning. End time is estimated given lack of observations after late evening of the 7th. The Monarch Fire Department reported 48 inches storm total snow by noon…

  2. Jul 3, 2000Thunderstorm Wind$50,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Wind gust to 80kt...hail 1 inch...funnel cloud.

  3. Nov 16, 2006High Wind, Meagher$50,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A gust to 60 mph was reported near White Sulfur Springs. The high winds also lifted, carried, and destroyed a 40 foot by 42 foot airplane hanger.

  4. Jul 3, 2000Thunderstorm Wind$25,000
  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 Millegan 14 Se, 27.4 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1984.

All-time high
98°FJul 28, 2017
All-time low
−44°FFeb 4, 1989
Warmest night
69°FJul 19, 2007
Coldest day
−27°FFeb 2, 1989
Wettest day
3.00 inOct 11, 2022
Snowiest day
48.0 inDec 27, 2003
Hottest year
1987mean 43.3°F
Coldest year
2019mean 37.1°F
Wettest year
199328.28 in
Driest year
20215.95 in
Snowiest season
216.0 in2010-11
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Millegan 14 Se 32°F 34° 11° 1.0 Jan 35° 11° 0.8 Feb 44° 19° 1.0 Mar 52° 26° 1.4 Apr 61° 34° 2.3 May 70° 41° 3.1 Jun 82° 47° 1.5 Jul 80° 45° 1.1 Aug 70° 38° 1.3 Sep 55° 28° 1.2 Oct 42° 18° 0.9 Nov 32° 11° 1.0 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 1985: 207 1986: 199 1987: 205 1988: 197 1990: 206 1991: 207 1992: 218 1993: 208 1994: 203 1996: 225 225 1997: 222 1998: 210 2000: 205 2001: 206 2004: 211 2005: 204 2006: 200 2007: 206 2008: 215 2009: 224 2010: 211 2011: 214 2012: 202 2013: 202 2014: 194 2015: 182 2016: 197 2017: 207 2019: 218 2020: 217 2021: 215 2022: 211 1985199720102021
Nights at or below freezing each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 208.4.
Snowfall by winter 1984: 118.0 in 1985: 106.0 in 1986: 87.0 in 1987: 124.0 in 1990: 118.1 in 1991: 70.7 in 1992: 131.0 in 1993: 148.0 in 1994: 147.0 in 1995: 138.0 in 1996: 121.0 in 1997: 65.0 in 1998: 104.3 in 1999: 66.3 in 2000: 141.4 in 2001: 149.2 in 2002: 130.9 in 2003: 186.0 in 2004: 117.5 in 2005: 127.0 in 2006: 162.5 in 2007: 174.0 in 2008: 178.2 in 2009: 197.0 in 2010: 216.0 in 216.0 2011: 149.0 in 2013: 181.6 in 2014: 109.2 in 2022: 38.0 in 198419962006
Total snowfall each winter (July to June), last 50 winters.

Median first snow

October 7

Earliest: August 22, 1992

Median last snow

May 11

Latest: June 12, 2008

0 of 29 winters had no measurable snow.

Station Millegan 14 Se (USC00245712), 4,970 ft elevation, 27.4 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1984 to June 30, 2026; 87.4% 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

10 since 1953. The most recent: Covid-19 Pandemic, March 31, 2020.

Federal disaster declarations
Mar 31, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4508-MT
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3476-MT
Jun 17, 2011Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1996-MT
Sep 13, 2005HurricaneHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3253-MT
Aug 30, 2000FireWildfiresMajor disasterDR-1340-MT
Jul 24, 2000FireMt - Central Zone 3b Fire ComplexFire managementFM-2314-MT
Jul 25, 1997Severe StormSevere Storms,Ice Jams, Snow Melt, FloodingMajor disasterDR-1183-MT
Feb 23, 1996Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and Ice JamsMajor disasterDR-1105-MT
May 27, 1981FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-640-MT
Jun 28, 1975FloodRains, Showmelt, Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-472-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 Meagher 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 198461,84634 / 56409 / 3,143
Flood insurance claims635 / 562,494 / 3,143
Flood insurance paid$78,00024 / 562,419 / 3,143
Disaster declarations1027 / 562,788 / 3,143
Flood events since 19961540 / 562,715 / 3,143
Hail and wind events since 199614348 / 562,427 / 3,143
Winter storm events since 199618821 / 56367 / 3,143
Reported damage since 1996$239,00043 / 563,074 / 3,143
River crests at major flood stage0——
High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years0.0——
Months in severe drought since 18952576 / 5680 / 3,143
Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years28.042 / 56350 / 3,143
Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 19003411 / 56208 / 3,143
Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973617 / 56418 / 3,143

Neighbouring counties

Neighbouring counties
Broadwater County10124,8852
Cascade County13056,147257
Gallatin County40133,91776
Judith Basin County18052,9290
Lewis and Clark County60497,780102
Park County20288,862141
Sweet Grass County20208,83510
Wheatland County707,93419

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 USC00245712.
  • 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.
  • 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.