Billings got ripped by a tornado yesterday afternoon that did considerable damage to the city. Luckily there were no fatalities and no serious injuries. This was the first damaging tornado to the city in 52 years. Billings is 325 miles east of Missoula and in flat country so they do experience severe weather quite often.

The most severe damage was to Metra Park, a complex with the fair grounds and the Metra Arena, which was destroyed. It has a 100 yard football field inside it along with a convention center complex and other things. The singer Jewel was to have a concert there tonight (sold out) and is in Missoula tomorrow night. Guess it will be an open air concert.

We don't get tornadoes here in the mountains, but we do get wind shears which come through the canyons like a tornado. There is an area west of us about 10 miles up Lolo Creek Canyon that had a wind shear 5 years ago and the tops of the trees were broken off like someone had come through with a chain saw. The area covers about 2 miles long and 1/4 mile wide.

Mother nature can be very unpredictable at times.

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Squirrels, wind shears, It's amazing that you are still alive much less have time to be a Packers fan.
Oh yeah, and lets not forget those pesky bison.