A 3.7 magnitude earthquake struck near Great Falls, Montana on February 12, 2026, adding to a recent surge of seismic activity in the region. The quake occurred at 6:36 p.m. mountain time, centered about 5.7 miles north of the city, and was felt across Great Falls, Fort Benton, Shelby and nearby areas. While not damaging, it marks the fourth tremor residents have experienced within a two-week span.
This February 12 earthquake is part of an unusual cluster. The region experienced a 4.2 magnitude quake on January 29, followed by a 3.2 magnitude quake on January 31, with the latest 3.7 quake arriving just days later. Great Falls typically experiences only about one earthquake above magnitude 3 every five years, making this recent sequence notably unusual for the area.
The Intermountain Seismic Belt, where Great Falls lies, is recognized as one of the most seismically active areas in the United States—yet Montana itself experiences relatively few quakes compared to states like California. Small earthquakes remain common in the region overall, occurring at an average rate of 7 to 10 per day across a wider area, but the February cluster near Great Falls specifically has caught residents' attention. Experts from Montana Tech's Earthquake Studies Office and the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory continue to monitor the trend, though no major damage has been reported from any of the recent tremors.