Montana, 1996

Blizzard in Montana, December 16 to 17, 1996

December 16 to 17, 1996 · NWS GGW · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

Light snow in combination with winds of up to 50 miles an hours caused blizzard conditions over much of northeast and eastern Montana. Numerous roads were closed and only emergency travel was recommended.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 12 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
12

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GGW wrote it up.

Light snow in combination with winds of up to 50 miles an hours caused blizzard conditions over much of northeast and eastern Montana. Numerous roads were closed and only emergency travel was recommended.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Central and Se Phillips

When
December 16, 3:00 AM MST to December 17, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Central and Se Phillips forecast zone
Coordinates
48.259, -107.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Central and Southern Valley

When
December 16, 3:00 AM MST to December 17, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Central and Southern Valley forecast zone
Coordinates
48.365, -106.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Daniels

When
December 16, 3:00 AM MST to December 17, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Daniels forecast zone
Coordinates
48.784, -105.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Sheridan

When
December 16, 3:00 AM MST to December 17, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Sheridan forecast zone
Coordinates
48.721, -104.505 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Western Roosevelt

When
December 16, 3:00 AM MST to December 17, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Western Roosevelt forecast zone
Coordinates
48.295, -105.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Petroleum

When
December 16, 3:00 AM MST to December 17, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Petroleum forecast zone
Coordinates
47.118, -108.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Garfield

When
December 16, 3:00 AM MST to December 17, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Garfield forecast zone
Coordinates
47.278, -106.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, McCone

When
December 16, 3:00 AM MST to December 17, 8:00 AM MST
Where
McCone forecast zone
Coordinates
47.645, -105.795 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Richland

When
December 16, 3:00 AM MST to December 17, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Richland forecast zone
Coordinates
47.788, -104.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Dawson

When
December 16, 3:00 AM MST to December 17, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Dawson forecast zone
Coordinates
47.266, -104.899 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Prairie

When
December 16, 3:00 AM MST to December 17, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Prairie forecast zone
Coordinates
46.861, -105.378 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Wibaux

When
December 16, 3:00 AM MST to December 17, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Wibaux forecast zone
Coordinates
46.965, -104.249 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Blizzard
Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Montana in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, December 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5583039, 5583040, 5583041, 5583042, 5583163, 5583164, 5583165, 5583166, 5583167, 5583168, 5583169, 5583170.