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 in Montana, December 16 to 17, 1996
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
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.
Event by event
12 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
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
- Blizzard in South Dakota, December 16 to 18, 1996
- Dense Fog in California, December 16, 1996
- High Wind in Utah, December 16, 1996
- Blizzard in South Dakota, December 16 to 18, 1996
- Blizzard in North Dakota, December 16 to 18, 1996
- Winter Storm in Indiana, December 16, 1996
- Cold in Nebraska, December 16 to 19, 1996
- Winter Storm in Colorado, December 16, 1996
- Winter Storm in Kentucky, December 16 to 17, 1996
- Winter Storm in Illinois, December 16, 1996
- Blizzard in South Dakota, December 16 to 17, 1996
- Cold in New Mexico, December 16 to 18, 1996
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.