Winter Storm, Flathead/Mission Valleys
- When
- March 22, 12:00 AM MST to March 23, 11:30 PM MST
- Where
- Flathead/Mission Valleys forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.872, -114.424 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Montana, March 22 to 23, 1996
A winter storm dropped 5 to 8 inches of new snow over much of central Montana with over a foot of new snow in some of the mountain locations. Winds up to 45 mph accompanied the storm, producing wind chills of 30 to 40 below zero and near blizzard conditions at times.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
- 4
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 TFX wrote it up.
A winter storm dropped 5 to 8 inches of new snow over much of central Montana with over a foot of new snow in some of the mountain locations. Winds up to 45 mph accompanied the storm, producing wind chills of 30 to 40 below zero and near blizzard conditions at times.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
4 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Lower Clark Fork Region
- When
- March 22, 12:00 AM MST to March 23, 11:30 PM MST
- Where
- Lower Clark Fork Region forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 47.286, -114.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys
- When
- March 22, 12:00 AM MST to March 23, 11:30 PM MST
- Where
- Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.560, -114.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains
- When
- March 22, 12:00 AM MST to March 23, 11:30 PM MST
- Where
- Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 46.508, -113.828 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
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, March 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5544411, 5544412, 5544413, 5544414.