Flooding in Montana, March 20 to 22, 1997

Name: Flooding in Montana, March 20 to 22, 1997
Start: 1997-03-20T11:00
End: 1997-03-22T16:00
Location: Montana

March 20 to 22, 1997 · NWS GGW · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

After a winter with record setting cold and snow, the rapid snow melt caused the Yellowstone River to rise to flood stage. Many ice jams developed causing low land flooding.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $280,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

After a winter with record setting cold and snow, the rapid snow melt caused the Yellowstone River to rise to flood stage. Many ice jams developed causing low land flooding. While two homes were evacuated, no damage to homes was reported. Small streams draining into the Yellowstone River also were out of their banks. The ice on the Yellowstone River and area streams did major damage to several bridges.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Richland

When: March 20, 11:00 AM MST to March 22, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Richland forecast zone
Property damage: $280,000
Coordinates: 47.788, -104.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Dawson

When: March 20, 11:00 AM MST to March 22, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Dawson forecast zone
Coordinates: 47.266, -104.899 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Montana in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, March 1997

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: 5614306, 5614307.