Montana, 1998

Cold in Montana, December 18 to 24, 1998

December 18 to 24, 1998 · NWS BYZ · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

An Arctic air mass kept caused night time temperatures to drop well below zero across much of southern Montana for several days. On December 20, 15000 residences in Billings were without power for several hours and the Laurel water plant was damaged.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
10

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 BYZ wrote it up.

An Arctic air mass kept caused night time temperatures to drop well below zero across much of southern Montana for several days. On December 20, 15000 residences in Billings were without power for several hours and the Laurel water plant was damaged.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Wheatland/Park/Sweet Grass

When
December 18, 4:00 AM MST to December 24, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Wheatland/Park/Sweet Grass forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER

Cold/Wind Chill, Stillwater/Carbon

When
December 18, 4:00 AM MST to December 24, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Stillwater/Carbon forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
45.669, -109.395 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Golden Valley/Musselshell

When
December 18, 4:00 AM MST to December 24, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Golden Valley/Musselshell forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
46.497, -108.398 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Yellowstone

When
December 18, 4:00 AM MST to December 24, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Yellowstone forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER

Cold/Wind Chill, Big Horn

When
December 18, 4:00 AM MST to December 24, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Big Horn forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER

Cold/Wind Chill, Treasure

When
December 18, 4:00 AM MST to December 24, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Treasure forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
46.212, -107.272 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Rosebud

When
December 18, 4:00 AM MST to December 24, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Rosebud forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
46.230, -106.731 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Custer

When
December 18, 4:00 AM MST to December 24, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Custer forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
46.253, -105.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Powder River

When
December 18, 4:00 AM MST to December 24, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Powder River forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
45.395, -105.630 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Fallon

When
December 18, 4:00 AM MST to December 24, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Fallon forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
46.334, -104.417 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Montana in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, December 1998

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: 5677140, 5677258, 5677259, 5677260, 5677261, 5677262, 5677263, 5677264, 5677265, 5677266.