Montana, 1998

Heavy Snow in Montana, December 4, 1998

December 4, 1998 · NWS GGW · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Up to 11 inches of snow accumulated in portions of northeast Montana. The snow began over the area during the early morning hours and lasted into the evening.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

Up to 11 inches of snow accumulated in portions of northeast Montana. The snow began over the area during the early morning hours and lasted into the evening. The heaviest snow was in a narrow band from Wolf Point to Medicine Lake. Snowfall reports were as follows: Medicine Lake: 11", Wolf Point: 10", Poplar: 8", Oswego: 7", Flat Willow: 6", Jordan: 6", Plentywood: 6" and Scobey: 6". Heavy snow was also reported in northern McCone County and northern Richland County.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Valley

When
December 4, 6:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
Valley forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
48.365, -106.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Daniels

When
December 4, 6:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
Daniels forecast zone
Reported by
METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates
48.784, -105.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Garfield

When
December 4, 6:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
Garfield forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.278, -106.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, McCone

When
December 4, 6:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
McCone forecast zone
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
47.645, -105.795 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Petroleum

When
December 4, 6:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
Petroleum forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.118, -108.250 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Richland

When
December 4, 6:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
Richland forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.788, -104.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Roosevelt

When
December 4, 6:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
Roosevelt forecast zone
Reported by
METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates
48.295, -105.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Sheridan

When
December 4, 6:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
Sheridan forecast zone
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
48.721, -104.505 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5670373, 5670374, 5670375, 5670376, 5670377, 5670378, 5670379, 5670380.