Montana, 1998

Blizzard in Montana, February 25 to 28, 1998

February 25 to 28, 1998 · NWS GGW · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A powerful winter storm brought blizzard conditions to eastern Montana. Up to a foot and a half of snow in combination with sustained winds 30 to 40 miles an hour and gusts to 50 mph reduced visibility to zero.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
1
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.

A powerful winter storm brought blizzard conditions to eastern Montana. Up to a foot and a half of snow in combination with sustained winds 30 to 40 miles an hour and gusts to 50 mph reduced visibility to zero. Snow drifts ranged between 5 and 12 feet. All roads leading into North Dakota were closed including U.S. Highway 2 and Interstate 94. Sections of these roads were closed for four days. Numerous travellers were stranded. WIth basketball tournaments going on, hotels filled up rapidly and many stranded motorists had to stay at the National Guard Armory in Glendive. Even though roads were closed, several semis tried to negotiate I-94 and ended up jack knifed which lead to a longer time in opening the interstate. Restaurants and stores began running out of food toward the end of the blizzard. There were some cattle loses as this storm hit in the early part of calving season. Miraculously given the number of motorists stranded only one fatality was reported when a 41 year old man left the safe shelter and attempt to walk 26 miles to his home.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Daniels

When
February 25, 7:00 AM MST to February 28, 7:00 AM MST
Where
Daniels forecast zone
Coordinates
48.784, -105.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Dawson

When
February 25, 7:00 AM MST to February 28, 7:00 AM MST
Where
Dawson forecast zone
Coordinates
47.266, -104.899 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, McCone

When
February 25, 7:00 AM MST to February 28, 7:00 AM MST
Where
McCone forecast zone
Coordinates
47.645, -105.795 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Prairie

When
February 25, 7:00 AM MST to February 28, 7:00 AM MST
Where
Prairie forecast zone
Coordinates
46.861, -105.378 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Richland

When
February 25, 7:00 AM MST to February 28, 7:00 AM MST
Where
Richland forecast zone
Coordinates
47.788, -104.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Roosevelt

When
February 25, 7:00 AM MST to February 28, 7:00 AM MST
Where
Roosevelt forecast zone
Coordinates
48.295, -105.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Sheridan

When
February 25, 7:00 AM MST to February 28, 7:00 AM MST
Where
Sheridan forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
48.721, -104.505 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Wibaux

When
February 25, 7:00 AM MST to February 28, 7:00 AM MST
Where
Wibaux forecast zone
Coordinates
46.965, -104.249 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Blizzard, Sheridan1998-02-2841MaleOutside/Open AreasDirect

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

More

Every storm in Montana in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, February 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5628572, 5628573, 5628574, 5628575, 5628576, 5628577, 5628578, 5628579.