Montana, 2002

Winter Storm in Montana, January 25 to 26, 2002

January 25 to 26, 2002 · NWS TFX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

5 winter storm, as filed by the National Weather Service.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 24, 3:00 PM MST, 9 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 24, 3:00 PM MST, 9 hours before
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Event by event

5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, North Rocky Mountain Front

When
January 25, 12:00 AM MST to January 26, 4:00 PM MST
Where
North Rocky Mountain Front forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy snow developed over the Rocky Mountain front late on the 24th. The snow began to increase in intensity early on the 25th and then continued, heavy at times, to early on the 27th. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were common through the period. 24 hour snow totals ranged from 15 to 20 inches, while the entire snow event had snow accumulations of 3 to 4 feet in areas near the Rocky Mountain front.Farther east, over the northern plains of North Central Montana, areas of snow developed on the morning of the 26th. The snow was heavy at times during the mid morning and early afternoon hours. Generally snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches occurred in Cascade and Chouteau counties. Farther north, around the Havre and Cut Bank areas, only light snow was reported, with less than 3 inches of snow accumulations.

Winter Storm, Southern Rocky Mountain Front

When
January 25, 12:00 AM MST to January 26, 4:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Rocky Mountain Front forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy snow developed over the Rocky Mountain front late on the 24th. The snow began to increase in intensity early on the 25th and then continued, heavy at times, to early on the 27th. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were common through the period. 24 hour snow totals ranged from 15 to 20 inches, while the entire snow event had snow accumulations of 3 to 4 feet in areas near the Rocky Mountain front.Farther east, over the northern plains of North Central Montana, areas of snow developed on the morning of the 26th. The snow was heavy at times during the mid morning and early afternoon hours. Generally snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches occurred in Cascade and Chouteau counties. Farther north, around the Havre and Cut Bank areas, only light snow was reported, with less than 3 inches of snow accumulations.

Winter Storm, Cascade

When
January 25, 12:00 AM MST to January 26, 4:00 PM MST
Where
Cascade forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy snow developed over the Rocky Mountain front late on the 24th. The snow began to increase in intensity early on the 25th and then continued, heavy at times, to early on the 27th. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were common through the period. 24 hour snow totals ranged from 15 to 20 inches, while the entire snow event had snow accumulations of 3 to 4 feet in areas near the Rocky Mountain front.Farther east, over the northern plains of North Central Montana, areas of snow developed on the morning of the 26th. The snow was heavy at times during the mid morning and early afternoon hours. Generally snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches occurred in Cascade and Chouteau counties. Farther north, around the Havre and Cut Bank areas, only light snow was reported, with less than 3 inches of snow accumulations.

Winter Storm, Chouteau

When
January 25, 12:00 AM MST to January 26, 4:00 PM MST
Where
Chouteau forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy snow developed over the Rocky Mountain front late on the 24th. The snow began to increase in intensity early on the 25th and then continued, heavy at times, to early on the 27th. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were common through the period. 24 hour snow totals ranged from 15 to 20 inches, while the entire snow event had snow accumulations of 3 to 4 feet in areas near the Rocky Mountain front.Farther east, over the northern plains of North Central Montana, areas of snow developed on the morning of the 26th. The snow was heavy at times during the mid morning and early afternoon hours. Generally snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches occurred in Cascade and Chouteau counties. Farther north, around the Havre and Cut Bank areas, only light snow was reported, with less than 3 inches of snow accumulations.

Winter Storm, Southern Lewis and Clark

When
January 25, 12:00 AM MST to January 26, 4:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Lewis and Clark forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy snow developed over the Rocky Mountain front late on the 24th. The snow began to increase in intensity early on the 25th and then continued, heavy at times, to early on the 27th. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were common through the period. 24 hour snow totals ranged from 15 to 20 inches, while the entire snow event had snow accumulations of 3 to 4 feet in areas near the Rocky Mountain front.Farther east, over the northern plains of North Central Montana, areas of snow developed on the morning of the 26th. The snow was heavy at times during the mid morning and early afternoon hours. Generally snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches occurred in Cascade and Chouteau counties. Farther north, around the Havre and Cut Bank areas, only light snow was reported, with less than 3 inches of snow accumulations.

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 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, January 2002

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: 5278801, 5278891, 5278892, 5278893, 5278978.