Montana, 2002

Heavy Snow in Montana, June 8 to 10, 2002

June 8 to 10, 2002 · NWS MSO · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A powerful, late season snow storm brought heavy wet snow to a large part of western Montana for a three day period, mainly for elevations above 5000 feet. Snow was reported as low as 4000 feet in west central Montana before the storm moved well east of the divide.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
6

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 MSO wrote it up.

A powerful, late season snow storm brought heavy wet snow to a large part of western Montana for a three day period, mainly for elevations above 5000 feet. Snow was reported as low as 4000 feet in west central Montana before the storm moved well east of the divide. The hardest hit area was Glacier National Park where 3 to 4 feet of snow fell, with reports of 8 feet on the east side of the park, creating many avalanches and power outages. Travel was restricted to emergency traffic only along Highway 2 over Marias Pass. Some snowfall amounts during the event included: 12 inches at Hoodoo Basin and North Fork Elk Creek, 14 inches at Warm Springs RAWS, 17 inches at Point Six, 40 inches at Pike Creek, and 57 inches at Badger Pass in Flathead County. Several temperature records were broken in the days following the storm event.

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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 8, 9:00 AM MST, 3 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 8, 9:00 AM MST, 3 hours before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Kootenai/Cabinet Region

When
June 8, 12:00 PM MST to June 10, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Kootenai/Cabinet Region forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
48.171, -114.863 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, West Glacier Region

When
June 8, 12:00 PM MST to June 10, 8:00 PM MST
Where
West Glacier Region forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.971, -114.069 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lower Clark Fork Region

When
June 8, 12:00 PM MST to June 10, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Lower Clark Fork Region forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
47.286, -114.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains

When
June 8, 12:00 PM MST to June 10, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
46.508, -113.828 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Butte / Pintlar Region

When
June 8, 12:00 PM MST to June 10, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Butte / Pintlar Region forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
46.306, -113.025 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Blackfoot Region

When
June 8, 12:00 PM MST to June 10, 8:00 PM MST
Where
Blackfoot Region forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
46.986, -113.597 (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 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, June 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5301708, 5301709, 5301710, 5301711, 5301712, 5301713.