Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Montana, December 13 to 14, 2003

Name: Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Montana, December 13 to 14, 2003
Start: 2003-12-13T07:00
End: 2003-12-14T11:00
Location: Montana

December 13 to 14, 2003 · NWS MSO · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: 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 happened

The episode as NWS MSO wrote it up.

Winter storm brought localized heavy snow to the valleys of northwest Montana, with strong gusty south winds and widespread heavy snow to the western Montana mountains. Snowfall totals ranged from 6 to 8 inches in the northwest Montana valleys, 8 to 14 inches at the ski resorts, and up to two feet over the higher terrain Snotel sites. Highest values recorded were 17 inches at Stahl Peak, 18 inches at Lookout Pass, and 24 inches at Moss Peak and Noisy Basin. South winds of 15 to 30 MPH in the mountains caused areas of blowing and drifting of snow.

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 Dec 13, 2:37 AM MST, 4 hours 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 13, 2:37 AM MST, 4 hours 23 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
237 AM MST SAT DEC 13 2003

.SHORT TERM...WILL CONTINUE MAJORITY OF ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS FOR
TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY. PAC MOISTURE HOSE REMAINS AIMED AT THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES FOR THE NEXT 36 HOURS AND COMBINES WITH UPSLOPE TO
GENERATE 1-2 INCH LIQUID EQUIVALENT ACROSS CENTRAL ID AND SECTIONS OF
WESTERN MT. PRECIPITATION HAS TAPERED OVERNIGHT BUT UPSTREAM RADARS
SHOW RAIN/SNOW INCREASING AGAIN ACROSS EASTERN OR IN GOOD ASSOCIATION
WITH CLOUD ENHANCEMENT ON THE MOISTURE PLUME. FRONTAL BOUNDARY
HAS STALLED JUST SOUTH OF BUTTE AND ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CLEARWATERS
BUT BEGINS LIFTING BACK TO THE NORTH TODAY. MAIN PROBLEMS LIE WITH
WARMING TODAY LEADING TO CHANGEOVER TO RAIN IN MANY LOWER VALLEYS AND
RISING SNOW LEVELS. COULD ALSO BE A FEW POCKETS OF FREEZING RAIN
TONIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY. WILL KEEP SIMILAR LEVELS IN THE HIGHLIGHTS
TODAY BUT WILL NEED TO MONITOR NORTHWEST ADVISORIES IF MIXING OCCURS
THERE THIS AFTERNOON. SOUTH WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY ON CAMAS PRAIRIE
THIS AFTERNOON AND ESPECIALLY TONIGHT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. NEXT
SHIFT WILL NEED TO DECIDE IF A WIND ADVISORY WILL BE NEEDED DURING
THE NIGHT PERIOD AS 40 MPH GUSTS LOOK REASONABLE AT THIS POINT. GFS
REMAINS MODEL OF CHOICE AND EXPECT COLD FRONT TO SWEEP INTO THE
REGION SUNDAY MORNING TAKING THE MOISTURE PLUME SOUTHWARD DURING THE
DAY. WILL BE ABLE TO TRIM THE ENDING TIME OF WARNINGS ACROSS
NORTHWEST MT TO AROUND NOON ON SUNDAY WITH THOSE IN THE SOUTH
CONTINUING THROUGH 6 PM. COLD UNSTABLE UPPER TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO
GENERATE SNOW SHOWERS BEHIND THE FRONT SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THIS IS
FOLLOWED BY VEERING WINDS ALOFT SUNDAY NIGHT AS A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE
BUILDS ALONG THE COAST. MODERATE INSTABILITY AND PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE SUNDAY NIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY WILL LEAD TO CONVECTIVE SNOW
BANDING POTENTIAL ON THE TAIL END OF THIS STORM SYSTEM. DRIER AND
MORE STABLE CONDITIONS SHOULD PUT AN END TO SNOW ACCUMULATION IN THE
AREA BY MONDAY AFTERNOON.

.LONG TERM...DIRTY RIDGE SCENARIO STILL ON TAP FOR MUCH OF THE
EXTENDED PERIOD. WEST JETS WILL CONTINUE TO BRING PIECES OF ENERGY
OVER THE TOP OF THE RIDGE AFFECTING MAINLY CENTRAL AND NORTHERN
SECTIONS OF THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. MODELS
CONTINUE TO DIVERGE LATTER TWO DAYS OF EXTENDED...THE EUROPEAN MODELS
CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE MORE DRYING WITH AMPLIFYING UPPER RIDGE WHILE
GFS KEEPS MORE PROGRESSIVE PATTERN. GIVEN UNCERTAINTY..BUT PAST
RECORD OF GFS OF LATE...WILL CONTINUE WITH A BLEND...LEANING
MORE WITH A PROGRESSIVE  PATTERN OVER THE REGION. AREAS OF RAIN AND
SNOW WILL BE THE THEME THROUGH THE EXTENDED WITH TEMPERATURES AT TO
JUST ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH FRIDAY.
&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 5000 FEET FOR MTZ006 NOON TODAY
     THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY...
  ...WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 4500 FEET MTZ004 NOON TODAY
     THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY...
  ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY BELOW 4500 FEET MTZ004 NOON TODAY
     THROUGH MIDNIGHT SATURDAY...
  ...WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 4000 FEET FOR MTZ001-002-043
     NOON TODAY THROUGH NOON SUNDAY...
  ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY BELOW 4000 FEET FOR MTZ001-002-043
     NOON TODAY THROUGH NOON SUNDAY...
ID...WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 5000 FEET FOR IDZ005-006 AND ABOVE
     6000 FEET FOR IDZ009-010 FROM NOON TODAY THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY...

&&

SHORT TERM/BOLDT
LONG TERM/MEAD

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 13, 6:01 AM MST, 59 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
600 AM MST (500 AM PST) SAT DEC 13 2003

IDZ005-006-009-010-MTZ001-002-004-006-043-141300-
NORTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS-SOUTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS-
WESTERN LEMHI COUNTY-EASTERN LEMHI COUNTY-KOOTENAI/CABINET REGION-
WEST GLACIER REGION-LOWER CLARK FORK REGION-
BITTERROOT/SAPPHIRE MOUNTAINS-BLACKFOOT REGION-
600 AM MST (500 AM PST) SAT DEC 13 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A PORTION OF WEST CENTRAL
MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO

.DAY ONE... TODAY

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES AND WINTER STORM WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT
MAINLY ABOVE 4000 FEET. PLEASE REFER TO GTFWSWMSO FOR DETAILS. IN
ADDITION...PATCHY FREEZING RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE IN NORTHWEST AND
WEST CENTRAL MONTANA VALLEYS TODAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

WINTER STORM WARNINGS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. PLEASE
REFER TO GTFWSWMSO FOR DETAILS.

ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY IN
THE WAKE OF THIS WEEKENDS STORM SYSTEM.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

IDZ007-008-MTZ003-005-007-141300-
OROFINO/GRANGEVILLE REGION-LOWER HELLS CANYON/SALMON RIVER-
FLATHEAD/MISSION VALLEYS-MISSOULA/BITTERROOT VALLEYS-
BUTTE/PINTLAR REGION-
600 AM MST (500 AM PST) SAT DEC 13 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A PORTION OF WESTERN
MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO

.DAY ONE... TODAY

SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW WILL OCCUR OVER THE PINTLAR MOUNTAINS TODAY
AND PATCHY FREEZING RAIN IS POSSIBLE IN THE FLATHEAD/MISSION AND
MISSOULA VALLEYS THROUGH MIDDAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE PINTLAR MOUNTAINS SUNDAY WITH RAIN
CHANGING TO SNOW IN THE VALLEYS.

ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY
ACROSS WESTERN MONTANA IN THE WAKE OF THIS WEEKENDS STORM SYSTEM.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy snow, 2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Kootenai/Cabinet Region

When: December 13, 7:00 AM MST to December 14, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Kootenai/Cabinet Region forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 48.171, -114.863 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, West Glacier Region

When: December 13, 7:00 AM MST to December 14, 11:00 AM MST
Where: West Glacier Region forecast zone
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates: 47.971, -114.069 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lower Clark Fork Region

When: December 13, 7:00 AM MST to December 14, 11:00 AM 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)

Winter Storm, Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains

When: December 13, 7:00 AM MST to December 14, 11:00 AM 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, Blackfoot Region

When: December 13, 11:00 PM MST to December 14, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Blackfoot Region forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
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.
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

Every storm in Montana in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, December 2003

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: 5332061, 5332062, 5332063, 5332064, 5332065.