Heavy Snow in Montana, January 22 to 23, 2003

Name: Heavy Snow in Montana, January 22 to 23, 2003
Start: 2003-01-22T16:00
End: 2003-01-23T06:00
Location: Montana

January 22 to 23, 2003 · NWS MSO · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A pacific storm system brought heavy snow to the western Montana with 6 to 8 inches from Libby to Eureka and Bull Lake to Troy, as well as Lookout Pass, and 8 to 10 inches was reported from Coram to Essex in the West Glacier Region.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: 4

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.

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 Jan 22, 2:30 PM MST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 22, 2:30 PM MST, 1 hour 30 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 22, 10:40 AM MST, 5 hours 20 minutes 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

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Kootenai/Cabinet Region

When: January 22, 4:00 PM MST to January 23, 6:00 AM MST
Where: Kootenai/Cabinet Region forecast zone
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates: 48.171, -114.863 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, West Glacier Region

When: January 22, 4:00 PM MST to January 23, 6:00 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)

Heavy Snow, Lower Clark Fork Region

When: January 22, 4:00 PM MST to January 23, 6:00 AM MST
Where: Lower Clark Fork Region forecast zone
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates: 47.286, -114.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Blackfoot Region

When: January 22, 4:00 PM MST to January 23, 6:00 AM MST
Where: Blackfoot Region forecast zone
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
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

Every storm in Montana in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, January 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5338769, 5338770, 5338771, 5338772.