Winter Storm in Montana, January 22, 2003

Name: Winter Storm in Montana, January 22, 2003
Start: 2003-01-22T00:00
End: 2003-01-22T06:00
Location: Montana

January 22, 2003 · NWS MSO · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

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.

An arctic cold front moved across the Continental Divide bringing heavy snow and gusty winds to the region. Emergency travel was reported by the Montana Department of Transportation Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning across sections of the Mission and Flathead Valleys as well as areas near the Divide while the front moved through. Snowfall amounts ranged from 5 to 8 inches at Alberton and St. Ignatius southward across Missoula, Lolo, and Darby. Heavier snow of 10 to 12 inches was reported at Lolo Hot Springs, Warm Springs, and Peterson Meadows. Gusty northeast winds of 20 to 40 mph were common during the event. Peak gusts included, 38 mph at Kalispell, 36 mph at Columbia Falls, and 34 mph at Thompson Falls.

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 21, 9:40 PM MST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 21, 9:40 PM MST, 2 hours 20 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 21, 4:15 PM MST, 7 hours 45 minutes before

MTZ001>007-043-IDZ005>010-221300-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
415 PM MST TUE JAN 21 2003

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

.DAY ONE... TODAY

A MOIST PACIFIC SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE REGION WILL BRING ABUNDANT
PRECIPITATION TO WEST CENTRAL MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO
TONIGHT. PLEASE SEE GTFWSWMSO FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

HEAVY SNOWS WITH POSSIBLE VALLEY RAIN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA
THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS ANOTHER MOIST SYSTEM CROSSES THE AREA.
PLEASE SEE GTFWSWMSO FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

.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

6 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Flathead/Mission Valleys

When: January 22, 12:00 AM MST to 6:00 AM MST
Where: Flathead/Mission Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.872, -114.424 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lower Clark Fork Region

When: January 22, 12:00 AM MST to 6:00 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, Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys

When: January 22, 12:00 AM MST to 6:00 AM MST
Where: Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 46.560, -114.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Butte / Pintlar Region

When: January 22, 12:00 AM MST to 6:00 AM 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)

Winter Storm, Blackfoot Region

When: January 22, 12:00 AM MST to 6:00 AM 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)

Winter Storm, Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains

When: January 22, 12:00 AM MST to 6:00 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)

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

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: 5338760, 5338761, 5338762, 5338763, 5338764, 5338765.