Winter Storm in Montana, November 16 to 17, 2003

Name: Winter Storm in Montana, November 16 to 17, 2003
Start: 2003-11-16T17:00
End: 2003-11-17T17:00
Location: Montana

November 16 to 17, 2003 · NWS TFX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A Pacific storm brought heavy snow to the Rocky Mountain Front. Reported snow fall amonts include: 9 inches at the Pike Creek SNOTEL site and 15 inches at the Copper Camp SNOTEL site.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 TFX wrote it up.

A Pacific storm brought heavy snow to the Rocky Mountain Front. Reported snow fall amonts include: 9 inches at the Pike Creek SNOTEL site and 15 inches at the Copper Camp SNOTEL site.

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 Nov 16, 2:55 PM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 16, 2:55 PM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 16, 6:10 AM MST, 10 hours 50 minutes before

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Event by event

2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, North Rocky Mountain Front

When: November 16, 5:00 PM MST to November 17, 5:00 PM MST
Where: North Rocky Mountain Front forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Storm, Southern Rocky Mountain Front

When: November 16, 5:00 PM MST to November 17, 5:00 PM MST
Where: Southern Rocky Mountain Front forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

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, November 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: 5331649, 5331650.