Montana, 2005

Heavy Snow in Montana, May 11 to 12, 2005

May 11 to 12, 2005 · NWS GGW · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A major late season winter storm affected a portion of northeast Montana beginning late in the afternoon on the 11th, and continued until mid-morning on the 12th. The storm produced a widespread swath of 8 to 12 inches of snow.

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

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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 GGW wrote it up.

A major late season winter storm affected a portion of northeast Montana beginning late in the afternoon on the 11th, and continued until mid-morning on the 12th. The storm produced a widespread swath of 8 to 12 inches of snow. A strong upper level low pressure system in Wyoming tracked north across the area during the night while at the same time an arctic high built south out of Canada and supplied the cold air. The snow was accompanied by generally light wind so blowing and drifting snow were not a problem with this storm. I-94 from Glendive to Terry was closed for a time. Some of the more impressive snowfall amounts across northeast Montana included:32 miles north of Terry (Dawson County): 12 inches Carlyle (Wibaux County): 10 inches6 miles southeast of Wibaux (Wibaux County): 10 inchesLindsay & 8 miles east/southeast of Lindsay (Dawson County): 10 inches10 miles south of Circle (McCone County): 10 inches9 miles north of Crow Rock (Garfield County): 13 inches8 miles south of Terry (Prairie County): 10 inches10 miles south of Lindsay (Dawson County): 7 inchesGlendive (Dawson County): 6 inches

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Dawson

When
May 11, 3:00 PM MST to May 12, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Dawson forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.266, -104.899 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wibaux

When
May 11, 3:00 PM MST to May 12, 9:00 AM MST
Where
Wibaux forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
46.965, -104.249 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Prairie

When
May 11, 3:00 PM MST to May 12, 9:00 AM MST
Where
Prairie forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
46.861, -105.378 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, McCone

When
May 11, 3:00 PM MST to May 12, 9:00 AM MST
Where
McCone forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.645, -105.795 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Garfield

When
May 11, 3:00 PM MST to May 12, 9:00 AM MST
Where
Garfield forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.278, -106.993 (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 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, May 2005

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: 5453830, 5453831, 5453832, 5453833, 5453834.