A very strong arctic cold front moved into Northeast Montana in the early morning hours of Saturday December 13, 2008. The cold front brought snow, very strong winds, and extreme cold temperatures to the region.
Every event with a place to put it; 16 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS GGW wrote it up.
A very strong arctic cold front moved into Northeast Montana in the early morning hours of Saturday December 13, 2008. The cold front brought snow, very strong winds, and extreme cold temperatures to the region. Blizzard conditions occurred throughout the day Saturday into Sunday with extreme wind chills experienced towards the end of the blizzard event. Winds speed were generally stronger north of the Missouri River, but overall winds were 25 to 40 mph with continuous wind gusts up to 50 mph. Visibilities were below a quarter mile for the majority of the event. Snow totals ranged from 4 and 12 inches with drifts in some areas up to 3 feet. Hinsdale had the most snow with 12 inches, and the highest wind gust was 54 mph at the Manning Corral site in southern Phillips County. Roads were closed throughout the area during the height of the blizzard on the afternoon of the 13th through the morning of the 15th, including Montana Highway 191 north and south of Malta, US Highway 2 around Malta, Montana Highway 24 north of Glasgow and Montana Highway 5 from Opheim to the Daniels/Sheridan County line.
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 Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 12, 9:19 PM MST, 1 hour 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 919 PM MST FRI DEC 12 2008 .SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY... UPDATE...MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL DRIVE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ACROSS THE WHOLE OF NORTHEAST MONTANA INTO SUNDAY. GOING BLIZZARD WARNING LOOKS ON TRACK...SO NO CHANGES THERE. SNOWFALL BEGINNING TO IMPACT THE NORTHERN ZONES AS EVIDENT ON RADAR AND SPOTTER REPORTS. UPDATED TO RAMP UP POPS THERE THIS EVENING. ALSO TRENDED UP POPS FOR THE AFTER MIDNIGHT PERIOD AS GOOD OVERRUNNING TAKES PLACE. THIS SNOWFALL WHEN COMBINED WITH GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPROACHING ARCTIC FRONT WILL MAKE FOR AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW ACROSS THE ZONES NORTH OF THE MISSOURI RIVER. MIN TEMPERATURES ARE A BIT TRICKY AS THE TIMING OF THE ARCTIC FRONT IN THE MORNING MEANS MIN TEMPS AND MAX TEMPS ON SATURDAY WILL BE VERY CLOSE TOGETHER. GOING FORECAST SEEMED REASONABLE AND HAD THIS WELL REPRESENTED...SO KEPT WITH IT. GILCHRIST PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...BLIZZARD WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE ENTIRE CWA WITH THIS PACKAGE. SEE WWA AT THE BOTTOM FOR DETAILS. GOING STORM SYSTEM SHOWING GOOD CONSISTENCY WITH THE 12Z MODELS. THE BIGGEST CHANGE WAS TO INCREASE POPS FOR THE NORTHERN ZONES FOR TONIGHT AS ISENTROPIC LIFT COMBINES WITH SOME MOISTURE TO BRING 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW THERE. THEN THE STORM SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TODAY WILL BRING THE STEADY SNOW FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE AREA SATURDAY. GENERAL ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE 6 TO 10 INCHES. THE ARCTIC AIRMASS ARRIVES TOO DRIVING TEMPS DOWN THROUGH THE DAY. 500 MB TROUGH SWEEPS ACROSS THE CWA LATE SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY MORNING...PUTTING AN END TO THE SNOWFALL FROM WEST TO EAST WITH THE STRONG WINDS QUICKLY FOLLOWING IN IT/S WAKE. THUS THE ENDING OF THE BLIZZARD WARNINGS IN THIS FASHION. FOLLOWED CLOSELY TO MOS TEMPS AND WINDS. THE NEXT TRICKY PART OF THE FORECAST WILL BE TIMING THE END OF THE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS/WARNINGS TO START THE WIND CHILL WARNINGS. STAY SAFE. JAMBA .LONG TERM...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY... THE LONG TERM STARTS OUT BITTERLY COLD IN THE DEPTHS OF AN ARCTIC AIRMASS. THICKNESSES ARE BELOW 500 DM. EXPECTED HEAVY FRESH SNOW COVER WITH AN ARCTIC HIGH OVER THE AREA...AND 850 MB TEMPS NEARING -30C WILL EASILY BRING THE COLDEST TEMPS SINCE SO FAR THIS SEASON. MODELS SHOW THAT WE MAY ONLY PARTIALLY CLEAR THOUGH...BUT MODELS OFTEN TEND TOO CLOUDY UNDER AN ARCTIC HIGH. LATEST MODELS HAVE LITTLE NEW TO OFFER...MOST STILL WITH A SHORTWAVE TROUGH FROM THE NORTH ABOUT WED...AND POSSIBLY A MORE SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM VERY LATE IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD ABOUT FRIDAY...BUT MODELS DONT AGREE ON THAT. MODELS GRADUALLY WARM UP THE AREA LATER IN THE PERIOD...BUT AGAIN VARY QUITE A BIT WITH THICKNESS VALUES. EXPECT THAT WITH WIDESPREAD SNOW COVER EXPECTED...AND ARCTIC AIR IN MOST ALL DIRECTIONS...THAT SLOW MODIFICATION PER ONGOING FORECAST IS THE WAY TO GO...WELL BELOW MEX TEMPS...AND WELL BELOW THE NORMALS FOR DEC. ONGOING FORECAST LOOKS GOOD...NO CHANGES MADE. SIMONSEN PREVIOUS LONG TERM...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY... MAJOR WINTER STORM EXITS THE REGION LATE SUNDAY...LEAVING BEHIND FRIGID ARCTIC AIRMASS. MAIN PROBLEM FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD WILL BE WHETHER THE COLD AIR ERODES OR IS REINFORCED. MODELS TRADITIONALLY HAVE PROBLEMS FORECASTING SUCH EVENTS FOR THE NORTHEASTERN MONTANA. ALSO SOME CONSISTENCY ISSUES AMONG THE MODELS AS TO THE FLOW PATTERN FOR THE MIDDLE TO END OF NEXT WEEK. WITH ANTICIPATED DEEP SNOW COVER ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION AND OVERALL CONTINUED INFLUENCE OF ARCTIC TROF AND ABSENCE OF STRONG FORCING MECHANISM...EXPECT MINIMAL MIXING AND SLOW MODIFICATION OF THE DEEP ARCTIC AIRMASS. THUS HAVE LOWERED TEMPERATURES FOR MUCH OF NEXT WEEK...BUT HAVE KEPT A WARMING TREND. A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR IS EXPECTED ON TUESDAY WITH SHORTWAVE DROPPING THROUGH CENTRAL CANADA. THIS WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SNOW...MAINLY IN MORE FAVORED UPSLOPE AREAS IN THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THE CWA. EBERT && .AVIATION... IFR WITH BLIZZARD CONDITIONS SATURDAY. THIS EVENING THOUGH...VFR WITH BROKEN TO OVERCAST CEILINGS AROUND 10KT. AFTER MIDNIGHT...SNOW WILL DEVELOP AND SPREAD E ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE REST OF THE NIGHT AND THRU EARLY SAT MORN. CEILINGS DROP TO BELOW 1K FT AGL AND VISIBILITIES BELOW 1 MILE IN WIDESPREAD SNOW BY 10Z SATURDAY ACROSS THE W THIRD OF THE FORECAST AREA...WHICH IS PHILLIPS...VALLEY..AND PETROLEUM COUNTIES...INCLUDING TAF SITE KGGW. THESE IFR CONDITIONS WILL HAVE SPREAD E THRU THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA...INCLUDING TAF SITES OLF BY 12Z... AND SDY...AND GDV BY 15Z SATURDAY. THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY SATURDAY WILL HAVE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH WIDESPREAD IFR CEILINGS BELOW 5 HUNDRED FT AGL...AND VISIBILITIES BELOW A HALF OF A MILE...OFTEN TO ZERO VISIBILITY...AS SNOW WILL BE FALLING HEAVY AT TIMES WITH SEVERE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. E WINDS INCREASE AND SHIFT TO N 20-30KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 KT SATURDAY. HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW AND LARGE DRIFTS CAN BE EXPECTED. SIMONSEN && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 3 AM SATURDAY TO 12 PM MST SUNDAY FOR DANIELS-SHERIDAN-WESTERN ROOSEVELT-MCCONE-NORTHERN VALLEY- EASTERN ROOSEVELT. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 3 AM SATURDAY TO 6 AM MST SUNDAY FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY- NORTHERN PHILLIPS-SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 9 AM SATURDAY TO 12 PM MST SUNDAY FOR RICHLAND-DAWSON-PRAIRIE-WIBAUX. BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 9 AM SATURDAY TO 6 AM MST SUNDAY FOR PETROLEUM-GARFIELD. && WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...RESENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 456 PM MST FRI DEC 12 2008 MTZ016>027-059>062-140000- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY- DANIELS-SHERIDAN-WESTERN ROOSEVELT-PETROLEUM-GARFIELD-MCCONE- RICHLAND-DAWSON-PRAIRIE-WIBAUX-NORTHERN PHILLIPS- SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS-NORTHERN VALLEY-EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 456 PM MST FRI DEC 12 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT BLIZZARD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT. ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL BEGIN TO FALL NORTH OF THE MISSOURI RIVER TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY BLIZZARD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT INTO SUNDAY. DANGEROUS WIND CHILL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT. WIND CHILL VALUES OF 40 TO 60 BELOW CAN BE EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. TEMPERATURES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE ZERO THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH JUST A LITTLE RELIEF IN SIGHT WITH THESE FRIGID TEMPERATURES NEAR THE END OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
16 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall totals were from five to eight inches of snow. Drifts were reported to be up to 5 feet in some areas.
Five to eight inches of new snow with visibilities of a quarter mile to a half mile through the day.
Four to six inches of new snow were reported. Visibilities were reduced to a quarter mile for well over 12 hours during the event, and drifts were in the 2 to 3 foot range.
Snowfall totals from four to twelve inches were reported across the area, with snow drifts of one to three feet. The most snow was twelve inches in the Larb Hills. A wind gust of 50 mph was recorded at the King Coulee RAWS site. Blizzard conditions caused many event cancellations and travel was not advised.
Three to nine inches of snowfall were reported with drifts of one to three feet. Visibilities were below a quarter mile through much of the event.
Snowfall of four to seven inches were reported in the county. Winds were in the 20 to 30 mph range with frequent gusts over 40 mph, reducing visibility to less than a quarter mile through much of the event.
Five to ten inches of new snowfall was reported with drifts of one to two feet. Sustained winds were from 25 to 435 mph with gusts to near 50 mph, reducing visibilities to less than a quarter mile through much of the event. Many area events were canceled.
Two to nine inches of snowfall were reported. Northwest winds of 25 to 40 mph and gusts to near 50 mph caused visibilities to be less than a quarter mile for many hours during the event. Many events were canceled due to the weather.
Four to five inches of new snow occurred with sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph. The highest wind gust was 54 mph at the Manning Corral RAWS site.
Four to six inches of snowfall was reported. Drifts were one to two feet high. The area had northwest winds of 25 to 30 mph with frequent gusts to around 45 mph.
Four to six inches of snowfall were reported, with drifts of one to two feet. Northwest winds were from 25 to 40 mph throughout the county with gusts to around 45 mph through the event.
Four to eight inches of new snowfall was reported with snow drifts of over one foot. Northwest winds were 20 to 30 mph with gusts to near 45 mph throughout the event.
Four to five inches of snowfall occurred. Winds were 20 to 30 mph with gusts to around 40 mph.
Three to eight inches of snowfall were reported.
Two to nine inches of snowfall was reported. Northwest winds were 25 to 35 mph with gusts to around 45 mph throughout the event.
Four to six inches of snowfall was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, December 2008
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: 147081, 148332, 148393, 148410, 148426, 148444, 148455, 148461, 148375, 148391, 148418, 148462, 148464, 148466, 148471, 148468.