Heavy Snow in Montana, December 17 to 19, 2008

Name: Heavy Snow in Montana, December 17 to 19, 2008
Start: 2008-12-17T03:00
End: 2008-12-19T04:00
Location: Montana

December 17 to 19, 2008 · NWS MSO · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

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.

With arctic air still in place at the surface, a moist Pacific system moved over this cold dome of air to produce heavy snow across portions of northwest Montana. Snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to 12 inches in|the valleys with up to 30 inches in the mountains. Numerous vehicle accidents were reported throughout northwest Montana. Montana DOT reported severe driving conditions on Interstate 90.

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 Dec 16, 2:55 PM MST, 12 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 16, 2:55 PM MST, 12 hours 5 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 16, 4:29 AM MST, 22 hours 31 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
429 AM MST TUE DEC 16 2008

IDZ005-006-MTZ001>006-043-171130-
NORTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS-SOUTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS-
KOOTENAI/CABINET REGION-WEST GLACIER REGION-
FLATHEAD/MISSION VALLEYS-LOWER CLARK FORK REGION-
MISSOULA/BITTERROOT VALLEYS-BITTERROOT/SAPPHIRE MOUNTAINS-
POTOMAC/SEELEY LAKE REGION-
429 AM MST TUE DEC 16 2008 /329 AM PST TUE DEC 16 2008/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
IDAHO...NORTHWEST MONTANA AND WEST CENTRAL MONTANA.

FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES...GO
TO WEATHER.GOV/MISSOULA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A VERY COLD AIR MASS CONTINUES TO HOVER OVER WESTERN MONTANA AND
CENTRAL IDAHO...WITH TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW THE SEASONAL AVERAGE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

COLD TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGHOUT THIS WEEK.

ANOTHER COLD STORM SYSTEM WILL SPREAD SNOW INTO THE AREA
WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW IS POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY
NIGHT INTO THURSDAY WITH GUSTY EAST AND NORTHEAST WINDS
DEVELOPING. DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN
THIS TIME FRAME.

THE CONTINUATION OF COLD TEMPERATURES WILL RESULT IN FREEZING OF
AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS...RESULTING IN AN INCREASED THREAT OF ICE
JAMS. FLOODING IS POSSIBLE WHEN ICE JAMS BREAK OR SPREAD OUT OF
RIVER BANKS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

IDZ007>010-MTZ007-171130-
OROFINO/GRANGEVILLE REGION-LOWER HELLS CANYON/SALMON RIVER REGION-
WESTERN LEMHI COUNTY-EASTERN LEMHI COUNTY-BUTTE/BLACKFOOT REGION-
429 AM MST TUE DEC 16 2008 /329 AM PST TUE DEC 16 2008/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
IDAHO AND WEST CENTRAL MONTANA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A VERY COLD AIR MASS CONTINUES TO HOVER OVER WESTERN MONTANA AND
CENTRAL IDAHO...WITH TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW THE SEASONAL AVERAGE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

COLD TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGHOUT THIS WEEK.

ANOTHER COLD STORM SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD SNOW INTO THE AREA
EARLY THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. MODERATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE
MAINLY OVER HIGHER TERRAIN LATE THURSDAY INTO EARLY FRIDAY WITH
GUSTY NORTH TO EAST WINDS DEVELOPING FRIDAY. DANGEROUS WINTER
WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THIS TIME FRAME.

THE CONTINUATION OF COLD TEMPERATURES WILL RESULT IN FREEZING OF
AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS...RESULTING IN AN INCREASED THREAT OF ICE
JAMS. FLOODING IS POSSIBLE WHEN ICE JAMS BREAK OR SPREAD OUT OF
RIVER BANKS.

.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

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Flathead/Mission Valleys

When: December 17, 3:00 AM MST to December 19, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Flathead/Mission Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.872, -114.424 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nine to thirteen inches of new snow was reported by spotters in Kalispell, Whitefish, Evergreen, and Big Fork. Snow accumulations created slick road conditions with more then 20 car crashes reported in Kalispell, with an additional 10 crashes reported on Flathead County roads during this time.

Heavy Snow, West Glacier Region

When: December 17, 6:00 AM MST to December 19, 4:00 AM MST
Where: West Glacier Region forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.971, -114.069 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Eight to eleven inches of snow accumulation reported by several spotters.

Heavy Snow, Kootenai/Cabinet Region

When: December 17, 8:00 AM MST to December 19, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Kootenai/Cabinet Region forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.171, -114.863 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations ranged between 6 to 12 inches.

Heavy Snow, Lower Clark Fork Region

When: December 17, 8:00 AM MST to December 19, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Lower Clark Fork Region forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 47.286, -114.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Severe driving conditions were reported by the DOT on Interstate 90 between Lookout Pass and St. Regis. Twelve vehicle accidents were reported along this route over night on the 17th. Additionally, up to 11 inches of new snow was reported in the valleys with 32 inches reported at Lookout Pass Ski Resort.

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 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, December 2008

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: 142573, 142572, 142571, 142574.