Montana, 2008

Winter Storm in Montana, January 27 to 29, 2008

January 27 to 29, 2008 · NWS BYZ · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Pacific moisture combined with a storm system that dropped south from Canada brought heavy snow to the Beartooth and Absaroka Mountains and snow and blowing snow to portions of central Montana. The following snow totals were reported: 7 inches 19NW Silver Gate(Monument Peak Snotel), 7 inches 22SW Limestone(Box Canyon Snotel), 8 inches 3NNW Cooke City(Fisher Creek Snotel) and 8 inches 10WSW…

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
8

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 BYZ wrote it up.

Pacific moisture combined with a storm system that dropped south from Canada brought heavy snow to the Beartooth and Absaroka Mountains and snow and blowing snow to portions of central Montana. The following snow totals were reported: 7 inches 19NW Silver Gate(Monument Peak Snotel), 7 inches 22SW Limestone(Box Canyon Snotel), 8 inches 3NNW Cooke City(Fisher Creek Snotel) and 8 inches 10WSW Limestone(Placer Basin Snotel). In the lower elevations, the snow and blowing snow resulting in numerous road and school closures.

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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 27, 4:45 PM MST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 27, 4:45 PM MST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 27, 2:28 PM MST, 3 hours 32 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
228 PM MST SUN JAN 27 2008

MTZ028>042-056>058-063>068-WYZ098-099-282130-
SOUTHERN WHEATLAND-MUSSELSHELL-TREASURE-NORTHERN ROSEBUD-CUSTER-
FALLON-NORTHERN STILLWATER-YELLOWSTONE-POWDER RIVER-CARTER-
SOUTHERN BIG HORN-EASTERN CARBON-NORTHERN PARK-
NORTHERN SWEET GRASS-GOLDEN VALLEY-RED LODGE FOOTHILLS-
NORTHERN BIG HORN-SOUTHERN ROSEBUD-JUDITH GAP-PARADISE VALLEY-
LIVINGSTON AREA-BEARTOOTH FOOTHILLS-ABSAROKA/BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS-
CRAZY MOUNTAINS-NORTHEAST BIG HORN MOUNTAINS-SHERIDAN FOOTHILLS-
228 PM MST SUN JAN 27 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
MONTANA...SOUTH CENTRAL MONTANA...SOUTHEAST MONTANA AND NORTH
CENTRAL WYOMING.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL AFFECT LOCATIONS ALONG THE EASTERN
SLOPES OF THE CRAZY AND BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS THROUGH THIS EVENING.
GUSTS UP TO 70 MPH ARE EXPECTED AT LIVINGSTON AND NYE...WITH
GUSTS TO 50 MPH AT BIG TIMBER...HARLOWTON AND JUDITH GAP.

EXPECT HEAVY SNOW TO BEGIN DEVELOPING OVER THE BEARTOOTH
MOUNTAINS TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

A STRONG ARCTIC FRONT PUSHING SOUTH FROM CANADA WILL SURGE
THROUGH THE AREA LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY MORNING. LOOK FOR
A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN THE WEATHER AS THE FRONT PASSES.
TEMPERATURES WILL FALL FROM THE 20S TO LOWER 30S TONIGHT TO THE
SINGLE DIGITS OR COLDER DURING THE DAY ON MONDAY. A DROP OF 20 TO
30 DEGREES IN AN HOUR OR TWO IS POSSIBLE AS THE FRONT PASSES. IN
ADDITION...THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE OF 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW BEHIND
THE FRONT...AS WELL AS A COUPLE HOURS OF STRONG NORTHWEST TO
NORTH WINDS. THE COLD TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO
CAUSE DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS FROM 10 TO 25 BELOW ZERO ALONG WITH
AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES. PEOPLE PLANNING
TRAVEL OR OUTDOOR ACTIVITY ON MONDAY SHOULD PREPARE FOR A RAPID
CHANGE IN THE WEATHER. VERY COLD AIR WILL SETTLE OVER THE AREA
THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 27, 5:22 PM MST, 38 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 27, 5:29 PM MST, 31 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Absarokee / Beartooth Mountains

When
January 27, 6:00 PM MST to January 28, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Absarokee / Beartooth Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
45.550, -109.722 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Wheatland

When
January 28, 9:00 AM MST to January 29, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Wheatland forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement

Public schools and highways were closed.

Winter Storm, Musselshell

When
January 28, 9:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
Musselshell forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
46.497, -108.398 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Highways were closed.

Winter Storm, Northern Park County

When
January 28, 9:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Park County forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
45.488, -110.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Highways were closed along with the public schools.

Winter Storm, Northern Sweet Grass

When
January 28, 9:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Sweet Grass forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement

Emergency travel was advised for the interstate.

Winter Storm, Golden Valley

When
January 28, 9:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
Golden Valley forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
46.381, -109.175 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Roads were closed across the region.

Winter Storm, Judith Gap

When
January 28, 9:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
Judith Gap forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
46.424, -109.509 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Highways were closed.

Winter Storm, Livingston Area

When
January 28, 9:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
Livingston Area forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
45.488, -110.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Emergency travel was advised on the interstate.

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

More

Every storm in Montana in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, January 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: 74684, 112693, 112694, 112695, 112696, 112697, 112698, 112699.