Heavy Snow in Montana, March 19 to 21, 2008

Name: Heavy Snow in Montana, March 19 to 21, 2008
Start: 2008-03-19T21:00
End: 2008-03-21T17:00
Location: Montana

March 19 to 21, 2008 · NWS BYZ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A quick moving storm system brought heavy snow to the mountains in and around Cooke City. 5 inches 3NNW Cooke City(Fisher Creek Snotel).

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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Wind
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Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
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Marine and coastal
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Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

A quick moving storm system brought heavy snow to the mountains in and around Cooke City. The following snow amounts were received: 8 inches 2N Cooke City(White Mill Snotel), and 9.5 inches 3NNW Cooke City(Fisher Creek Snotel).

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 Mar 19, 7:44 PM MST, 1 hour 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 19, 7:44 PM MST, 1 hour 16 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

1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Absarokee / Beartooth Mountains

When: March 19, 9:00 PM MST to March 21, 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)

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, March 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 84218.