Four to seven inches of heavy snow accumulated in portions of Wibaux County. Strong winds created drifts of four feet an higher throughout the county.
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.
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.
Four to seven inches of heavy snow accumulated in portions of Wibaux County. Strong winds created drifts of four feet an higher throughout the county.
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 25, 3:26 AM MST, 3 hours 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 326 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2009 .SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY... AS THE MAJOR WINTER STORM RAMPS UP OVER CENTRAL PLAINS...THE NORTHWESTERN PERIPHERY BACKS INTO THE EASTERN ZONES OF OUR CWA TODAY AND TONIGHT SPREADING LOW CLOUDS AND SNOW. WITH A SURFACE HIGH PARKED OVER SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN A SURFACE GRADIENT DEVELOPS NEAR THE NORTH DAKOTA BORDER PRODUCING STRONGER WINDS TODAY IN THE EAST. BOTH GFS AND NAM INTRODUCE INCREASING QPF MAINLY IN THE SOUTHEAST. THE STORM THEN MOVES EAST SATURDAY. BY SATURDAY NIGHT MOST SNOW WILL END AS THE SURFACE HIGH PUSHES SOUTH OVER THE CWA. 850MB TEMPERATURES BEGIN TO RISE WHICH WILL BEGIN A TREND TOWARDS MORE NORMAL TEMPERATURES BY SUNDAY. TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY...WITH THE MAIN STRENGTH OF THE WINTER STORM TO OUR EAST...THE CURRENT ANALYSIS SUPPORTS THE INHERITED WINTER WX ADVISORY BEGINNING AT 12Z TODAY. FAR WESTERN ZONES STILL UNDER HIGH PRESSURE KEEPING WINDS LIGHT AND SKIES MOSTLY CLEAR. THE LATEST GUIDANCE FOR EASTERN ZONES IS MUCH MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN 24 HOURS AGO. ADJUSTED POPS AND QPF WITH HIGHEST AMOUNTS IN THE SOUTHEAST. SNOW AMOUNTS APPROACH 8 IN 24 HOURS INCHES FOR WIBAUX COUNTY SO WILL UPGRADE ADVISORY TO WARNING. WITH CONTINUED COLD TEMPERATURES AND WINDS NEAR 10 MPH OR MORE WILL CONTINUE WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR REMAINING COUNTIES...EXCEPT FAR WEST...UNTIL 18Z. WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST IN THE SOUTHEAST AND EAST WITH ENOUGH STRENGTH TO PRODUCE BLOWING SNOW THROUGH SATURDAY. THE STORM BEGINS TO TAPER OFF LATE SATURDAY IN LINE WITH WHEN THE HEADLINES END. SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...THE REMAINDER OF THE SHORT TERM WILL BE DRY WITH SLOWLY INCREASING TEMPERATURES AS SKIES CLEAR AND 850MB TEMPERATURES INCREASE FROM THE WEST. SCT .LONG TERM...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY... UPPER RIDGE WILL BRING WARMER AIR ALOFT TO EASTERN MONTANA THROUGH MONDAY. HOWEVER...WITH SNOW COVER AND LIGHT WINDS...THE WARMER AIR WILL HAVE A TOUGH TIME REACHING THE SURFACE OVER MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. WHILE HIGHER ELEVATION AREAS LIKE ZORTMAN HAS A GOOD CHANCE OF SEEING 30 DEGREES ON MONDAY...MOST LOCATIONS WILL STRUGGLE TO GET OUT OF THE TEENS THANKS TO A LOW LEVEL INVERSION THAT WILL LINGER UNDERNEATH THE WARMER AIR. A WEAK SHORTWAVE AND COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA ON TUESDAY WITH LIMITED MOISTURE. WILL MAINTAIN A MAINLY DRY FORECAST FOR NOW. ALL OF THE MODELS BRING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA AT SOME POINT ON WEDNESDAY...THE ECMWF IS MUCH COLDER THAN THE GFS WITH THE AIRMASS BEHIND THE FRONT. GIVEN HOW EASY IT HAS BEEN FOR ARCTIC AIRMASSES TO MOVE INTO EASTERN MONTANA LATELY WILL TREND FORECAST TOWARDS COLDER ECMWF BUT NOT FORECAST THE DEEP FREEZE THAT THE MODEL HAS FOR NE MONTANA YET. WILL MENTION A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW WITH THIS FRONT. FOR NEW YEARS EVE...HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD BRING DRY WEATHER. MODELS DIFFER GOING INTO NEW YEARS DAY WITH THE ECMWF BRINGING THE FRONT BACK EAST AS A DRY WARM FRONT WHILE THE GFS SETS UP OVERRUNNING MOISTURE BUT KEEPS THE FRONT STATIONARY TO THE SOUTH. WILL MENTION A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW WHILE THE MODELS SORT THINGS OUT. FORRESTER && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT KGGW AND KOLF THRU THE WEEKEND. SOME BROKEN MID CLOUDS MAY INTERMITTENTLY MOVE THRU IN FLOW AROUND A MONSTER UPPER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AFFECTING MUCH OF THE MIDWEST AND PLAINS. KSDY AND KGDV WILL REMAIN JUST INSIDE THE EDGE OF THE CLOUDS AND LIGHT SNOW ROTATING AROUND THE AFOREMENTIONED SYSTEM...RESULTING IN PREVAILING MVFR CONDITIONS WITH SOME OCCASIONAL IFR CONDITIONS INTO OR THRU MUCH OF SATURDAY. A NORTHWEST WIND WILL PREVAIL AT ALL SITES THRU SATURDAY WITH SPEEDS AT KGGW AND KOLF GENERALLY AROUND 15 KT OR LESS. KSDY AND KGDV WILL BE UNDER A TIGHTER PRESSURE GRADIENT WITH RESULTANT SPEEDS OF GENERALLY 15 TO 25 KT WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS 30 KT. && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM MST THIS MORNING FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY-DANIELS-SHERIDAN-WESTERN ROOSEVELT-GARFIELD- MCCONE-NORTHERN VALLEY. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST SATURDAY FOR RICHLAND- DAWSON-PRAIRIE-EASTERN ROOSEVELT. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST SATURDAY FOR WIBAUX. && WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 331 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2009 MTZ017>020-022-023-061-261015- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY-DANIELS-SHERIDAN-WESTERN ROOSEVELT- GARFIELD-MCCONE-NORTHERN VALLEY- 331 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM. NORTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 15 MPH COMBINED WITH BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILLS OF 25 TO 35 BELOW ZERO THIS MORNING. WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED TO DROP TO AS LOW AS 35 BELOW TONIGHT AS WELL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ024>026-062-261015- RICHLAND-DAWSON-PRAIRIE-EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 331 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN 1 MILE DUE TO BLOWING SNOW. IN ADDITION STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS COMBINED WITH BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILLS OF 20 TO 30 BELOW ZERO AT TIMES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING AND DIMINISH SATURDAY AFTERNOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ027-261015- WIBAUX- 331 AM MST FRI DEC 25 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 8 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN 1/2 MILE DUE TO BLOWING SNOW. IN ADDITION STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS COMBINED WITH BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILLS OF 20 TO 30 BELOW ZERO AT TIMES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY SATURDAY AND DIMINISH BY EVENING. .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.
1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Spotters reported drifts 4 to 7 feet around Wibaux. A spotter near Carlyle reported 7 inches of snowfall with drifts 3 to 4 feet.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, December 2009
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: 203101.