A strong and moist westerly flow aloft brought an extended period of heavy snow to the Beartooth and Absaroka Mountains during the first three days of the month.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 BYZ wrote it up.
A strong and moist westerly flow aloft brought an extended period of heavy snow to the Beartooth and Absaroka Mountains during the first three days of the month.
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 Dec 31, 9:33 PM MST, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Cooke City received 15 inches of snow, while Fisher Creek and Cole Creek Snotels received 17 inches and 7-12 inches respectively.
Red Lodge and Luther received 8-9 inches of snow while Burnt Mountain Snotel reported 11 inches.
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, January 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 144509, 144512.