A strong Pacific spring storm brought winter weather to a large portion of North Central Montana. Snow amounts ranged from 6 inches to several feet of new snow in the mountains.
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 TFX wrote it up.
A strong Pacific spring storm brought winter weather to a large portion of North Central Montana. Snow amounts ranged from 6 inches to several feet of new snow in the mountains.
14 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Twelve inches of snow fell at West Yellowstone 6S (the Madison Plateau SNOTEL site - elevation 7759 feet). Twelve inches fell at West Yellowstone 11S (the Black Bear SNOTEL site - elevation 7949 feet). Sixteen inches fell at Bozeman 14NE (the Sacajawea SNOTEL site - elevation 6550 feet).
Twenty-two inches of snow fell at Babb 19W (the Flattop Mountain SNOTEL site - elevation 6299 feet). Also, ten inches of snow fell at Dupuyer 25W (the Badger Pass SNOTEL site - elevation 6900 feet) and 6 inches of snow fell at Beowning.
Twelve inches of snow fell at Bynum 24W (the Waldron Creek SNOTEL site - elevation 5600 feet).
Eight inches of snow fell at Cut Bank 25NW.
Eight inches of snow fell at Rocky Boy 8SE (the Rocky Boy SNOTEL site). Also, ten inches of snow fell at Rocky Boy 7SE.
Ten inches of snow fell at Belt 6SSW. In addition to the snow, visibilities were reduced to less than one-quarter mile at times due to blowing snow. Twenty-nine inches of snow fell at Neihart 6WSW (the Onion Park SNOTEL site - elevation 7411 feet), fifteen inches fell at Neihart 7NW, twelve inches fell at Cascade 20SSE, and eight inches fell at the NWS office in Great Falls.
Ten inches of snow fell at Big Sandy 22ESE.
Power lines reported down all over the county. Road closures include U.S. Highway 89 and all secondary roads restricted to emergency travel only.
Six inches of snow fell at Choteau. Additionally, visibilities were reduced to one-quarter mile or less at times due to blowing snow. Roads were reported snow packed and icy. Seventeen inches of snow fell at Bynum 24W (the Mount Lockhart SNOTEL site - elevation 6400 feet).
Ten inches of snow fell at Raynesford 2E. Six inches fell at Stanford.
Twelve inches of snow fell at Moore 15SE (the Crystal Lake SNOTEL site - elevation 6050 feet).
Eight inches of snow fell at Basin.
Twenty-three inches of snow fell at Neihart 8W (the Stringer Creek SNOTEL site - elevation 6549 feet). Twenty-one inches fell at White Sulphur Springs 22NE (the Deadman Creek SNOTEL site - elevation 6480 feet). Sixteen inches fell at Stanford 32SW. Several feet of snow was estimated to have fallen at Millegan 14SE. Visibilities were reported to be near zero at times due to the strong winds. Snow drifts of 4 to 5 feet were reported around buildings.
Sixteen inches of snow fell at Wolf Creek 7NW.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, April 2010
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: 220196, 220179, 220186, 220180, 220181, 220182, 220183, 220185, 220187, 220188, 220193, 220194, 220195, 220184.