An arctic front dropped south across the area early in the day with a Pacific disturbance overrunning moisture up and over the frontal boundary to bring a west to east band of snowfall across the area. 6 to 8 inches of snow in a narrow band fell from central Phillips east along Highway 2 to eastern Roosevelt county.
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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.
An arctic front dropped south across the area early in the day with a Pacific disturbance overrunning moisture up and over the frontal boundary to bring a west to east band of snowfall across the area. 6 to 8 inches of snow in a narrow band fell from central Phillips east along Highway 2 to eastern Roosevelt county. Strong easterly winds created significant impacts on east/west roadways. Severe driving conditions and automobile accidents occurred. Many school districts in Valley and Roosevelt counties dismissed students early with afternoon and evening events being cancelled.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Two inches of new snowfall with blowing and drifting. Visibility was a quarter of a mile for most of the day.
At 1735 MST spotter in Whitewater estimated 2 inches of new snow with blowing and drifting, reducing visibility to less than a quarter of a mile. At 1741 MST 10 miles northeast of Whitewater, 1 inch of new snow fell but with less than a quarter of a mile visibility.
Snow amounts of 6 to 10 inches were measured with this storm. Official NWS observation was 6.5 inches at the Glasgow Airport. There were also reports of drifting to about 30 inches deep.
Coop observer (KMMR Radio) estimated 6 inches of new snowfall at 1700 MST.
At Poplar, snow began at about 900 MST, with blowing and drifting occurring during the storm. Visibility remained above a quarter of mile.
Bainville through Brockton reported snowfall with visibilities of a quarter of a mile or less in heavy snow with blowing and drifting. Snowfall amounts were in the 2 to 4 inch range.
Spotter 14 miles south-southeast of Culbertson received a little over 6 inches of estimated new snowfall today along with 2 foot snow drifts.
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, December 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 267201, 267206, 267207, 267208, 267209, 276250, 267210.