Montana, 2010

Winter Storm in Montana, November 22 to 23, 2010

November 22 to 23, 2010 · NWS TFX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A broad plume of Pacific moisture overran an arctic airmass in place over North-Central Montana. Sigificant snow fall resulted with amounts up to 18 inches being reported.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 TFX wrote it up.

A broad plume of Pacific moisture overran an arctic airmass in place over North-Central Montana. Sigificant snow fall resulted with amounts up to 18 inches being reported.

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 Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 22, 5:38 AM MST, 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 22, 5:38 AM MST, 22 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 22, 4:32 AM MST, 1 hour 28 minutes before
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Event by event

5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Beaverhead

When
November 22, 6:00 AM MST to November 23, 11:54 PM MST
Where
Beaverhead forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways

Wind gusts of 40 to 52 mph were reported for over 4 hours at Monida. Interstate 15 southbound was closed due to falling snow and poor visibilities.

Winter Storm, Madison

When
November 22, 6:00 AM MST to November 23, 11:54 PM MST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways

Wind gusts between 40 and 50 mph over 3 hours were reported at Cameron 34SSE. A peak wind gust of 65 mph wes reported. Falling snow resulted in near whiteout conditions.

Winter Storm, Jefferson

When
November 22, 6:00 AM MST to November 23, 11:54 PM MST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Nine inches of snow fell at Whitehall 2W.

Winter Storm, Judith Basin

When
November 22, 6:00 AM MST to November 23, 11:54 PM MST
Where
Judith Basin forecast zone
Reported by
Public

Eighteen inches of snow fell at Buffalo 15WSW.

Winter Storm, Gallatin

When
November 22, 6:00 AM MST to November 23, 11:54 PM MST
Where
Gallatin forecast zone
Reported by
Park/Forest Service

Eight inches of snow fell at West Yellowstone.

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Montana in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, November 2010

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 264781, 264788, 264789, 264790, 264791.