Strong winds and heavy snow produced blizzard conditions over Beaverhead, Gallatin, and Madison counties. Wind gusts to 65 mph, snow amounts up to 18 inches, and very poor visibilities were reported.
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.
Strong winds and heavy snow produced blizzard conditions over Beaverhead, Gallatin, and Madison counties. Wind gusts to 65 mph, snow amounts up to 18 inches, and very poor visibilities were reported.
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 23, 5:11 AM MST, 1 hour 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 511 AM MST TUE NOV 23 2010 .DISCUSSION... TODAY THROUGH THANKSGIVING EVENING...ALL WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT WITH NO CHANGES AT THIS TIME. THE DEEP ARCTIC UPPER LEVEL TROUGH...CURRENTLY CENTERED FROM SRN ALBERTA TO NORTHERN CALIF...WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE ITS WAY ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN ROCKIES TODAY. LATEST WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS BROAD PLUME OF MOISTURE MOVING THROUGH IDAHO/MONTANA THIS MORNING. GIVEN THE MOISTURE FIELD POSITION AND PROGRESSION... BEST CHANCE FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS THE GREAT FALLS FORECAST AREA WILL BE THIS MORNING THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON. LIGHT SNOW WILL LINGER OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MT THIS EVENING AND THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR A FEW BRIEF PERIODS OF MODERATE SNOW AS RESIDUAL MOISTURE ALONG THE TROF AXIS SWINGS EAST OF THE DIVIDE TONIGHT. THE WEATHER SYSTEM FINALLY MOVES WELL DOWNSTREAM BY EARLY AFTERNOON ON WED...WITH GRADUALLY DECREASING CLOUDINESS AS A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE BUILDS IN FROM THE WEST. WITH THE RIDGE OVERHEAD AND DRIFTING SLOWLY EASTWARD...MOSTLY SUNNY AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ON THANKSGIVING DAY. AS FOR TEMPERATURES...THE COLDEST PART OF THE ARCTIC AIRMASS IS DUE TO ARRIVE THIS EVENING WITH PASSAGE OF THE TROF AXIS AND PLUNGE SOUTHWARD TO THE ID/MT BORDER. THUS ALL LOCATIONS SHOULD BE WELL BELOW ZERO TOMORROW MORNING WITH A WIDE AREA OF -15 TO -25 DEGREE TEMPS OVER THE CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL PLAINS. COLD NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL KEEP HIGHS ON WED ONLY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE/BELOW ZERO BUT WITH MORE SUNSHINE ON THURS TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO CLIMB BACK INTO THE TEENS. WARANAUSKAS THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...WEAK UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE SHIFTS EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA THURSDAY NIGHT WITH NORTHWEST FLOW SHIFTING TO WESTERLY ON FRIDAY. MODELS ARE IN SLIGHTLY BETTER AGREEMENT...HOWEVER THERE ARE CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCES WITH TEMPERATURES AND SHORTWAVE AMPLITUDE. GFS REMAINS THE COOLER AND WETTER SOLUTION AND GIVEN THE RECENT TREND AM LEANING TOWARDS THIS SOLUTION. ON FRIDAY...PRECIPITATION IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND THEN WILL SPREAD INTO SOUTHWEST MONTANA FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...HOWEVER SNOWFALL AMOUNTS AT THIS TIME SHOULD BE LIGHT. A STRONGER SHORTWAVE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER THE GREAT BASIN ON SUNDAY WITH PACIFIC MOISTURE AND PRECIPITATION SPREADING ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA ON SUNDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL TREND CLOSER TO SEASONAL AVERAGES BY THIS WEEKEND. MLS && .AVIATION... UPDATED 1200Z. PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD AS A MOIST UPPER-LEVEL STORM SYSTEM MOVES OVER THE AREA. IFR CONDITIONS AND OCCASIONAL LIFR CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON BEFORE TAPERING THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. THE EXCEPTION IS KLWT AND KCTB WHERE SNOW IS TRENDING LIGHTER. WINDS WILL ALSO INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON CAUSING AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. MLS && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF -4 -20 3 -9 / 90 40 0 0 CTB -9 -22 5 -7 / 80 10 0 0 HLN 1 -16 4 -13 / 90 50 10 0 BZN 12 -13 3 -18 / 100 80 20 20 WEY 20 -14 2 -21 / 100 100 50 20 DLN 18 -14 3 -16 / 100 40 10 0 HVR 1 -20 1 -16 / 90 60 10 0 LWT -1 -15 3 -14 / 90 90 20 10 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT BLAINE... CASCADE...CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK...CHOUTEAU... EASTERN GLACIER...EASTERN PONDERA...EASTERN TETON...HILL... LIBERTY...NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...TOOLE. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT BEAVERHEAD... BROADWATER...FERGUS...GALLATIN...JEFFERSON...JUDITH BASIN... MADISON...MEAGHER. WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL NOON MST WEDNESDAY BEAVERHEAD... BLAINE...BROADWATER...CASCADE...CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK...CHOUTEAU...EASTERN GLACIER...EASTERN PONDERA...EASTERN TETON...FERGUS...GALLATIN...HILL...JEFFERSON...JUDITH BASIN... LIBERTY...MADISON...MEAGHER...NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT... SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...TOOLE. && SHORT TERM...WARANAUSKAS LONG TERM...MLS AVIATION...MLS WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 358 AM MST TUE NOV 23 2010 MTZ009>014-044>049-241100- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN GLACIER-HILL-CASCADE- CHOUTEAU-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-TOOLE-LIBERTY- EASTERN PONDERA-BLAINE-SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- EASTERN TETON- 358 AM MST TUE NOV 23 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA...NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT....3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED THROUGH THIS EVENING. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON ON WEDNESDAY. VERY COLD TEMPERATURES AND LOCALLY BREEZY WINDS WILL CREATE WIND CHILLS OF 20 TO 40 BELOW ZERO THIS MORNING AND AGAIN LATER TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM WILL SLOWLY MOVE THROUGH THE REGION ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...BRINGING PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND WEATHER RELATED IMPACTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN GREAT FALLS. MTZ008-015-050>055-241100- BEAVERHEAD-MADISON-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS-JEFFERSON-BROADWATER- MEAGHER-GALLATIN- 358 AM MST TUE NOV 23 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT....4 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED FOR LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH 10 TO 20 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON ON WEDNESDAY. VERY COLD TEMPERATURES AND LOCALLY BREEZY WINDS WILL CREATE WIND CHILLS OF 20 TO 40 BELOW ZERO THIS MORNING AND AGAIN LATER TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM WILL SLOWLY MOVE THROUGH THE REGION ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...BRINGING PERIODS OF LIGHT TO OCCASIONALLY MODERATE SNOW THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND WEATHER RELATED IMPACTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN GREAT FALLS.
3 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gusts from 40 to 50 mph were reported along with heavy snow at Monida. Visibilities were poor and Interstate 15 southbound was closed.
Wind gusts between 40 and 50 mph with a peak gust to 65 mph was reported at Cameron 34SSE. Along with the strong winds, heavy snow created near whiteout conditions.
Wind gusts between 30 and 45 mph were reported at West Yellowstone. In addition to the strong winds, heavy snow and visibilities less than one-quarter mile were reported for several hours.
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, November 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: 264792, 264794, 264796.