An ice jam helped swell the Big Muddy River during this period.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 GGW wrote it up.
An ice jam helped swell the Big Muddy River during this period.
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 Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 3, 8:28 AM MST, 4 hours 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 928 AM MDT SUN APR 3 2011 .SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY... THE CLOSED LOW CORE OF THE UPPER TROUGH IS CURRENTLY PASSING OVER THE AREA THIS MORNING WITH COLDER AIR SURGING SOUTH. TEMPERATURES UPSTREAM OF THE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ARE BELOW FREEZING. THE COLD FRONT HAS DRIFTED EAST WHILE OVERRUNNING MOISTURE CONTINUES TO FEED INTO THE AREA...BUT MAINLY OFF TO THE EAST. LESSOR AMOUNTS OF QPF ARE BEING CHANNELED SOUTH. EXCEPT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN ZONES WHERE THERE CONTINUES TO BE OVERRUNNING..MOST PRECIPITATION IS FROM THIS LOW LEVEL FLOW FROM THE NORTH. THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT REMAINS STRONG CREATING NORTHERLY WINDS OF 20-30 KTS. HOWEVER SINCE THE SNOW IS WET BLOWING SNOW IS NOT AN ISSUE EXCEPT ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER. SNOW AMOUNTS ARE HARD TO MEASURE SINCE IT IS BASICALLY MELTING ON THE MOST BARE SURFACES. THE SURFACE LOW WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST WHICH WILL DIMINISH WINDS LATER TODAY. FEW CHANGES NEEDED. WE HAVE HIGH POPS AND IT IS LIGHTLY SNOWING VIRTUALLY EVERYWHERE. HOWEVER SNOW AMOUNTS ARE NOT SUBSTANTIAL. THERE ARE SIGNS THAT PRECIPITATION IS TAPERING OFF FROM THE NORTHWEST AS A SURFACE NUDGES INTO FROM THE WEST. ADJUSTED WIND AND SKY COVER. TRIMMED POPS SLIGHTLY FROM THE NORTH...BUT KEPT THE HEADLINE PRODUCTS GOING. SCT PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... STORM SYSTEM CONTINUE TO IMPACT NORTHEAST MONTANA THIS MORNING. SURFACE LOW HAS MOVED INTO CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA WITH INVERTED TROF EXTENDING TO THE NORTHWEST. UPPER TROF MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL MONTANA PUSHING COLDER AIR INTO THE STORM. MOISTURE WRAPPING AROUND THE STORM...SLIDING OVER THE COLD AIR...PRODUCING A BAND OF SNOW EXTENDING ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA INTO SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN. THIS BAND IS SLOWLY DROPPING SOUTHWARD AND WILL CROSS THE CWA TODAY. ENERGY IN THE SYSTEM SEEMS TO BE SPLITTING WHICH SHOULD LIMIT THE PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS AND TEMPERATURES WITH THE SNOW BAND IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOW 30S...SO ONLY EXPECTING ONE TO TWO INCHES ADDITIONAL SNOW TODAY. HIGHEST AMOUNTS WILL BE ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER. WINDS ALREADY INCREASING AS GRADIENT TIGHTENS BETWEEN SOUTH DAKOTA LOW AND HIGH PRESSURE PUSHING INTO ALBERTA. SOME BLOWING OR DRIFTING SNOW IS POSSIBLE...ALTHOUGH WILL BE LIMITED BY LOW AMOUNTS OF WET SNOW EXPECTED. WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING BELOW FREEZING TODAY...MAIN TRAVEL CONCERN WILL LIKELY BE FROM ICY OR SLUSHY ROADS. WILL CONTINUE THE ADVISORY AND WARNING FOR THE WINTRY WEATHER THROUGH TODAY. SNOW WILL END FROM THE NORTHWEST DURING THE AFTERNOON WITH WIND DIMINISHING IN THE EVENING....AS THE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS EASTERN MONTANA. WARMER AIR RETURNS ON MONDAY AS RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND DOWNSLOPE KICKS IN. ANOTHER WEAK DISTURBANCE WILL PUSH ACROSS MONTANA ON TUESDAY WITH LIGHT OVERRUNNING PRECIPITATION...MOSTLY RAIN...POSSIBLE. EBERT .LONG TERM...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY... THE MAIN JETSTREAM SHIFTS TO OUR S AGAIN...AS THE ONLY WEATHER CONCERN DURING THE PERIOD IS AN UPPER LOW CENTER MOVING INLAND FAR TO OUR SOUTH. MODELS AGREE WITH THIS...BUT THEY ALL DO ALSO SHOW A SURFACE LOW DEVELOPING AND MOVING ACROSS E MT THU/THU NIGHT...IN THE MUCH WEAKER N BRANCH OF THE JET...SO RAISED POPS FOR THOSE 2 PERIODS. PREFER THE SLOWER MODELS IN THIS PATTERN...WHICH APPEARS THE MODEL TREND. THICKNESSES AND 850 MB TEMPS INDICATE THERE WILL BE BOTH RAIN AND SNOW POSSIBLE WITH THIS SYSTEM...GREATLY DEPENDENT ON THE TIME OF DAY...ELEVATION...AND LATITUDE. WHILE THE AIRMASS IS GENERALLY COLDER THAN NORMAL...TEMPS WILL BE WELL ABOVE FREEZING IN THE DAYTIME. SIMONSEN && .AVIATION... OVERCAST CEILINGS BELOW 1K FT AGL...AND VISIBILITIES 1 TO 3 MILES IN SNOW ARE MOVING SE ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING. SNOW TAPERING OFF WITH CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES RISING TO MVFR THIS AFTERNOON...THEN BECOMING VFR TONIGHT WITH CLEARING SKIES. SIMONSEN && .HYDROLOGY... A COLD FRONT PASSAGE TODAY WILL SLOW RUNOFF AS IT BRINGS COLDER TEMPERATURES TO THE REGION...BUT WARMER TEMPERATURES THIS WEEK SHOULD RESUME RUNOFF. FLOOD ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE BEAVER CREEK IN WESTERN VALLEY/EASTERN PHILLIPS COUNTIES AND ALONG THE BIG MUDDY RIVER IN SHERIDAN COUNTY. A HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK (GTFESFGGW OR FGUS75 KGGW) IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER PORTION OF THE MILK RIVER DOWNSTREAM FROM TAMPICO BASED ON EXPECTED RISES TO ABOVE FLOOD STAGE AT GLASGOW AND NASHUA. PLEASE SEE THESE PRODUCTS FOR MORE INFORMATION. JAMBA && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR DANIELS... SHERIDAN...NORTHERN VALLEY. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS...CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY...WESTERN ROOSEVELT...MCCONE...RICHLAND...NORTHERN PHILLIPS...SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS...EASTERN ROOSEVELT. && WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 444 AM MDT SUN APR 3 2011 MTZ018-019-061-041200- DANIELS-SHERIDAN-NORTHERN VALLEY- 444 AM MDT SUN APR 3 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SPRING STORM MOVING THROUGH THE AREA WILL BRING AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF WET SNOW TODAY. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IS ALSO EXPECTED WITH STRONG NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS AND A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR TODAY. WATER LEVELS HAVE COME UP ON THE BIG MUDDY RIVER DUE TO RECENT SNOW MELT AND MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURING SOUTH OF PLENTYWOOD. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AS TEMPERATURES WARM...SNOW MELT OF NEW SNOW AS WELL AS THE EXISTING SNOW PACK WILL SEND ADDITIONAL WATER INTO AREA STREAMS... CREEKS...AND RIVERS CONTINUING THE FLOOD THREAT THROUGH THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ016-017-020-023-024-059-060-062-041200- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY- WESTERN ROOSEVELT-MCCONE-RICHLAND-NORTHERN PHILLIPS- SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS-EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 444 AM MDT SUN APR 3 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SPRING STORM MOVING THROUGH THE AREA WILL BRING AROUND AN INCH OF WET SNOW TODAY. TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES ARE EXPECTED DUE TO ICY ROADS AND STRONG NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS PRODUCING BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR TODAY. WATER LEVELS CONTINUE TO RUN HIGH ON THE BEAVER CREEK IN EASTERN PHILLIPS AND WESTERN VALLEY COUNTY THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH EXTENSIVE FIELD FLOODING OCCURING WEST OF SACO. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AS TEMPERATURES WARM...SNOW MELT OF NEW SNOW AS WELL AS THE EXISTING SNOW PACK WILL SEND ADDITIONAL WATER INTO AREA STREAMS... CREEKS...AND RIVERS CONTINUING THE FLOOD THREAT THROUGH THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ021-022-025>027-041200- PETROLEUM-GARFIELD-DAWSON-PRAIRIE-WIBAUX- 444 AM MDT SUN APR 3 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SPRING STORM MOVING THROUGH THE AREA TODAY WILL BRING A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW WITH LESS THAN AN INCH OF ACCUMULATION EXPECTED. ICY ROADS ARE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. STRONG NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT
1013 AM MDT SUN APR 03 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0945 AM SNOW SSW OPHEIM 48.85N 106.41W
04/03/2011 E5.0 INCH VALLEY MT TRAINED SPOTTER
5 INCHES OF WET SNOW OVERNIGHT...STILL SNOWING LIGHTLY.
&&
MATTMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT
1240 PM MDT SUN APR 03 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1000 AM SNOW 1 SSE OUTLOOK 48.88N 104.77W
04/03/2011 E2.0 INCH SHERIDAN MT TRAINED SPOTTER
ESTIMATED 2 INCHES OF WET SNOW FOR TOTAL SNOWFALL...NEW
SNOW ALREADY MELTED.
1015 AM SNOW PORT OF MORGAN 49.00N 107.83W
04/03/2011 E2.0 INCH PHILLIPS MT CO-OP OBSERVER
ESTIMATED 2 INCHES TOTAL SNOWFALL OVERNIGHT...SNOW ENDED.
1030 AM HEAVY SNOW 18 NNE WHITEWATER 49.00N 107.47W
04/03/2011 M6.0 INCH PHILLIPS MT CO-OP OBSERVER
6 INCHES TOAL SNOWFALL WITH 0.52 MOISTURE...SNOW ENDED.
&&
MATTMThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
At 1312 MST on April 3rd, an ice jam on the Big Muddy backed water up onto the Rock Springs Road in Reserve while the river gauge near Antelope read 14 feet. On April 5th, flooding continued in Reserve and had expanded down into Medicine Lake.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, April 2011
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: 307693.