A storm system brought a wet heavy snow to areas near the Canadian border.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
A storm system brought a wet heavy snow to areas near the Canadian border.
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 2, 7:38 PM MST, 4 hours 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 838 PM MDT SAT APR 2 2011 .SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY... UPDATE 9PM...NO UPDATE NEEDED AT THIS TIME. 00Z SOUNDING SHOWS RAIN AT KGGW...HOWEVER HERE AT 830PM IT/S LIGHTLY FLURRYING OUT THE FRONT DOOR THEREFORE THE COOLER AIR ALOFT IS MOVING IN. WATER VAPOR IMAGE SHOWS THE SHORTWAVE IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE STATE MOVING EAST. SATELLITE BRANCH HIGHLIGHTED OUR NORTHERN COUNTIES FOR HEAVY SNOW OVERNIGHT...AND SPOTTER REPORTS FROM THE BORDER ZONES CONFIRM SNOW AND POOR VISIBILITY WITH STRONG WINDS. WILL KEEP ADVISORIES AS IS...DO NOT FEEL THAT SOUTH OF THE BORDER ZONES WILL SEE 2 INCHES OF SNOW...HOWEVER WILL NOT TAKE IT DOWN UNTIL WE SEE WHAT THE SHORTWAVE IS GOING TO DO AS IT ENTERS THE REGION. NO CHANGES TO THE FORECAST OTHER THAN REFRESHING THE ZERO THROUGH 3 HOUR GRIDS FOR CURRENT CONDITIONS. PROTON UPDATE 6PM...ADDED CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION TYPES TO THE FORECAST THIS EVENING WITH THE RADAR SHOWING A CONVECTIVE PRECIP PATTERN. DID ADD THUNDER IN THE SOUTHEASTERN ZONES. KEPT CURRENT HAZARDOUS GOING FOR NOW...WILL GIVE IT A HARD LOOK FOR THE 9PM UPDATE. PROTON PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...MODELS CONTINUE TO SHIFT THIS STORM NORTHWARD. 700 MB LOW POSITIONED TO MOVE EAST ACROSS S SASK TONIGHT SO SHOWERY PRECIP IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE CWA TO MOVE IN FROM THE WEST WHILE ISENTROPIC PRECIP TAKES PLACE NORTH OF THE 700 MB LOW...OR IN SASK. CURRENT RADARS SHOWING SHOWERS MOVING INTO PHILLIPS COUNTY AND ARE DEVELOPING FURTHER SW. BUT DRY AIR OVER SW MT IS BEHIND THIS. THIS DRY SLOT LOOKS TO MOVE IN TONIGHT AHEAD OF THE WRAP-AROUND SNOW THAT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE IN LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. NEITHER MODEL SEEMS TO HAVE A PERFECT HANDLE ON THE SITUATION BUT THE GFS SEEMS TO BE CAPTURING ONTO THE TIMING WHILE THE NAM SEEMS TO HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON THE MOISTURE. GOING FORECAST SO FAR LOOKS GOOD BUT THE SAID DRY SLOT WILL PROBABLY GET INTO THE SW ZONES. TRIMMED POPS THERE ACCORDINGLY TO CHANCE. REST OF FORECAST LOOKED GOOD. JAMBA PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE CONTINUES TO BE STORM SYSTEM SLIDING THROUGH EASTERN MONTANA THIS WEEKEND. MODELS CURRENTLY IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT...BRINGING SURFACE LOW ACROSS SOUTHERN MONTANA TODAY...THEN TRACKING 700MB LOW ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER THROUGH TONIGHT. TREND OVER THE PAST FEW MODEL RUNS HAS BEEN TO SHIFT THE STORM NORTHWARD WITH CURRENT MODELS CONTINUING THE TREND. THUS WARMER AND DRIER AIR WILL PUSH INTO NORTHEAST MONTANA TODAY AS THE WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTHWARD. HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION WILL BE ALONG AND NORTH OF THE TRACK OF THE 700MB LOW...OR IN THE ZONES BORDERING CANADA AND NORTHWARD INTO SASKATCHEWAN. WAA WILL BE LESS IN THIS REGION WHICH WILL RESULT IN 4 TO 8 INCHES OF WET SNOW POSSIBLE THROUGH SUNDAY. FURTHER SOUTH SNOW AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS DUE TO BOTH LESS LIFT AND MOISTURE AND INITIALLY WARMER AIRMASS. AS THE LOW MOVES EAST TONIGHT...COLD AIR ADVECTION AND TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL BRING INCREASING NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS TO THE REGION. THESE WINDS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW OVER EASTERN MONTANA... ALTHOUGH LIMITING FACTORS WILL BE HEAVY WET NATURE OF THE SNOW WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 20S TO MID 30S THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. A WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE CANADIAN BORDER ZONES WHERE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED AND IMPACTS FROM THE STRONG WINDS WILL BE GREATEST. THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION...EXCLUDING THE FAR SOUTHEAST...IS UNDER A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. SNOW WILL END FROM THE NORTHWEST DURING SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH WIND DIMINISH IN THE EVENING....AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS EASTERN MONTANA. WARMER AIR RETURNS ON MONDAY AS RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND DOWNSLOPE KICKS IN. EBERT .LONG TERM...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY... A COUPLE OF WEAK SHORT WAVES EMBEDDED IN THE STRONG WESTERLY ALOFT WILL INITIATE THE EXTENDED PERIOD WITH A PERIODS OF RAIN AND SNOW THROUGH MID WEEK. THEN A LONGER WAVE UPPER TROUGH DIGS INTO THE GREAT BASIN REGION LATE IN THE WEEK. THIS WILL BACK LOCAL FLOW ALOFT TO THE SOUTHWEST. HOWEVER THE COLD FRONT WILL ALREADY BE TO OUR SOUTH SO MOST OVERRUNNING MOISTURE WILL FALL TO OUR SOUTH. A STRONG SURFACE HIGH SHOULD KEEP OUT AREA OUT OF THE HEAVY AREAS OF PRECIPITATION INTO AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE GFS AND EC GENERAL FLOW ALOFT RUN TOGETHER UNTIL THE WEEKEND. BUT IN EITHER CASE NEMONT WILL REMAIN MOSTLY DRY. GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT TEMPERATURES WILL RUN CLOSE TO NORMAL WHICH SHOULD SUPPORT MOSTLY MIXED PRECIPITATION TYPES. MADE ONLY MINOR TWEAKS INHERITED FORECAST BASED ON LATEST GUIDANCE AND COORDINATION. SCT PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY... EXTENDED FORECASTS BEGINS WITH A TRANSITIONAL SPRING LIKE PATTERN AS A SERIES OF FAST MOVING TROUGHS AND RIDGES RAPIDLY CROSS MONTANA. BEST CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION EXIST WITH A COUPLED PAIR OF SHORTWAVES AND WEAK COLD FRONTS ON TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. 850 MB TEMPERATURES DURING THIS PERIOD ARE BOUNCING BETWEEN POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SINGLE DIGITS CELSIUS GIVING OFF THE IMPRESSION OF SURFACE TEMPERATURES NEAR NORMAL FOR THE TIME OF YEAR. FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT... IS CURRENTLY DIFFICULT TO DECIPHER. BEST GUESS FOR THIS PERIOD IS A SPLIT FLOW WHERE MONTANA WILL BE WEDGED IN THE INACTIVE AREA BETWEEN THE ENERGY OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST AND THE RIDGE IN CANADA. USUALLY THIS LEADS TO A STAGNANT AIR FLOW PATTERN WHERE FOG IS MORE LIKELY DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR AS EVENING MOISTURE FEEDS OFF OF THE MELTING SNOW AND BECOMES TRAPPED BENEATH THE MORNING INVERSION LAYER. GAH && .AVIATION... A STRONG WINTER TYPE STORM MOVING ACROSS THE DIVIDE AND OUT OVER THE PRAIRIE WILL BRING RAIN INITIALLY THAT WILL TRANSITION TO SNOW LATER TONIGHT. A LEE SIDE CLOSED LOW WILL MOVE INTO THE DAKOTAS THIS EVENING WHICH WILL STRENGTHEN THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT TO CREATE STRONG GUSTY WINDS. CEILINGS WILL LOWER TO MVFR/IFR WITH RAIN TURNING TO SNOW THIS EVENING. EASTERLY WINDS WILL BACK AROUND TO A NORTHERLY/NORTHWESTERLY DIRECTION LATE TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY. WIND STRENGTH WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 35 KTS. STRONG WINDS WILL PRODUCE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW WHICH WILL FURTHER DIMINISH VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN IFR AT TIMES. SCT/SIMONSEN && .HYDROLOGY... SNOWMELT RUNOFF WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY AS TEMPERATURES RISE INTO THE 40S. TEMPERATURES WILL COOL TO NEAR FREEZING ON SUNDAY AFTER A COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH BUT THEN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RETURN TO ABOVE FREEZING BY TUESDAY NEXT WEEK. STREAMS IN THE HEAVY SNOW PACK AREA WILL BE ON THE RISE INTO THE WEEKEND AND SOME FLOODING IS LIKELY ACROSS THE REGION. A SPRING STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING SOME POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION TO NORTHEAST MONTANA IN THE FORM OF RAIN OR SNOW SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...AND ADD TO THE FLOOD CONCERNS. THOSE WHO LIVE OR HAVE LIVESTOCK ALONG THE RIVERS ACROSS THE HI-LINE SHOULD CONTINUE TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FLOODING FOR SOME TIME YET. BEAVER CREEK AND LARB CREEK HAVE SLOWED DOWN ON RUNOFF AND FLOODING HAS SLOWED GREATLY WITH THE COLD WEATHER OVER THE PAST WEEKEND. BEAVER CREEK DOES CONTINUE TO BE OUT OF ITS BANKS ABOUT 15 TO 30 MILES SOUTH OF THE SACO AREA WITH SOME WATER RUNNING ACROSS ROADS. THE WARM UP THROUGH TODAY AND AGAIN EARLY NEXT WEEK WILL BRING CREEK LEVELS UP FOR MORE POSSIBLE FLOODING FOR THE REGION. WATER LEVEL RISES ARE OCCURRING ALONG THE THE POPLAR AND BIG MUDDY RIVERS. ICE JAMS MAY CAUSE BRIEF FLOODING CONCERNS. && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MDT SUNDAY FOR DANIELS... SHERIDAN...NORTHERN VALLEY. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM MDT SUNDAY 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 304 PM MDT SAT APR 2 2011 MTZ018-019-061-031100- DANIELS-SHERIDAN-NORTHERN VALLEY- 304 PM MDT SAT APR 2 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A SPRING STORM MOVING THROUGH THE AREA HAS BROUGHT A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW THAT WILL TRANSITION TO ACCUMULATING SNOW TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY. 4 TO 8 INCHES OF HEAVY WET SNOW ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AS THE STORM MOVES TO THE EAST ON SUNDAY...WINDS WILL INCREASE FROM THE NORTH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH. SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS DUE TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ARE EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. AS TEMPERATURES WARM BEHIND THE WEEKEND STORM...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 NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ016-017-020-023-024-059-060-062-031100- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY- WESTERN ROOSEVELT-MCCONE-RICHLAND-NORTHERN PHILLIPS- SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS-EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 304 PM MDT SAT APR 2 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WATER LEVELS WILL CONTINUE TO RUN HIGH ON THE BEAVER CREEK IN EASTERN PHILLIPS AND WESTERN VALLEY COUNTY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED. A SPRING STORM MOVING THROUGH THE AREA HAS BROUGHT RAIN SHOWERS THAT WILL TRANSITION TO ACCUMULATING SNOW LATER TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. 1 TO 3 INCHES OF HEAVY WET SNOW ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AS THE STORM MOVES TO THE EAST ON SUNDAY...WINDS WILL INCREASE FROM THE NORTH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH POSSIBLE. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IS EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. AS TEMPERATURES WARM BEHIND THE WEEKEND STORM...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 NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ021-022-025>027-031100- PETROLEUM-GARFIELD-DAWSON-PRAIRIE-WIBAUX- 304 PM MDT SAT APR 2 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A STORM SYSTEM EXITING THE AREA WILL BRING COLDER AIR AND AN INCREASE IN WIND FOR SUNDAY. LIGHT SNOW WILL FALL ACROSS THE AREA BUT ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN 2 INCHES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
About 5 inches of wet heavy snow fell that was accompanied by strong winds.
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: 288706.