A winter storm dropped southeast across northeast Montana early on the 22nd to bring blizzard conditions to part of the area. The deep snow contributed to impressive snow drifts that blocked roadways and stranded motorists.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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 winter storm dropped southeast across northeast Montana early on the 22nd to bring blizzard conditions to part of the area. The deep snow contributed to impressive snow drifts that blocked roadways and stranded motorists.
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 Jan 21, 9:44 PM MST, 2 hours 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 944 PM MST FRI JAN 21 2011 .SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY... UPDATED THE FORECAST TO ADD LARGER AREA OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN ZONES THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. RAIN WAS ALREADY FALLING ACROSS THE WESTERN GARFIELD AND PETROLEUM COUNTIES. IN THIS AREA THE SURFACE TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE MID 30S AND SHOULD REMAIN THAT WAY UNTIL THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. THEREFORE THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD REMAIN AS ALL RAIN WITH THE OCCASIONAL SNOWFLAKE MIXED IN. AS YOU GET INTO CENTRAL AND EASTERN GARFIELD THE TEMPERATURES DROP TO BELOW FREEZING AND THIS AREA ALONG WITH WESTERN MCCONE AND PRAIRIE COUNTIES ARE LIKELY TO PICK A COATING OF ICE. ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL REMAIN BELOW QUARTER OF AN INCH BUT WILL THE LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WILL MAKE ROADWAYS LIKE HWY 200 BETWEEN JORDAN AND CIRCLE AND HWY 22 BETWEEN JORDAN AND MILES CITY ICY. WENT AHEAD AND CHANGED THE WORDING IN THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY AND STARTED GARFIELD COUNTY A LITTLE SOONER DUE TO THE ONSET OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN. RSMITH PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...NORTHEAST MONTANA STILL IN THE CROSS HAIRS OF A WINTER STORM OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HOWEVER THE NORTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST CORNERS LOOK TO RECEIVE THE LEAST AMOUNTS. GOING ADVISORY CONTINUES TO LOOK GOOD. WATER VAPOR SHOWING IMPRESSIVE SHORTWAVE MOVING INTO CANADIAN ROCKIES/NORTHERN ROCKIES. MODELS ARE FINE TUNING THEIR SOLUTIONS AND ARE FOCUSING THE BEST SNOW TO OCCUR FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE CWA. SOME WINDS WILL OCCUR WITH THE SNOW SO DRIFTING WILL BE A PROBLEM...BUT SHOULDN/T BE STRONG ENOUGH FOR SIGNIFICANT BLOWING. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD FROM WEST TO EAST TONIGHT BUT TEMPERATURES ARE NOT GOING TO BE COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW IN THE SW ZONES. A RIBBON OF FREEZING RAIN MAY BE A PROBLEM FROM SOUTHERN PHILLIPS COUNTY INTO GARFIELD COUNTY. THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW IS EXPECTED TO TRACK SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE SW ZONES TONIGHT. COLD AIR WILL CHANGE THE PRECIP TO SNOW IN THE SW ZONES SOMETIME AROUND MIDNIGHT. BEST ACCUMULATIONS LOOK TO BE LATE TONIGHT AND ABOUT 3 INCHES. ON SATURDAY...THE SNOW WILL FALL IN EARNEST ACROSS MOST OF THE CWA AND WIND DOWN DURING THE AFTERNOON. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL BE WAITING IN THE WINGS UP IN NW CANADA...NOT ALLOWING AN ARCTIC AIRMASS TO BRING A BUNCH OF WIND. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO TRACK SOUTHEAST WITH THE SURFACE LOW PASSING BY TO OUR EAST. THIS WILL KEEP TEMPS ABOVE NORMAL INTO SUNDAY. HOWEVER AN UPPER DISTURBANCE LOOKS TO TRIGGER POSSIBLY SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA. JAMBA .LONG TERM...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY... LONGWAVE UPPER RIDGE ALONG PACIFIC COAST TENDS TO STRENGTHEN AND PUSH INLAND. THIS BRINGS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR WARMER TEMPS AND LESSENED SHORTWAVE ACTIVITY. THE MAIN SHORTWAVES MOVING ACROSS OUR AREA FROM THE NW ARE SUN NIGHT AND TUE. NEITHER ARE VERY STRONG...QUITE A BIT WEAKER THAN PREVIOUS SYSTEMS...AND A FEW MODELS HAVE SHOWN THE TUE SHORTWAVE TO BE VERY WEAK...SO WILL KEEP POPS IN SLIGHT CHANCE CATEGORY. LATEST GFS HAD ANOTHER SHORTWAVE WED...BUT MOST OTHER MODELS AND PREVIOUS GFS RUNS AS WELL AS GFS ENSEMBLES ARE VERY WEAK WITH THIS. THICKNESSES REACH THE 540S DM AT TIMES...INDICATING THE POTENTIAL WARMTH OF THE AIRMASS. MODELS VARY QUITE A BIT ON THIS THOUGH AS WELL AS SURFACE FEATURES...SO WILL JUST GO FOR A GENERALIZED PATTERN OF WARMER TEMPS WHERE HIGHS IN THE 30S WILL BE COMMON TUE THRU THU. THE UPPER HIGH SHARPENS AND RETREATS W AT THE END OF THE PERIOD. THIS PUTS NE MT INTO A STRONG NNW FLOW ALOFT WHICH DRIVES AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT THRU THE AREA BY FRI. MODELS TRENDING QUICKER WITH THIS WHICH IS TYPICAL IN THIS PATTERN. MODELS LOOK DRY WITH THE FRONT...MOST MOISTURE HANGING FARTHER N...SO 10 PCT POPS ADEQUATE. SIMONSEN PREVIOUS LONG TERM....SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...MODELS TRENDING TOWARD A MORE AMPLIFIED PATTERN FOR NEXT WEEK WITH RIDGE PUSHING INTO THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST FOR WARMER AND DRIER WEATHER FOR EASTERN MONTANA THROUGH MUCH OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD. FORECAST OPENS SUNDAY NIGHT WITH SHORTWAVE DROPPING THROUGH EASTERN MONTANA WITH POSSIBILITIES OF SNOW. A SECOND WEAK SHORTWAVE MOVES THROUGH SOMETIME ON TUESDAY...ALTHOUGH MODELS DIFFERING ON TIMING OF THIS WAVE...LESSENING CONFIDENCE IN SNOW POTENTIAL. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK POSITION OF RIDGE SHIFTS TRACK OF SHORTWAVES EAST OF MONTANA FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED WARMER AND DRIER PATTERN. MODELS SUGGESTING ANOTHER ARCTIC/CLIPPER AT THE END OF THE WEEK FOR A RETURN TO COLDER AND SNOWIER WEATHER BUT HAVE YET TO SETTLE ON WHEN THIS WILL OCCUR...ALTHOUGH CONSENSUS IS BY FRIDAY NIGHT BUT MAY BE SOONER. EBERT && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE TONIGHT WITH SNOWFALL APPROACHING FROM THE WEST. BY MIDNIGHT...CONDITIONS WILL BE WIDESPREAD IFR IN MODERATE SNOW AND AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW WILL BE SPREADING E ACROSS NE MT...REACHING ALL NORTHEAST MONTANA TAF SITES...GGW...OLF... SDY...AND GDV...BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 6 AM LOCAL TIME SATURDAY. CEILINGS WILL LOWER TO 5 HUNDRED FT AGL...AND VISIBILITY WILL BE BELOW 1 MILE ALONG WITH 10 TO 20 KT E-NE WIND. THE SNOW WILL END FROM W TO E FROM AROUND NOON UNTIL 6 PM WITH VFR CONDITIONS RETURNING. SIMONSEN/BMICKELSON && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST SATURDAY FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY...DANIELS...SHERIDAN...WESTERN ROOSEVELT... MCCONE...RICHLAND...DAWSON...PRAIRIE...WIBAUX...NORTHERN VALLEY...EASTERN ROOSEVELT. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM MST SATURDAY FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS...PETROLEUM...NORTHERN PHILLIPS...SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST SATURDAY FOR GARFIELD. && WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 333 PM MST FRI JAN 21 2011 MTZ016-021-059-060-221200- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-PETROLEUM-NORTHERN PHILLIPS- SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS- 333 PM MST FRI JAN 21 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY EXISTS FROM 5PM TODAY THROUGH 11AM SATURDAY FOR 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW. SOME ICY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PETROLEUM COUNTY AS FREEZING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SATURDAY. ANY SLUSH ON AREA ROADWAYS COULD FREEZE AND MAKE DRIVING CONDITIONS TREACHEROUS. OTHERWISE...DRIFTING AND SOME BLOWING SNOW WITH LIMITED VISIBILITIES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE... ESPECIALLY AFTER 6AM SATURDAY WHEN WINDS ARE ANTICIPATED TO PICK UP OUT OF THE NORTHWEST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY EXISTS THROUGH 11AM SATURDAY FOR A STORM TOTAL 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW. DRIFTING AND SOME BLOWING SNOW WITH LIMITED VISIBILITIES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE... ESPECIALLY AFTER 6AM SATURDAY WHEN WINDS ARE ANTICIPATED TO PICK UP. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ017>020-022>027-061-062-221200- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY-DANIELS-SHERIDAN-WESTERN ROOSEVELT- GARFIELD-MCCONE-RICHLAND-DAWSON-PRAIRIE-WIBAUX-NORTHERN VALLEY- EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 333 PM MST FRI JAN 21 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY EXIST FROM 11PM TONIGHT THROUGH 5PM SATURDAY FOR 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH LIMITED VISIBILITIES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE... ESPECIALLY AFTER 6AM SATURDAY WHEN WINDS ARE ANTICIPATED TO PICK UP OUT OF THE NORTHWEST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY CONTINUES THROUGH 5PM SATURDAY FOR 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH LIMITED VISIBILITIES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE... ESPECIALLY AFTER 6AM SATURDAY WHEN WINDS ARE ANTICIPATED TO PICK UP. .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.
4 blizzard, 3 winter storm, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Malta South DOT sensor reported winds of 30 to 45 mph for at least 3 consecutive hours between midnight and 0700 MST. At 0718 MST, the event started with freezing rain followed by 2 inches of new snowfall causing a semi-tractor trailer to tip sideways.
At 0600 MST Glasgow ASOS reported visibilities of a quarter of a mile for several hours along with gusts of 35 mph. At 0900 MST NWS Glasgow reported 3.4 inches of new snow. Drifts were yards deep across the area due to the vast amounts of loose snow. This caused numerous vehicles to become stuck in the area. At 1320 4 miles southwest of Hinsdale 7.5 inches of new snow fell with 2 to 3 foot drifts.
At 0700 MST, spotter 20 miles south of Brockton reported 4 new inches of snowfall with large drifts. At 0835 MST, spotter 15 miles southeast of Culbertson reported poor visibilities with 20 to 30 mph winds since 0330 MST. At 1530, spotter 1 mile southeast of Crane reported 7 inches of new snow with 1/4 to 1/2 mile visibility and snow drifts up to 2 feet deep. At 1700 MST, Sidney reported 4 inches of new snow.
At 0548 MST, Jordan ASOS reported several hours with winds gusting over 35 mph. At 0718 MST, Garfield county dispatch reported blizzard conditions with low visibilities and drifting snow. At 1035 MST, public in Cohagen reported blizzard conditions with visibilities less than a quarter of a mile in blowing and drifting snow.
At 0700 MST, 2 miles west-southwest of Glendive spotter measured 4.5 miles of new snow, still falling moderately. At 0725 MST, county dispatch reported blizzard conditions with plows not having the ability to keep the roads clear. At 0835 MST in Glendive, 5 1/2 inches of new snow fell so far with blowing and drifting snow. At 1000 MST, Lindsay Divide DOT reported sustained winds at 30 mph with gusts frequently over 35 mph. At 1300 MST, Cooperative weather observer measured 5.5 inches of new snow.
County dispatch reported significant drifting and vehicles getting stuck across the county. At 1325 MST, spotter in Circle reported 4 inches of new snow with 3 to 4 foot drifts. Blizzard conditions occurred this morning. At 1350 MST, 3 miles west of Brockway, spotter reported 7 inches of new snowfall with 3 to 4 foot drifts.
At 0805 MST, 1 mile southeast of Wibaux quarter of a mile visibility at times with drifting snow to 3 feet. At 0940 MST, 13 miles northwest of Carlyle, 5 inches of new snowfall with 27 inch drifts with visibility down to a half mile. From 0400 to 1100 MST, Beaver Hill DOT had winds sustained over 30 mph with frequent gusts over 35 mph.
Port of Morgan and Trained Spotter observed 5 to 6 inches of new snow with this system.
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, January 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: 270028, 270044, 270050, 270048, 270070, 270049, 270071, 270027.