Areal flooding in the area and on the Yellowstone River into Richland County due mainly to ice jams.
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.
Areal flooding in the area and on the Yellowstone River into Richland County due mainly to ice jams.
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 Mar 16, 8:36 AM MST, 3 hours 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 936 AM MDT WED MAR 16 2011 .SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY... MORNING UPDATE... A PACIFIC NORTHWEST COLD FRONT HAS SWEPT DOWN THE FRONT RANGE AND HIGH PLAINS OF MONTANA. AHEAD OF THIS FRONT ENOUGH RISING MOTION EXIST TO GENERATE RAIN SHOWERS AND ISOLATED POCKETS OF FREEZING RAIN. THANKFULLY THIS RAIN IS NOT HEAVY AS BANDS ON DISPLAY ARE BEING ENHANCED BY BRIGHT BAND MELTING AT VERY LOW FREEZING LAYERS. BEHIND THE FRONT TEMPERATURES WERE WARMED ACROSS THE MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS AS VIGOROUS MIXING FROM LOW TO MID LEVEL WINDS IS CREATING ADIABATIC WARMING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO BEING MIXED TO THE SURFACE AND BY THE AFTERNOON HOURS WINDS SHOULD BE GUSTING TO 25 TO 40 KNOTS ACROSS THE SAME AREAS WITH WARMER TEMPS. GAH PREVIOUS SHORT TERM DISCUSSION... LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN TODAY AND BRING A COLD FRONT THROUGH EASTERN MONTANA. THE SYSTEM WILL BRING A CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS...POSSIBLY FREEZING RAIN EARLY TO THE AREA TODAY. THE BEST CHANCE OF SHOWERS THIS MORNING WILL BE NEAR THE CANADIAN BORDER NEAR THE TRACK OF THE LOW. SOME LOCATIONS NORTH OF THE MISSOURI RIVER WILL BE COLD ENOUGH EARLY THIS MORNING FOR FREEZING RAIN. THE BEST CHANCE OF SHOWERS WILL SHIFT TO THE SOUTHERN ZONES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TRACKS THROUGH SOUTHERN MONTANA. WILL SEE WEST WINDS DEVELOP BEHIND THE COLD FRONT TODAY WITH GUSTY WINDS LIKELY IN ANY RIDGETOP AREAS. BETTER MIXING WILL COUNTERACT COOLING ALOFT SO THE SOME AREAS WILL SEE WARMER TEMPERATURES TODAY THAN YESTERDAY. SOMEWHAT COLDER AIR WILL COME OUT OF CANADA TONIGHT...COOLING TEMPERATURES OFF. AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...ANY LINGERING RAIN SHOWERS IN THE SOUTHEAST ZONES WILL BECOME MIX WITH SNOW AS THE ATMOSPHERE COOLS. THURSDAY WILL BE A SLIGHTLY COOLER DAY...ESPECIALLY FOR THE NORTHEAST...ALTHOUGH MAX TEMPERATURES WILL RISE ABOVE FREEZING IN MOST IF NOT ALL AREAS. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TRACKING ACROSS SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS IN THE NORTH. FURTHER SOUTH INSTABILITY DRIVEN RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH MOISTURE LACKING FOR ANY SHOWERS ACROSS THE CENTRAL PART OF THE CWA. SHORTWAVE RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT WITH DRIER AIR. LOOK FOR CLEARING SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS IN MOST AREAS WITH WILL ALLOW FOR GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING AND SOMEWHAT COLDER NIGHT. THE RIDGE AND DRY WEATHER LINGERS THROUGH FRIDAY WITH SOMEWHAT WARMER AIR MOVING IN. .LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY... THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD BEGINS WITH SHORT WAVE RIDGING IN PLACE OVER NORTHEAST MONTANA AS A CLOSED UPPER LOW MOVES ON SHORE THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST OF THE CONUS. THIS UPPER LOW EJECTS A SHORT WAVE TROUGH OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS ON SUNDAY. THE UPPER LOW ALSO BECOMES ELONGATED AND DISORGANIZED ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COASTLINE THROUGH TUESDAY. TUESDAY AND BEYOND SHOWS SIGNIFICANT MODEL SOLUTION DISCREPANCIES...RUN TO RUN AND MODEL TO MODEL. WITH THIS IN MIND...FELT IT WAS BEST TO SETTLE WITH CLIMATOLOGICAL POPS AND MAKE SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS FROM THERE. OF GREATEST CONCERN IS THE NEXT APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM SET TO MOVE A FRONT THROUGH NORTHEAST MONTANA EARLY SUNDAY. IT IS STILL TOO EARLY TO PICK OUT ANY SIGNIFICANT DETAILS...BUT MODELS ARE INDICATING THAT UP TO A THIRD OF AN INCH OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE POSSIBLE MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN PERIPHERY OF OUR CWA WHICH WILL BEGIN AS A RAIN AND SNOW MIX...THEN TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW BY LATE SUNDAY. ALTHOUGH...ALSO INDICATED IN THE MODEL SOLUTIONS IS A GENERAL LACK OF MOISTURE DIRECTLY OVER THE CENTER OF OUR CWA. CERTAINLY A LITTLE MORE TIME WILL BEGIN TO REVEAL A FEW MORE SPATIAL DETAILS OF THIS STORM SYSTEM. TEMPERATURES ARE GENERALLY MODERATED THROUGHOUT THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD AND REMAIN JUST A BIT BELOW SEASONAL LEVELS. BMICKELSON && .AVIATION... SOME MVFR CONDITIONS IN SCATTERED LIGHT RAIN THIS MORNING SHOULD CLEAR FROM WEST TO EAST BY THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW VERY WIDELY SCATTERED AND VERY LIGHT SHOWERS MAY PERSIST INTO THE AFTERNOON. FOR ALL TAF SITES ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...EXPECT WESTERLY WINDS TO INCREASE TO JUST SHY OF THE 20G30KT RANGE BMICKELSON/MARTIN && .HYDROLOGY... THE MUSSELSHELL RIVER BASIN...A FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL FRIDAY AFTERNOON. MINOR FLOODING LINGERS DOWNSTREAM FROM TUESDAY MORNINGS DAM FAILURE ON SAGE AND BLOOD CREEKS WHICH FLOW INTO THE MUSSELSHELL RIVER IN NORTHERN PETROLEUM COUNTY. WATER WILL CONTINUE TO FLOW OUT OF THE SPILLWAY PART OF THE DAM THAT FAILED FOR ANOTHER 12 TO 24 HOURS OR SO UNTIL THE LAKE LEVEL HAS GONE DOWN. MULTIPLE ICE JAMS CONTINUE ON THE MUSSELSHELL RIVER AND SURROUNDING CREEKS IN EASTERN PETROLEUM AND WESTERN GARFIELD COUNTIES. WATER IN SOME CREEKS AND STREAMS CONTINUES TO RUN BANKFULL WHILE WATER IN OTHERS CREEKS AND STREAMS CONTINUE TO FLOW OUT OF THEIR BANKS. SOME NEARBY RANCHES ARE ALREADY BEING AFFECTED AS CALF CREEK HAS SWOLLEN ALONG ITS BANKS AND IS CUTTING OFF OLD STAGE ROAD NORTH OF HIGHWAY 200 ON THE GARFIELD COUNTY SIDE OF THE MUSSELSHELL RIVER. FLOODING IS ALSO OCCURRING NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE MUSSELSHELL RIVER AND FORT PECK LAKE OR APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES SOUTH OF OF CROOKED CREEK CAMP GROUND. A FEW SUMMER HOMES AND OTHER STRUCTURES HAD WATER AROUND THEM OR IN THEM THIS MORNING. LOCAL DRAINAGES ARE SEEING PROBLEMS WITH FROZEN CULVERTS AND BLOCKED FLOW FROM THE HIGH AMOUNTS OF SNOW AND ICE. EXPECT WARMER TEMPERATURES TO CONTINUE TO MELT THE REMAINING SNOW WHICH WILL PROLONG THE FLOODING ISSUES. YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN... RIVER ICE HAS BEGUN TO BREAK UP ALONG THE PRAIRIE DAWSON AND RICHLAND COUNTY SECTIONS OF THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER. THE ICE JAM IN GLENDIVE MOVED A FEW MILES DOWNSTREAM LAST EVENING SHIFTING THE AREAS OF FLOODING. WHILE THE RIVER GAGE LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN GLENDIVE IS REPORTING A LEVEL AROUND 52 FEET AS OF 9 AM WEDNESDAY WHICH IS 1.5 FEET BELOW FLOOD STAGE. SOME LOW LAND FLOODING PERSIST DOWNSTREAM FROM THE GAGE. WITH REPORTS OF MORE ICE MOVING TOWARDS GLENDIVE FROM UPSTREAM AREAS...WILL MAINTAIN FLOOD WARNING FOR GLENDIVE GIVEN THE LOW LAND FLOODING AND THE FACT THE RIVER COULD RISE AGAIN WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING. RICHLAND COUNTY PORTION OF THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER IS BEGINNING TO BRAKE UP AND HAS FORMED AT SAVAGE AND EXTENDS 2 TO 3 MILES DOWN RIVER. THIS ICE JAM HAS CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT RISE ON THE RIVER...BUT ONLY LOW LYING AREAS ARE BEING IMPACTED BY THE INCREASE IN WATER. SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS THAT FLOW INTO THE YELLOWSTONE WILL CONTINUE TO RUN HIGH DUE TO THE SNOW MELT...WHICH WILL ADD TO FLOODING CONCERNS. THERE IS STILL PLENTY OF SNOW COVER TO MELT THIS WEEK WHICH COULD LEAD TO CONTINUING PROBLEMS IN THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM OF THE YELLOWSTONE. MILK/MISSOURI RIVER BASIN...SOME LOW LAND FLOODING IS BEING REPORTED IN AND AROUND PEOPLE CREEK NEAR DODSON AND THE MILK RIVER IN THE DODSON AREA IS RISING FROM SNOW MELT RUNOFF UPSTREAM. HOWEVER...MAJORITY OF THE MILK RIVER TRIBUTARIES ARE STILL FROZEN OR JUST BEGINNING TO THAW AS TEMPERATURES WARM WELL ABOVE NORMAL. THERE IS STILL A FAIR AMOUNT OF FROZEN WATER LOCKED UP IN THE HILLS AND FLATS AT THIS POINT. SOME REPORTS FROM SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL COUNTY HAVE THE COULEES RUNNING BUT THE LAGER CREEKS SUCH AS BEAVER ARE STILL CURRENTLY FROZEN OVER. THE WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE THE MELT WHICH WILL ONLY ADD TO PROBLEM IN THE MILK AND MISSOURI BASIN. && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR RICHLAND...DAWSON... PRAIRIE...WIBAUX. && WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 427 AM MDT WED MAR 16 2011 MTZ021-022-171000- PETROLEUM-GARFIELD- 427 AM MDT WED MAR 16 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR PETROLEUM AND WESTERN GARFIELD COUNTIES. THIS INCLUDES THE MUSSELSHELL RIVER...AS WELL AS SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS THAT FEED THE MUSSELSHELL IN THE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW MELT WILL CONTINUE THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AND CAUSE OTHER AREA STREAMS AND CREEKS TO START RUNNING AND RISING. ICE JAMS COULD ALSO OCCUR ON AREA RIVERS AND SOME OF THE LARGER TRIBUTARIES. PLEASE REPORT ANY FLOODING AND/OR ICE JAMS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ017>020-023-059-061-062-171000- CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY-DANIELS-SHERIDAN-WESTERN ROOSEVELT- MCCONE-NORTHERN PHILLIPS-NORTHERN VALLEY-EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 427 AM MDT WED MAR 16 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THIS IS A CHANCE OF FREEZING RAIN THIS MORNING. ANY FREEZING RAIN THAT OCCURS WILL QUICKLY MAKE ROADS SLIPPERY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW MELT WILL CONTINUE THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AND CAUSE AREA STREAMS AND CREEKS TO START RUNNING AND RISING. ICE JAMS COULD ALSO OCCUR ON AREA RIVERS AND SOME OF THE LARGER TRIBUTARIES. PLEASE REPORT ANY FLOODING AND/OR ICE JAMS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ024>027-171000- RICHLAND-DAWSON-PRAIRIE-WIBAUX- 427 AM MDT WED MAR 16 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER IN THE GLENDIVE AREA UNTIL WEDNESDAY NIGHT. ICE JAMS IN THE GLENDIVE AREA IS PRODUCING MINOR FLOODING. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. ICE JAMS HAVE FORMED ON THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER ACROSS PRAIRIE AND DAWSON COUNTIES. SNOW MELT RUNOFF WILL BRING RISING WATER TO CREEKS AND RIVERS ACROSS THE AREA WITH FLOODING POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW MELT WILL CONTINUE THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AND CAUSE OTHER AREA STREAMS AND CREEKS TO START RUNNING AND RISING. ICE JAMS COULD ALSO OCCUR ON AREA RIVERS AND SOME OF THE LARGER TRIBUTARIES. PLEASE REPORT ANY FLOODING AND/OR ICE JAMS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ016-060-171000- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS- 427 AM MDT WED MAR 16 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FLOOD ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN PHILLIPS COUNTY UNTIL THIS EVENING. MINOR LOW LAND FLOODING IS OCCURRING ALONG PEOPLES CREEK WEST OF DODSON. ALSO...THE MILK RIVER IS RISING FROM SNOW MELT RUNOFF ACROSS WESTERN PHILLIPS COUNTY AND WILL BE MONITORED FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW MELT WILL CONTINUE THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AND CAUSE AREA STREAMS AND CREEKS TO START RUNNING AND RISING. ICE JAMS COULD ALSO OCCUR ON AREA RIVERS AND SOME OF THE LARGER TRIBUTARIES. PLEASE REPORT ANY FLOODING AND/OR ICE JAMS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .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.
5 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
On March 16th, small creeks and streams that were swollen. On March 18th, an ice jam around 9 miles long and extending 5 miles west of Terry downstream to near the I-94 bridge near Fallon was causing flooding on the Yellowstone River.
On March 16th, small creeks and streams that feed the Yellowstone River were swollen. On March 18th, an ice jam near Savage was causing some low land flooding. Also ice jams near Sidney were fluctuating river levels and causing flooding near Richland Park.
On March 16th, small creeks and streams that feed the Yellowstone River were swollen. On March 18th, an ice jam near the Dawson County line were causing minor flooding of low lying areas. On the afternoon of the 18th, the ice jam that was causing flooding in the Glendive area, moved out of the area. This ice jam flooding caused an estimated $400 thousand worth of damage to irrigation pumps at the Buffalo Rapids Irrigation pump house. The water level was the highest that the employees had seen since 1972.
On March 16th, small creeks and streams that feed into the Yellowstone River were swollen. They continued to run high into the 19th causing low land flooding. On the 17th, water along Beaver Creek was high near Highway 7 12 to 13 miles south of Wibaux near Pine Unit, closing the road.
On Match 17th, water was flowing out of banks of some of the creeks that fed into the Beaver Creek with water running over Highway 7 12 to 13 miles south of Wibaux near Pine Unit. Highway 7 was closed.
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, March 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: 288565, 288566, 288569, 288616, 294949.