Montana, 2011

Winter Storm in Montana, November 30, 2011

November 30, 2011 · NWS BYZ · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A strong storm system within a northwest flow aloft brought very cold temperatures along with moderate to heavy snowfall to portions of the Billings Forecast Area. Strong winds produced widespread blowing and drifting snow.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS BYZ wrote it up.

A strong storm system within a northwest flow aloft brought very cold temperatures along with moderate to heavy snowfall to portions of the Billings Forecast Area. Strong winds produced widespread blowing and drifting snow. The combination of blowing and drifting snow made travel very difficult in some locations.

What forecasters said that day

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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 30, 9:42 AM MST, 4 hours 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 9:42 AM MST, 4 hours 18 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 30, 9:47 AM MST, 4 hours 13 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Judith Gap

When
November 30, 2:00 PM MST to 10:00 PM MST
Where
Judith Gap forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.424, -109.509 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Light snow with winds sustained from 40 to 50 mph from about 4pm to 7pm occurred in the Judith Gap area. Several gusts of 60 mph or higher were reported, with a peak gust of 68 mph. Visibilities were less than a mile during the peak of high winds.

Winter Storm, Red Lodge Foothills

When
November 30, 6:00 PM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where
Red Lodge Foothills forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.227, -109.028 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Red Lodge received 6 inches of snow. Visibilities were greatly reduced due to blowing snow.

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Montana in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, November 2011

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 351591, 351592.