A Pacific storm brought heavy snow to the Rocky Mountain Front and adjacent plains. Snow amounts of 8 to 10 inches were reported.
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 TFX wrote it up.
A Pacific storm brought heavy snow to the Rocky Mountain Front and adjacent plains. Snow amounts of 8 to 10 inches were reported.
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 Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 9, 9:21 PM MST, 2 hours 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 921 PM MST MON JAN 9 2012 .UPDATE... CURRENT FORECAST PACKAGE ON TRACK AND ONLY UPDATE WAS FOR MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO CLOUD COVER IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA. COLD FRONT PUSHING INTO PACIFIC NORTHWEST AT THIS TIME WITH SOME AREAS OF RAIN SHOWERS OUT AHEAD OF FRONT. EXPECT FRONT TO MOVE INTO OUR AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. MAY HAVE SOME MIXED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS IN ADVANCE OF THE COLD FRONT...AND WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE ANTICIPATE A QUICK SHIFT TO COLDER AIR WHICH COULD CAUSE SOME AREAS OF ICE ON ROADWAYS. MORE SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION WILL DEVELOP OVER THE ROCKIES DURING THE NIGHT...SPREADING OUT OVER THE PLAINS DURING THE MORNING. SNOW WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD DURING THE AFTERNOON AND THEN CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. TEMPERATURES FALL THROUGHOUT THE DAY TUESDAY. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT AND ADJACENT PLAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST TUESDAY. && .AVIATION... UPDATED 2340Z. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. AREA OF BKN MID-LEVEL CLOUDS CURRENTLY OVER CENTER OF THE STATE WILL GRADUALLY PUSH EASTWARD. THIS WILL GIVE A FEW HOURS OF MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES ACROSS THE REGION BEFORE CLOUDS BEGIN TO INCREASE AGAIN LATER TONIGHT AS NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM...CURRENTLY IN ERN WA/OR...MOVES INTO WESTERN MT. COLD FRONT FROM THIS SYSTEM SHOULD REACH KCTB/KHVR AROUND 12Z TOMORROW AND PUSH SOUTHWARD THRU THE DAY. LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP ALONG/BEHIND THE FRONT WITH CEILINGS LOWERING TO AROUND FL040-050...WITH INTERMITTENT MVFR CONDITIONS NEAR AREAS OF PRECIPITATION. CURRENT BREEZY TO GUSTY WINDS FROM KGTF TO KCTB WILL DECREASE THIS EVE AND REMAIN AROUND 15 KTS TONIGHT. WARANAUSKAS && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 510 PM MST MON JAN 9 2012/ TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...MODELS CONTINUE TO FORECAST AN UPPER TROUGH TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. IT LOOKS LIKE THE TROUGH WILL MOVE THROUGH IN A COUPLE OF PIECES. ONE PORTION WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE AREA TUESDAY MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON WHILE A SECOND PORTION OVER SOUTHERN CANADA MOVES SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA LATER TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE NIGHT. EVEN AS WE GET CLOSER TO THIS EVENT MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCES WITH FORECAST SNOW AMOUNTS. HOWEVER FEEL CONFIDENT ENOUGH THAT THERE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OVER THE THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT TO ISSUE A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. MODELS BRING A CANADIAN COLD FRONT SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA TUESDAY BUT THERE ARE DIFFERENCES WITH THE DETAILS OF THE TIMING OF THIS COLD FRONT WHICH WILL AFFECT HIGH TEMPERATURES. STILL EXPECT GRADUALLY FALLING TEMPERATURES DURING THE DAY IN THE NORTH WHILE SOUTHWEST MONTANA SHOULD SEE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN TEMPERATURES INTO THE AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL DECREASE TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE TROUGH MOVES EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA. WEDNESDAY EXPECT DRY NORTHERLY FLOW BUT THIS NORTHERLY FLOW WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. WILL CONTINUE THE HIGH WIND WARNING THROUGH 5 PM AS THERE ARE STILL ISOLATED SPOTS MEETING CRITERIA. BLANK WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD WEDNESDAY NIGHT ALTHOUGH A LOW PRESSURE SHORTWAVE WILL BE APPROACHING THE NORTHERN ROCKIES FROM THE WEST. TIMING DIFFERS A BIT BETWEEN THE MODELS...THE GFS HAS THE SHORTWAVE APPROACHING THURSDAY WHILE THE ECMWF DOES NOT BEGIN TO FLATTEN THE RIDGE UNTIL FRIDAY. THE GFS HAS MOISTURE FROM THE SHORTWAVE CROSSING THE CANADIAN BORDER THURSDAY NIGHT WHILE THE ECMWF KEEPS THE CWA DRY THROUGH THE SATURDAY. MOST OF THE WEATHER WITH THE GFS SCENARIO WILL CROSS EASTERN MONTANA AND THE NORTHEASTERN ZONES OF OUR CWA WOULD HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION. WITH THE DIFFERENCE IN THE MODELS...WILL KEEP THE CHANCE OF POPS CONSERVATIVE. THE SHORTWAVE SHOULD TIGHTEN THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT HOWEVER AND BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL ONCE AGAIN MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD AGAIN FRIDAY AND THE AIR MASS WILL WARM AND DRY. THE MODELS CONTINUE TO DIFFER LATER IN THE PERIOD. THE GFS HAS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING THROUGH THE RIDGE SUNDAY AND THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT WOULD AGAIN TIGHTEN AND BRISK WINDS SUNDAY AND MONDAY WOULD BE EXPECTED. HOWEVER...THE ECMWF DEVELOPS A DEEP LOW PRESSURE TROF WHICH REMAINS WELL WEST. PRECIP IS NOT AS MUCH A PROBLEM IN THIS SCENARIO ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES WOULD BE MUCH COOLER. THE ECMWF SOLUTION WOULD BEING A SURFACE LOW ACROSS THE HILINE AND A CANADIAN COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE BORDER SUNDAY. TEMPS WILL GENERALLY REMAIN NEAR OR ABOVE NORMALS THROUGH SATURDAY. GFS WOULD LIKE TO MOVE WELL ABOVE NORMALS SUNDAY AND MONDAY BUT THE ECMWF HOLDS TEMPS BACK WITH THE APPROACHING LOW PRESSURE TROF...SO CONFIDENCE IN THIS PERIOD QUITE LOW. ZELZER && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 35 38 5 20 / 10 90 50 0 CTB 30 32 1 20 / 10 80 30 0 HLN 27 36 9 19 / 10 60 40 10 BZN 24 38 8 18 / 10 60 40 10 WEY 7 26 -2 10 / 10 60 40 10 DLN 24 36 8 20 / 10 40 20 0 HVR 33 36 4 19 / 20 80 10 0 LWT 34 37 4 15 / 10 90 60 0 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST TUESDAY EASTERN GLACIER... NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT...SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT. && SHORT TERM...LOSS LONG TERM...SUK AVIATION...WARANAUSKAS WEATHER.GOV/GREATFALLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 520 PM MST MON JAN 9 2012 MTZ009-010-048-110030- NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT-EASTERN GLACIER- SOUTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT- 520 PM MST MON JAN 9 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING AT MIDNIGHT. LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVERNIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL TUESDAY EVENING. EXPECT 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW AT LOWER ELEVATIONS AND 6 TO 12 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS. GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CREATE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW...REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN ONE MILE ON LOCAL ROADS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED FOR TUESDAY. PLEASE SEND SNOWFALL TOTALS AND REPORTS OF ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IMPACTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN GREAT FALLS. MTZ011>014-044>047-049>051-054-110030- HILL-CASCADE-CHOUTEAU-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LEWIS AND CLARK-TOOLE- LIBERTY-EASTERN PONDERA-BLAINE-EASTERN TETON-JUDITH BASIN-FERGUS- MEAGHER- 520 PM MST MON JAN 9 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MONTANA...NORTH CENTRAL MONTANA AND SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL MONTANA TUESDAY MORNING...BRINGING PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW THAT WILL CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY EVENING. ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM LESS THAN AN INCH TO AROUND 2 INCHES AT LOWER ELEVATIONS...WITH 4 TO 6 INCHES POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED FOR TUESDAY. PLEASE SEND SNOWFALL TOTALS AND REPORTS OF ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IMPACTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN GREAT FALLS. MTZ008-015-052-053-055-110030- BEAVERHEAD-MADISON-JEFFERSON-BROADWATER-GALLATIN- 520 PM MST MON JAN 9 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHWEST MONTANA TUESDAY AFTERNOON...BRINGING PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING. ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD GENERALLY BE ONE INCH OR LESS AT LOWER ELEVATIONS...WITH 3 TO 5 INCHES POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Eight inches of snow fell at East Glacier Park 11SSW (the Pike Creek SNOTEL site - elevation 5930 feet).
Eight inches of snow fell at Belt 8SW.
Eight inches of snow fell at Rocky Boy 8E.
Eight inches of snow fell at Highwood 9SE.
Ten inches of snow fell at Marysville 1WNW. Less than one inch of snow fell at Helena. However, very icy conditions developed on the roadways and over 100 car crashes occurred in Helena during a two hour period. No significant injuries were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, January 2012
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: 358048, 358049, 358050, 358051, 358052.