Montana, 2013

Winter Storm in Montana, April 21 to 22, 2013

April 21 to 22, 2013 · NWS BYZ · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A strong Spring storm system moved across the Northern Rockies and brought heavy snow to the mountain and foothill locations of South Central Montana.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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 Spring storm system moved across the Northern Rockies and brought heavy snow to the mountain and foothill locations of South Central Montana.

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 Apr 21, 2:14 AM MST, 4 hours 46 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 21, 2:14 AM MST, 4 hours 46 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 21, 1:43 AM MST, 5 hours 17 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

7 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Crazy Mountains

When
April 21, 7:00 AM MST to April 22, 9:00 AM MST
Where
Crazy Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.923, -110.104 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 9 to 12 inches were reported on the east side of the Crazy Mountains.

Winter Storm, Northern Sweet Grass

When
April 21, 7:00 AM MST to April 22, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Sweet Grass forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches were reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Northern Stillwater

When
April 21, 7:00 AM MST to April 22, 10:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Stillwater forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.669, -109.395 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 6 to 9 inches were reported in the Reedpoint and Absarokee areas.

Winter Storm, Red Lodge Foothills

When
April 21, 8:00 AM MST to April 22, 1:00 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)

Snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches were reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Beartooth Foothills

When
April 21, 8:00 AM MST to April 22, 1:00 PM MST
Where
Beartooth Foothills forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.742, -109.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 6 to 10 inches were reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Absarokee / Beartooth Mountains

When
April 21, 9:00 AM MST to April 22, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Absarokee / Beartooth Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
45.550, -109.722 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Burnt Mountain Snotel received 16 inches of snow while Cole Creek Snotel received more than 2 feet.

Winter Storm, Southern Big Horn

When
April 21, 10:00 AM MST to April 22, 9:00 AM MST
Where
Southern Big Horn forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Snowfall amounts of 6 to 8 inches were reported across portions of Southern Big Horn County.

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 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, April 2013

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 446203, 446204, 446214, 446231, 446233, 446236, 446220.