Montana, 2013

Winter Storm in Montana, April 7 to 9, 2013

April 7 to 9, 2013 · NWS BYZ · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A moist and unstable Pacific disturbance combined with a Canadian cold front brought heavy snow, gusty winds, and much colder temperatures to the area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
3

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 moist and unstable Pacific disturbance combined with a Canadian cold front brought heavy snow, gusty winds, and much colder temperatures to the area.

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 7, 2:10 PM MST, 7 hours 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 7, 2:10 PM MST, 7 hours 50 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 7, 2:20 PM MST, 7 hours 40 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 7, 4:44 PM MST, 5 hours 16 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

3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Red Lodge Foothills

When
April 7, 10:00 PM MST to April 9, 9:00 AM 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 along with icy roads were reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Musselshell

When
April 8, 12:00 AM MST to 10:00 AM MST
Where
Musselshell forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.497, -108.398 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 7 to 9 inches were reported mainly southeast of Roundup toward the Bull Mountains.

Winter Storm, Fallon

When
April 8, 2:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
Where
Fallon forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.334, -104.417 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall amounts of 6 to 7 inches along with treacherous roads were reported around Baker.

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 439778, 439776, 439777.