For the 3rd time in the 2013/2014 season, an arctic cold front clipped western Montana. Initially, Pacific moisture allowed for light to moderate snow to develop across western Montana, with many higher elevation locations receiving several inches.
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.
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 MSO wrote it up.
For the 3rd time in the 2013/2014 season, an arctic cold front clipped western Montana. Initially, Pacific moisture allowed for light to moderate snow to develop across western Montana, with many higher elevation locations receiving several inches. Valleys saw temperatures warm into the lower 40's F with rain showers early on Dec. 18. These milder temperatures set the stage for a flash-freezing event in the Flathead Valley east to Marias Pass when an arctic air-mass moved in by the late evening of Dec. 18. As the arctic air-mass pushed westward, gusty winds to 50 mph in the canyons caused blowing snow, while areas from West Glacier to Marias Pass saw heavy snow.
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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 18, 3:49 AM MST, 2 hours 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
349 AM MST Wed Dec 18 2013
...Winter is coming back later today and tonight...
.DISCUSSION...The feature that will be moving through the Northern
Rockies later today through tonight remains to be fairly
complicated in nature. The latest forecast model runs have
decreased the precipitation amounts across the region, but certain
locations should still receive significant impacts from the event.
Light snow should develop across most of the region later this
afternoon as a weak cold front swings through the Pacific
Northwest. The snow intensity is anticipated to increase over
portions of Clearwater and Idaho counties during the evening hours
as the flow becomes northwesterly. Also during the evening hours,
an arctic front will be moving into northwest Montana. As this
front moves into the region the snow will be enhanced especially
over the Glacier park region. Flathead valley snow amounts are still
a little uncertain at this time, due to latest observations from
northern Alberta indicating that the arctic airmass is
fairly dry. This drier air moving into the Flathead valley could
hinder snow production, so the watch remains in effect. The
arctic and moisture is anticipated to move south into Lemhi county
and southwest Montana later tonight into Thursday morning causing
impactful snow especially in higher locations. The mountain passes
and Georgetown Lake are anticipated to receive several inches of
new snow by noon on Thursday. The precipitation will quickly move
out of the region on Thursday, but temperatures will drop 10 to 20
degrees compared to today. A few locations such as Butte and
Hamilton could see a difference of greater than 30 degrees between
today's and tomorrow's high temperatures.
There are still a few issues with the timing of snow arrival on
Friday, but there are still indications that snow will be falling
during the morning commute. If planning to drive Friday morning it
would be a good idea to leave extra time as travel may be slow
going. Even if snow is slow to start on Friday there is a good
chance that it will increase through the day and continue
overnight. Most of the lower elevations will have decreased impact
from snow through the weekend but mountain passes are expected to
have continued snow accumulations. Temperatures will moderate
through the weekend, but another trough for the beginning of the
week will bring cooler air with below average temperatures and
additional snow chances.
&&
.AVIATION...Two cold fronts are on track to pass through the
region today and tonight. The first front will move in from the
west and bring lowering cloud cover and developing precipitation
this morning in northwest Montana. South of the cold front,
breezy southwest winds can be expected from Grangeville, Hamilton
to Butte. Northeast winds will associate with the second front
that is currently passing southward through Alberta. Kalispell
will see increased winds and snow by this evening with the second
front. The rest of western Montana and Idaho will see north and
east winds overnight as the upper trough passes and colder air
moves in from the east.
&&
.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 5 PM this afternoon to 11 AM MST
Thursday Butte/Blackfoot Region...Potomac/Seeley Lake
Region.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 11 AM this morning to 11 AM MST
Thursday Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 11 AM this morning to 5 AM MST
Thursday Kootenai/Cabinet Region...Lower Clark Fork Region.
WINTER STORM WATCH from this afternoon through Thursday morning
Flathead/Mission Valleys.
WINTER STORM WATCH from 2 PM MST this afternoon through Thursday
morning West Glacier Region.
ID...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 11 PM this evening to 11 AM MST
Thursday Eastern Lemhi County...Western Lemhi County.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 10 AM this morning to 10 AM PST
Thursday Northern Clearwater Mountains...Southern
Clearwater Mountains.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 10 AM this morning to 10 AM PST
Thursday Lower Hells Canyon/Salmon River Region...
Orofino/Grangeville Region.
&&
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https://www.facebook.com/US.NationalWeatherService.Missoula.gov
https://www.twitter.com/NWSMissoulaThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter weather, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
The Lost Trail ski resort reported 3 of snow while Ski Lookout reported 2 of snow during this event.
MT DOT estimated that 8 to 10 inches of snow fell from West Glacier to Java East, which is located about 6 miles southwest of Marias Pass. They also reported that there was blowing and drifting snow, snow-pack and ice on US-2. They also indicated that the area south of Essex to Java East was particularly nasty. The Pike Creek SNOTEL at 5,930 ft., located about 1.6 miles southeast of Marias Pass, reported 6 of total snow with 0.20 of snow water equivalent, which gives an average snow to liquid ratio of 30 to 1. The HADS sensor at Marias Pass, reported 0.29 of liquid, which could equate to around 7.1 of snow, 6 of that fell between 4:45 and 7:45 pm MST on Dec. 18. The MT DOT sensor located at milepost 179.9 in Essex, reported gusty winds near 30 mph from 4 to 7:30 pm MST on Dec. 18, which corroborates the report of nasty conditions on US-2. An automobile accident with an injury was reported near West glacier at 4:24 pm MST on Dec. 18, while roads were reported to have snow-cover with slick conditions. Blowing snow with wind gusts near 50 mph were reported near Bad Rock canyon on the evening of Dec. 18. Other snow/liquid amounts: 7.0/0.20 Flattop Mtn. SNOTEL, 7.0/0.40 Emery Creek SNOTEL(5 SSE of West Glacier) & 4.4/0.41 West Glacier COOP.
The Olney COOP reported a total storm snowfall of 5 with 0.38 of precipitation for Dec. 19. A person from the public in Olney, tweeted that road conditions were snow-covered and snow intensities were heavy at 3:50 pm MST on Dec. 18.
A spotter located in Columbia Falls, reported 3 of total snowfall, flash-freezing to formerly wet road surfaces, and blowing snow with occasional strong gusts between 30 and 50 mph. They reported that visibility lowered to less than one-quarter mile at times due to blowing snow during the evening of Dec. 18. They also said that the drive from Whitefish to Columbia Falls around 11:30 pm MST on Dec. 18, was very slick due to ice, blowing and drifting snow. The arctic cold front made it through Glacier Park International Airport around 8:22 pm MST Dec. 18 and north-northeast winds were sustained between 30-33 mph with gusts up to 45 mph through 2:35 am MST Dec. 19. The airport only reported 1 of snow, and visibilities were only reduced to one-half mile between 11:24 and 11:55 pm MST Dec. 18. Five automobile crashes and 7 slide-offs were reported in the Flathead Valley on Dec. 18.
A trained spotter 7 miles south of Butte at 6,200 ft., reported a total storm snowfall of 3 inches that mainly fell after midnight on Dec. 19. A weather observer at the Bert Mooney Airport also reported an estimated 3 of snowfall during the event. The temperatures ranged from the single digits below zero to the teens in the Butte area through Dec. 20, which prevented the DOT to be able to mitigate the slick roads. Wind chill values ranged between 10 and 16 below zero F. from Avon to Deer Lodge from 4:30 to 10:21 am MST on Dec. 19. A trained spotter located near Georgetown Lake reported 4 of total storm snowfall.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, December 2013
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: 496377, 496346, 496375, 496348, 496356.