Montana, 2013Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Montana, January 10 to 11, 2013
January 10 to 11, 2013 · NWS MSO · 7 events in 3 counties and zones
A moist 100 knot southwesterly jet brought moderate snowfall amounts to valley locations of western Montana. Travel became treacherous across area roadways during the event.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
- 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.
A moist 100 knot southwesterly jet brought moderate snowfall amounts to valley locations of western Montana. Travel became treacherous across area roadways during the event.
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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 9, 2:48 PM MST, 11 hours 18 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 9, 2:48 PM MST, 11 hours 18 minutes before
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</html>Heavy Snow, Butte / Blackfoot Region
- When
- January 10, 2:06 AM MST to 5:40 PM MST
- Where
- Butte / Blackfoot Region forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 46.306, -113.025 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A trained spotter at Georgetown Lake reported 6 inches of snow.
Heavy Snow, Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys
- When
- January 10, 3:00 AM MST to January 11, 6:53 AM MST
- Where
- Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 46.560, -114.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A NWS employee located in Lolo reported a storm total snow accumulation of 8 inches. They reported that 6 inches had fallen as of 2100 MST on January 10.
Heavy Snow, Butte / Blackfoot Region
- When
- January 10, 4:00 AM MST to January 11, 12:00 AM MST
- Where
- Butte / Blackfoot Region forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 46.306, -113.025 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A trained spotter in Anaconda reported a snow storm total of 8.5 inches. They reported that 6.8 inches fell up to 1800MST on January 10.
Heavy Snow, Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys
- When
- January 10, 4:00 AM MST to 9:00 PM MST
- Where
- Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys forecast zone
- Reported by
- NWS Employee
- Coordinates
- 46.560, -114.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A NWS employee located one mile southwest of Missoula reported 6.0 inches of snow that mainly fell in 12 hours.
Winter Storm, Butte / Blackfoot Region
- When
- January 10, 4:00 AM MST to January 11, 8:50 AM MST
- Where
- Butte / Blackfoot Region forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 46.306, -113.025 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A trained spotter 2 miles southwest of Newcomb reported a snow storm total of 5.3 inches with 1 to 2 foot snow drifts. They reported blowing snow with gusts to 30 mph with visibilities down to one quarter mile.
Heavy Snow, Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains
- When
- January 10, 5:00 AM MST to January 11, 9:30 AM MST
- Where
- Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 46.508, -113.828 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A trained spotter 5 miles ENE of Sula reported a snow storm total of 12 inches.
Heavy Snow, Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys
- When
- January 10, 9:12 PM MST to January 11, 2:02 AM MST
- Where
- Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 46.560, -114.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A trained spotter in Hamilton reported 6 inches of snow that fell in 4 hours and 50 minutes.
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
- 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.
- Flash Flooding in Louisiana, January 10, 2013$440,000 · 7 events
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, January 10, 2013$347,000 · 50 kt wind · 11 events
- Winter Storm in Utah, January 10 to 12, 20137 injured · $1,000 · 12 events
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Louisiana, January 10, 2013$77,000 · EF0 · 7 events
- Flash Flooding in Arkansas, January 10, 2013$65,000 · 2 events
- Frost and Freeze and Winter Weather in California, January 10 to 15, 201321 events
- Winter Weather in Wyoming, January 10 to 12, 201317 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Colorado, January 10 to 12, 201316 events
- Strong Wind in Mississippi, January 10, 2013$20,000 · 1 event
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Montana, January 10 to 11, 201313 events
- Winter Storm in Idaho, January 10 to 11, 2013$2,000 · 11 events
- Winter Storm in Montana, January 10 to 12, 201310 events
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: 426284, 425925, 426243, 426244, 426249, 426186, 426240.