Montana, 2013

Winter 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.

Where it happened

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

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 MSO wrote it up.

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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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 heavy snow, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

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.

What these are

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.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Montana in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, January 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: 426284, 425925, 426243, 426244, 426249, 426186, 426240.