A potent winter storm from the Canadian Rockies, spinning directly over eastern Montana brought accumulating snow and strong winds across most of northeast Montana. Blizzard conditions were experienced near the border with North Dakota and winter storm conditions were experienced elsewhere.
Every event with a place to put it; 15 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 GGW wrote it up.
A potent winter storm from the Canadian Rockies, spinning directly over eastern Montana brought accumulating snow and strong winds across most of northeast Montana. Blizzard conditions were experienced near the border with North Dakota and winter storm conditions were experienced elsewhere.
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 Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 3, 2:18 PM MST, 3 hours 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 218 PM MST SUN MAR 3 2013 .SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY... THE UPPER LEVEL CLOSED LOW CENTER MOVES FROM THE NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE CWA TONIGHT. MODELS SHOW A DRY SLOT WRAPPING AROUND THE CENTER OF THE UPPER LOW. SO EXPECT THE DRY SLOT TO MOVE IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST THIS EVENING...WHICH WILL JUSTIFY LOWER EVENING POPS. THE MAIN PRECIPITATION BAND WILL BE ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER AND EASTERN ZONES. AS THE LOW CENTER DROPS FURTHER TO THE SOUTHEAST IT WILL DRAG THE AREA OF ENHANCED PRECIPITATION SOUTH ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING. BY MONDAY AFTERNOON MOST OF THE HEAVY PRECIPITATION WILL HAVE MOVED INTO NORTH DAKOTA. SNOW WILL TAPER OFF FROM THE NORTHWEST. MODELS REMAIN CONSISTENT SO DID NOT ADJUST POPS OR QPF MUCH. MONDAY EVENING SHOULD EXPECT ONLY VERY LIGHT SNOW THAT SHOULD END BY MIDNIGHT. THE MODELS INDICATE CLEARING AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE PUSHES IN. CAA TAPERS OFF MONDAY EVENING BUT THE CLEARING SKIES WILL COOL ALREADY COLD TEMPERATURES. SO EXPECT SINGLE DIGITS OVERNIGHT AND NOT A VERY WARM TUESDAY. TONIGHT AND MONDAY...WITH GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT CONTINUED THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES AND STORM WARNINGS WITHOUT CHANGE FOR TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. ANTICIPATING SNOW AMOUNTS FROM 2 OR MORE INCHES IN THE SOUTHWEST UP TO 8 INCHES IN THE FAR NORTHEAST...ALONG WITH STRONG WINDS PRODUCING BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. AS THE UPPER LOW MOVES ACROSS EASTERN MONTANA TONIGHT...TROWAL WRAPS PARTIALLY INTO THE STATE AND WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DYNAMICS TO ENHANCE PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS... ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHEAST. PUSH OF COLD AIR INTO THE SYSTEM WILL CHANGE RAIN TO SNOW FROM THE WEST THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. WINDS ALSO WILL BE INCREASING WITH COLD AIR ADVECTION BRINGING AT LEAST PART OF THE 40+ KNOTS 850MB WINDS TO THE SURFACE FROM EARLY MONDAY MORNING IN THE WEST...TO THE ENTIRE CWA BY DAYBREAK. POOR VISIBILITY FROM SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ALONG WITH DRIFTING WILL RESULT IN POOR TRAVEL CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT MONDAY. SNOW WILL TAPER OFF FROM FROM THE WEST LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY EVENING AS THE STORM SYSTEM PUSHES THROUGH THE DAKOTAS. WINDS WILL BE SLOWER TO DIMINISH BUT WILL WEAKEN OVERNIGHT WITH HIGH PRESSURE MOVING INTO EASTERN MONTANA. TUESDAY...THE NEXT UPPER RIDGE BEGINS BUILDING INTO THE STATE... ALTHOUGH WITH FRESH SNOW COVER TEMPERATURES WILL BE SLOW TO REBOUND. NEMONT WILL BE SQUEEZED BETWEEN A SURFACE HIGH IN THE EAST AND A SURFACE TROUGH TO THE WEST WHICH WILL INCREASE SOUTHEAST WINDS...ADDING TO THE DISCOMFORT OF THE COOL TEMPERATURES. SCT .LONG TERM...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY... THE LONG TERM FORECAST PERIOD BEGINS AS NORTHEAST MONTANA FINDS ITSELF REGIONALLY SURROUNDED BY LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS...NORTHERN CANADA...MID MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY...AND JUST OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST...AND COMFORTABLY AND LOCALLY SUPPORTED BY A SHORT WAVE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE. MODELS IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT SHOWING AN INITIAL DRY PATTERN. KEPT POPS NIL OR NEAR NIL FOR WEDNESDAY MORNING AND WEDNESDAY. BY WEDNESDAY EVENING...THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW TURNS MORE SOUTHWESTERLY AHEAD OF THE NEXT DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. MODEL CONSENSUS DEPICTING THE ASSOCIATED INCREASE IN MOISTURE AND QPF. CHOSE TO SHOW THAT FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH SOME CHANCE POPS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. KEPT IT FAIRLY BROAD-BRUSHED FOR NOW UNTIL IT APPROACHES THE SHORT TERM TIME FRAME TO ALLOW MORE DETAIL. BEGINNING THURSDAY...UPPER LEVEL FLOW REGIME SEEMS TO SPLIT OFF INTO A SOUTHERN CUT OFF LOW AND AND NORTHERN SHORT WAVE TROUGH. MOST OF THE ENERGY AND MOISTURE REPRESENTED BY THE MODEL QPF SEEMS TO CONGREGATE JUST SOUTH OF OUR CWA FROM THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO TREND JUST SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. BMICKELSON && .AVIATION... TRICKY FORECAST AS A DRY SLOT IS ALSO EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE REGION LATE TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING. GENERALLY...THIS WILL AMOUNT TO KGGW AND KGDV BEING LESS IMPACTED BY HEAVIER PRECIPITATION AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES WHILE KSDY MAY BE MORE IMPACTED AS A MAIN BAND OF PRECIPITATION LINES UP ALONG AND JUST TO NORTHEAST. THEN A COLD FRONT ARRIVES WITH SNOW TO FOLLOW LATER TONIGHT. THE AREA OF SNOW WILL MOVE FROM NW TO SE ACROSS NORTHEAST MONTANA MONDAY RESULTING IN FREQUENT MVFR TO IFR...AND EVEN LIFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES FOR SEVERAL HOURS. EXPECT DRIFTING WITH NORTHERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 30 KTS. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE LATE MONDAY FROM NW TO SE. JAMBA && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 PM MST MONDAY FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS...CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY...WESTERN ROOSEVELT...PETROLEUM...GARFIELD...MCCONE... NORTHERN PHILLIPS...SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS...NORTHERN VALLEY. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 PM MST MONDAY FOR DANIELS...SHERIDAN...EASTERN ROOSEVELT. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 8 PM MST MONDAY FOR RICHLAND...DAWSON...PRAIRIE...WIBAUX. && WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 418 AM MST SUN MAR 3 2013 MTZ016-017-020>027-059>061-041130- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY- WESTERN ROOSEVELT-PETROLEUM-GARFIELD-MCCONE-RICHLAND-DAWSON- PRAIRIE-WIBAUX-NORTHERN PHILLIPS-SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS- NORTHERN VALLEY- 418 AM MST SUN MAR 3 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT NORTHEAST MONTANA TODAY THROUGH MONDAY EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN WITH A PERIOD OF RAIN TODAY...THEN TRANSITION TO SNOW THIS EVENING AS COLDER TEMPERATURES FILTER INTO THE REGION. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW IS IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SNOW WILL CONTINUE ON MONDAY WITH ACCUMULATION OF 2 TO 5 INCHES EXPECTED FROM THE STORM. INCREASING WINDS MONDAY MORNING WILL RESULT IN AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW MAKING FOR DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY CONTINUES INTO MONDAY EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ018-019-062-041130- DANIELS-SHERIDAN-EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 418 AM MST SUN MAR 3 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT NORTHEAST MONTANA TODAY THROUGH MONDAY EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN WITH A PERIOD OF RAIN TODAY...THEN TRANSITION TO SNOW THIS AFTERNOON AS COLDER TEMPERATURES FILTER INTO THE REGION. A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW IS IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SNOW WILL CONTINUE ON MONDAY WITH ACCUMULATION OF 5 TO 8 INCHES EXPECTED FROM THE STORM. INCREASING WINDS MONDAY MORNING WILL RESULT IN AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW MAKING FOR DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS. THE WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUES INTO MONDAY EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 winter storm, 6 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Cooperative observers reported 7 to 9 inches of new snowfall.
Cooperative observers reported 8 to 10 inches of new snowfall near Scobey.
Cooperative observers reported 10 to 12 inches of new snowfall.
Cooperative observers reported 6 to 9 inches of new snowfall.
Cooperative observers reported around 6 inches of new snowfall.
Cooperative observer at 10 N Opheim reported 10 to 12 inches of new snowfall.
Cooperative observers reported 5 to 6 inches of new snowfall. Interstate 94 was closed from Glendive eastward to the state line due to severe driving conditions.
Cooperative observer at 6 NE Vida reported 7 inches of new snowfall. Reports from surrounding locations were between 4 to 6 inches.
Trained Spotter reported 6 to 8 inches of new snowfall, while cooperative observer at 13 NW Carlyle reported 12 total inches of new snowfall.
Comertown Turn-Off DOT site recorded frequent wind gusts in excess of 35 mph in blowing snow for most of the day, and along with other locations, reported near-zero visibility.
The McDonalds DOT site recorded frequent wind gusts of at least 35 mph in blowing snow with near-zero visibility for most of the day.
The Navajo MT-5 DOT site recorded frequent gusts in excess of 35 mph in blowing snow for most of the day, and along with many other locations, reported near-zero visibility.
The US-2 Stateline DOT site recorded wind gusts in excess of 35 mph in blowing snow for most of the day, and along with many other locations, reported near-zero visibility.
The METAR site at Sidney reported frequent gusts in excess of 35 mph in blowing snow for most of the day, and along with other locations, reported near-zero visibility.
The Beaver Hill DOT site recorded winds in excess of 35 mph in blowing snow for most of the day. Many trained spotters and cooperative observers reported blowing snow, near-zero visibility, and snow drifts from 2 to 7 feet tall.
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, March 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: 439319, 438296, 438303, 438304, 439317, 439318, 441337, 441341, 441340, 441355, 441343, 441351, 441353, 441354, 441342.