A cold upper level weather system combined with ample moisture and good jet support brought periods of heavy snow to portions of western Montana. Power outages were reported in the Swan Valley while slick roads made travel difficult across southwest Montana.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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.
A cold upper level weather system combined with ample moisture and good jet support brought periods of heavy snow to portions of western Montana. Power outages were reported in the Swan Valley while slick roads made travel difficult across southwest Montana.
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 May 22, 1:47 PM MST, 9 hours 11 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Granite county dispatch reported slick roads and rock slides at Flint Creek pass between Georgetown lake and Anaconda. A tree was down at the Georgetown lake dam.
A trained spotter in Anaconda reported 11.5 inches of heavy snow. There were multiple reports of downed trees and branches as well as power outages.
A trained spotter 3 miles WSW of Newcomb reported 4.5 inches of snow. Heavy rain changed to heavy snow by midnight. Multiple 4 to 6 foot in height Aspen trees were bent over while dirt roads were slick and snow-covered.
A trained spotter in Condon reported 5 inches of heavy snow weighed down branches and caused power outages.
Seeley Lake ranger station reported multiple Tamarack trees down and power outages due to the weight of new snow.
Flathead county 911 dispatch reported downed power lines and trees with intermittent power outages from Columbia Falls to West Glacier. The Daily Interlake newspaper reported fallen tree branches 2 to 4 inch in diameter due to heavy snow on Dawn Drive in Columbia Falls.
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, May 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 447799, 447800, 447801, 447797, 447798, 447795.