Montana, 2014Winter Weather in Montana, February 14 to 15, 2014
February 14 to 15, 2014 · NWS MSO · 4 events in 4 counties and zones
While a surface low tracked northeast into British Columbia during the morning of February 14th, moist and relatively milder air streamed over Idaho and western Montana. The warm front brought brief periods of intense snowfall across much of the area causing low visibilities for a brief time and slick roadways.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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.
While a surface low tracked northeast into British Columbia during the morning of February 14th, moist and relatively milder air streamed over Idaho and western Montana. The warm front brought brief periods of intense snowfall across much of the area causing low visibilities for a brief time and slick roadways. After the warm front moved through, the air-mass became unstable with strong westerly winds aloft. This helped to form fairly organized graupel, snow and rain bands, some of which brought moderate impacts to area mountain passes. A ridge of high pressure moved in at night causing temperatures to cool and black ice to form.
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 Feb 14, 3:01 AM MST, 4 hours 39 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 14, 3:01 AM MST, 4 hours 39 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
301 AM MST Fri Feb 14 2014
...Complex, active weather pattern to continue through the weekend...
.DISCUSSION...Another wet Pacific weather system will be
delivering precipitation and winds to the Northern Rockies region
today through this evening. Mountain snow and increasing winds
will make travel over the passes difficult and therefore Winter
Weather Advisories have been issued for Lookout, Lolo and Lost
Trail passes. Lower valleys in western Clearwater and Idaho
counties will see rain with this system. Elsewhere across north-
central Idaho and western Montana, valley locations will see snow
changing over to rain as warmer air surges in with this system. A
southerly surface pressure gradient will be increasing and winds
will increase by this afternoon. Strongest winds (outside of
mountain locations) will occur in the Grangeville area where wind
gusts up to 40 mph are possible.
Tonight...As this first system passes to the east, widespread
precipitation will end, winds will be decreasing, and cooler air
will move into the region from the west. However, the pattern is
shaping up to favor the organization of snow showers into bands
across western Montana. Difficult to assess exactly where these
bands will set up or how persistent they could be, but minor snow
accumulations are in the realm of possibility.
Saturday and Saturday Night...A second warm, wet Pacific system will
quickly follow in the footsteps of today's system. This next system
has the potential of producing even greater amounts of precipitation
and stronger winds. Snow levels will be on the rise once again as
a warming southerly flow at the lower levels of the atmosphere
increases. With this in mind, the Grangeville area could see
strong south winds with gusts up to 50 mph later Saturday
afternoon and evening. Warm temperatures, rain on snow, and
melting of existing snow pack will likely result in more ponding and
local field flooding. The cold front associated with this second
system is expected to pass through the region late Saturday night.
This frontal passage will likely help maintain winds overnight as
cooler air moves in from the west.
Sunday through next week the deluge continues with one system
after the next bringing moisture into the northern Rockies. The
main difference will be a cold front Wednesday that cools things
down and lowers snow levels. Through the week the valleys will
see a rain snow mix during the days with snow and potentially
freezing rain at night. The system Wednesday will be another
windy one.
Wednesday night and Thursday an arctic air mass impacts east of
the Continental Divide. It is very likely that some of the cold
air will seep through the passes and impact the Flathead and
Mission valleys, and possibly the Missoula Valley. Even if this
does not happen, the system Wednesday night will bring much cooler
air to the region, potentially causing significant snow
accumulation in the valleys late next week.
&&
.AVIATION...Yet another wet, Pacific weather system will be moving
into north-central Idaho and western Montana today. Conditions
will be deteriorating this morning, with clouds and snow obscuring
the higher terrain. Valley locations will experience lowering ceilings
with visibilities reduced at times in precipitation. In addition,
westerly winds will be increasing this afternoon with some gusts
in excess of 25 knots possible. All airfields will be impacted.
&&
.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY until 11 PM MST this evening for Lolo
Pass and Lost Trail Pass IN THE Bitterroot/Sapphire
Mountains.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY until 5 PM MST this afternoon for I-90
Lookout Pass to Haugan IN THE Lower Clark Fork Region.
ID...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY until 11 PM MST /10 PM PST/ this evening
for Lolo Pass and Lost Trail Pass IN THE Eastern Lemhi
County...Southern Clearwater Mountains.
&&
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https://www.twitter.com/NWSMissoulaWinter Weather, Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains
- When
- February 14, 7:40 AM MST to February 15, 7:00 AM MST
- Where
- Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- Department of Highways
- Coordinates
- 46.508, -113.828 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Periods of moderate snow fell at both Lolo and Lost Trail Passes especially associated with the warm front precipitation during the morning of Feb. 14th. Snow and rain bands had developed by the afternoon which brought brief periods of limited visibility. A rock slide occurred on Skalkaho highway 38 at mile-marker 7 around 5:53 pm MST blocking both lanes. It was subsequently cleared by 7 pm MST. The Lost Trail ski resort reported 8 of new snow 24 hours ending at 5:58 am MST Feb. 15. The Lolo Pass SNOTEL reported 4 of total snowfall.
Winter Weather, Lower Clark Fork Region
- When
- February 14, 7:40 AM MST to February 15, 7:00 AM MST
- Where
- Lower Clark Fork Region forecast zone
- Reported by
- Department of Highways
- Coordinates
- 47.286, -114.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A moist and strong warm front brought a relatively brief period of heavy snow to Lookout Pass on I-90 from 9 am to 12 pm on Feb. 14. This impacted travelers with low visibilities and slick, snow-covered roads. Throughout the day there were periods of snow and rain from bands that brought limited impacts. Two separate jack-knifed trucks were reported due to slick road conditions Friday evening, one at mile-marker 3 at 7:52 pm MST and another at mile-marker 24.5 at 4:54 pm MST. By nightfall the skies cleared out and temperatures fell into the 20's helping to develop black ice. Another tractor trailer jack-knifed on the west bound lane at mile-marker 58 or 4.3 miles north-northwest of Tarkio on I-90 at 1:15 am MST on Feb. 15. This incident blocked blocked both lanes until 2:36 am MST and was finally cleared by 3:22 am MST.
Winter Weather, Flathead/Mission Valleys
- When
- February 14, 9:00 AM MST to 2:30 PM MST
- Where
- Flathead/Mission Valleys forecast zone
- Reported by
- Official NWS Observations
- Coordinates
- 47.872, -114.424 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Snow began in the Kalispell area by 9:45 am MST on Feb. 14 and ended a little after 1 pm MST. The Glacier Park International Airport reported a period of heavy snow with 1 falling in a ten minute period ending 10:23 am MST. This sudden change brought very low visibilities and snow-covered roads to much of the Flathead Valley. The Flathead County 911 dispatch reported 6 motor vehicle accidents between 10 and 11 am MST with a few of those being slide-offs. MTDOT reported snow-covered roads through the afternoon hours from Yellow Bay to Creston on Highway 35 and on Highway 206 north to Columbia Falls. Snowfall amounts include: 1.4 at Glacier Park Int. Airport, 3 Columbia Falls and 1 near Blue Bay on the east side of Flathead Lake.
Winter Weather, Kootenai/Cabinet Region
- When
- February 14, 9:30 AM MST to 1:30 PM MST
- Where
- Kootenai/Cabinet Region forecast zone
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 48.171, -114.863 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Slush and snow-covered roads were reported across much of Lincoln County during the morning into the afternoon hours on Feb. 14. A person from the public located in Olney reported 2 of heavy snow two hours ending at 10:49 MST. Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort reported a total of 3 at their base elevation 4,464 ft. 24 hours ending 5:50 am MST on Feb. 15.
- Winter Weather
- Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Winter Weather in Illinois, February 14, 20141 death · 1 event
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Ohio, February 14 to 15, 201423 events
- Wildfire in Arkansas, February 14, 2014$25,000 · 1 event
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Montana, February 14 to 17, 201463 kt wind · 20 events
- High Surf in Hawaii, February 14, 201412 events
- Winter Storm in Kentucky, February 14 to 15, 201412 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Indiana, February 14 to 15, 20148 events
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in West Virginia, February 14 to 15, 20148 events
- Heavy Snow in Indiana, February 14, 20146 events
- Winter Weather in Idaho, February 14 to 15, 20144 events
- Winter Storm and High Wind in Wyoming, February 14 to 15, 201470 kt wind · 4 events
- Winter Weather in Illinois, February 14, 20144 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: 488421, 488422, 488423, 488441.