A very moist southwest flow ahead of a cold front brought a period of heavy snow to Lookout Pass while several valley locations saw several inches of snow.
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.
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 very moist southwest flow ahead of a cold front brought a period of heavy snow to Lookout Pass while several valley locations saw several inches of snow.
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 16, 2:56 PM MST, 10 hours 4 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter weather, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The COOP located at 9 miles north-northeast of Yaak at 3,075 ft. MSL reported 10.5 of snow with 0.66 liquid equivalent. The Garver Creek SNOTEL located 11.3 miles north-northwest of Yaak in the Purcell Mountains at 4,250 ft. measured 9 of snow with 0.70 liquid.
The Lookout Pass SNOTEL reported 0.10 or more SWE (snow water equivalent) per hour through this period. Web cams confirmed that snow was falling at a good clip and the MT DOT required chains on towing units from 7:52 am to 9:28 pm MST. The SNOTEL reported a total of 1.50 of SWE which could have equated to over a foot of snow.
The Lolo Pass SNOTEL reported 7 of total snowfall with 0.80 of snow water equivalent while the Saddle Mountain SNOTEL near Lost Trail Pass measured 5 of snow with 0.30 of liquid. The MT DOT required that towing units have chains at Lolo Pass during the evening of Feb. 17.
Glacier Park International Airport reported a total snowfall of 1.8 inches that caused roads to become snow covered and icy.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, February 2014
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 504766, 504632, 504757, 504761.