Montana, 2014

Extreme Cold and Heavy Snow in Montana, February 27 to 28, 2014

February 27 to 28, 2014 · NWS TFX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A long-duration winter storm impacted most of North-Central and Southwest Montana with widespread snow and blowing snow, near record cold temperatures and |frigid wind chills. Numerous Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories were in effect through the event.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 TFX wrote it up.

A long-duration winter storm impacted most of North-Central and Southwest Montana with widespread snow and blowing snow, near record cold temperatures and |frigid wind chills. Numerous Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories were in effect through the event. Pacific moisture increased across Montana while a Canadian cold front from Saskatchewan/Alberta moved into the region. Precipitation continued to increase with the cold frontal passage as moist, westerly flow aloft overran arctic surface air. This pattern persisted through the weekend, bringing widespread accumulating snowfall to Central and Southwest Montana. In the system's wake, bitterly cold temperatures and wind chills moved in to the region.

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 Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 27, 4:45 PM MST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 27, 4:45 PM MST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
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Event by event

3 heavy snow, 1 high wind, 1 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Cascade

When
February 27, 6:00 PM MST to February 28, 11:00 PM MST
Where
Cascade forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Heavy snow measuring 6.0 inches in 12 hours was reported 14 mi SSE of Ulm, MT.

Heavy Snow, Gallatin

When
February 27, 6:30 PM MST to February 28, 11:30 PM MST
Where
Gallatin forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL

Heavy snow measuring 6.0 inches in 12 hours was reported 13 mi ENE of Belgrade, MT at the Sacajawea SNOTEL; elevation 6550ft.

High Wind, Liberty

When
February 27, 7:57 PM MST to 10:37 PM MST
Where
Liberty forecast zone
Measured
69 kt (79 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet

High winds measuring 69KT (79MPH) were reported 6 mi NE of Whitlash, MT.

Heavy Snow, Fergus

When
February 27, 8:30 PM MST to February 28, 11:30 PM MST
Where
Fergus forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Heavy snow measuring 6.5 inches in 12 hours was reported 11 mi ESE of Lewistown, MT; elevation 5000ft.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Meagher

When
February 28, 11:00 PM MST
Where
Meagher forecast zone
Reported by
RAWS

Wind chill of -41 degrees Fahrenheit reported 7 mi S of Neihart, MT at the Porphyry Peak RAWS.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Montana in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, February 2014

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: 500560, 500561, 500565, 500562, 500563.