A very bitterly cold arctic air mass swung southward from the Canadian prairie, stalled over northeast Montana, and combined with some breezy to gusty winds which allowed wind chill values to plummet to very dangerous levels for the entire region.
Every event with a place to put it; 16 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 very bitterly cold arctic air mass swung southward from the Canadian prairie, stalled over northeast Montana, and combined with some breezy to gusty winds which allowed wind chill values to plummet to very dangerous levels for the entire region.
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 Jan 4, 8:30 PM MST, 3 hours 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 830 PM MST SAT JAN 4 2014 .SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY... GOING FORECAST LOOKS TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE BUT DID ADD SCATTERED FLURRY MENTION. UNUSALLY STRONG POLAR VORTEX CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTH THROUGH CENTRAL SASK THIS EVENING. CLOUDS AND FLURRIES UPSTREAM OVER SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL SASK WILL MOVE THROUGH THE EASTERN ZONES TONIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY WHILE ATMOSPHERE MIXES UP TO ABOUT 850 MB. WINDS HAVE COME UP A BIT IN SOME AREAS AND THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE VORT MAX PASSES TO OUR SE SUNDAY. FLURRIES ONLY REDUCING VISIBILITY AT REGINA SASK TO 4SM BUT ISOLATED LOCATIONS FURTHER NW INTO ALBERTA SHOWING 2SM. LOW VISIBILITY AT SWIFT CURRENT (CYYN) APPEARS TO BE FROM MOSTLY BLOWING SNOW AS IT LOOKS LOCALIZED AND THERE ARE A LACK OF ECHOES ON ADJACENT CANADIAN RADARS. TFJ PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... SYNOPTIC SET UP... A LARGE TROUGH OF ARCTIC AIR EXISTS OVER THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES AND EXTENDS DOWN INTO THE US PLAINS AND NORTHERN ROCKIES. IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS LARGE AIRMASS LIES A POLAR VORTEX CENTERED OVER SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN AND DROPPING INTO NORTHEAST MONTANA. TO THE WEST A LARGE RIDGE SETS OFF THE COAST OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT AND IS CREATING NORTHERN TO NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS ALONG WITH BRITISH COLUMBIA AND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. TONIGHT... POLAR VORTEX WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA WITH 850 MB TEMPERATURES REACHING DOWNWARDS OF 23 TO 37 BELOW CELSIUS. THESE FRIGID TEMPERATURES WILL HAVE SOME TROUBLE TRANSLATING TO THE SURFACE AS A CLOUD BANK TO THE SOUTHWEST OF THE CWA MAY PREVENT SOME OFF THE DROP OFF. ACROSS THE NORTHEAST FULL EFFECT SHOULD TAKE HOLD WITH LOWS DOWN INTO THE NEGATIVE 30S. COLD AIR ADVECTION IS ALSO EXPECTED TO KICK UP NEAR THE SURFACE AT THIS TIME WHICH MEANS WIND CHILLS NEAR 40 BELOW OR WORSE OVERNIGHT. SUNDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT... CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO CHANGE MUCH THROUGH THESE PERIODS BUT DURING THESE PERIODS THE FULL EFFECTS OF THE POLAR VORTEX AND THE CENTER OF THE SURFACE AIRMASS THAT LAGS BEHIND IT WILL BE FELT. DAYTIME HIS WILL BE LOOKING AT NEAR RECORD LOW HIGHS AROUND 15 TO 20 BELOW WITH RECORD LOWS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT NEAR 30 TO 40 BELOW. ANY WINDS DURING THIS PERIOD WILL DROP WIND CHILLS WELL BELOW NEGATIVE 40 CAUSING FROSTBITE IN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES... AND THEREFORE A WIND CHILL WARNING IS OUT. COMPLICATIONS WILL BEGIN TO ARISE IN THE FORECAST PROCESS IMMEDIATELY TOMORROW MORNING IF NOT TONIGHT WITH SATELLITES INITIALIZING CLOUD COVER WHERE THERE IS NONE... DUE TO THE EXTREME COLD ON IR CHANNELS. THIS WILL FORCE FORECASTERS TO TAKE A MORE HANDS ON APPROACH AS IT WILL ATTEMPT TO WARM CONDITIONS IN FUTURE FORECAST WHERE MODELS NEED TO STAY COLD. MONDAY... CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN TO WARM. 850 MB TEMPS WILL RISE UP TO NEGATIVE SINGLE DIGITS. THIS WILL NOT COMPLETELY TRANSLATE DOWN AS A STRONG INVERSION WILL NEED TO THIN BEFORE SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT IS NOTICEABLE. HOWEVER HIGHS SHOULD BE CLOSER TO ZERO FOR MOST PLACES IF THEY DON'T RISE INTO THE TEENS SUCH AS AROUND THE MISSOURI BREAKS. GAH .LONG TERM...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY... THE GOING THOUGHTS FOR THE LONG TERM FORECAST PERIOD REMAIN UNCHANGED. MADE SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FORECAST GRIDS THROUGH FRIDAY SIMPLY TO TIGHTEN THINGS UP AND TREND A BIT MORE TOWARD MODEL CONSENSUS...ESPECIALLY WITH POPS AND TEMPS. BEYOND FRIDAY...TOO MUCH MODEL DISAGREEMENT WAS PRESENT TO ALLOW ANY CHANGES TO BE MADE WITH ANY CONFIDENCE. BMICKELSON PREVIOUS LONG TERM DISCUSSION...THE LONG TERM FORECAST PERIOD BEGINS WITH THE ARCTIC VORTEX HAVING DEPARTED THE REGION AND SWINGING THROUGH EASTERN CONUS AND CANADA. AS THE TROUGH RETREATS EAST THE STATIONARY COLD BOUNDARY ALSO RETREATS EAST AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS UP OVER THE WESTERN STATES. THIS WILL POSSIBLY ALLOW FOR A SIGNIFICANT WARM-UP MONDAY NIGHT OVER THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. MONDAY NIGHT LOWS WILL BE MUCH CLOSER TO NORMAL. TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT WILL SEE A BACKDOOR SHORTWAVE NUDGE THE BOUNDARY BACK TO THE WEST TO STALL FURTHER WARM-UP. SO TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY HIGHS WILL RUN AROUND 5-10F BELOW NORMAL. THE WANDERING BOUNDARY WILL GENERATE SOME UPLIFT FOR OVERRUNNING MOISTURE FOR PERIODS OF SNOW SHOWERS. THURSDAY...SOMETHING RESEMBLING A RAGGED RIDGE COULD ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO BECOME NEAR NORMAL. THE DISTURBANCES COULD CONTINUE TO GENERATE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS. THE GFS AND EC BOTH DEVELOP AN APPROACHING TROUGH FOR FRIDAY AND BEYOND. BUT THE SYSTEM IS NOT YET NAILED DOWN BY THE MODELS. SCT && .AVIATION... MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD ALTHOUGH A FEW IFR/MVFR CEILINGS ARE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT ALONG WITH A PASSING FLURRY. WEST AND NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO RANGE FROM 10 TO 20 KTS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT WITH SOME GUSTS TO 30 KTS ON SUNDAY. MALIAWCO && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND CHILL WARNING UNTIL 11 AM MST MONDAY FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS...CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY...DAWSON... GARFIELD...MCCONE...PETROLEUM...PRAIRIE...RICHLAND...SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS...WIBAUX. WIND CHILL WARNING UNTIL 11 AM MST MONDAY FOR DANIELS...EASTERN ROOSEVELT...NORTHERN PHILLIPS...NORTHERN VALLEY...SHERIDAN... WESTERN ROOSEVELT. && WEATHER.GOV/GLASGOW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 305 PM MST SAT JAN 4 2014 MTZ016>027-059>062-051100- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY- DANIELS-SHERIDAN-WESTERN ROOSEVELT-PETROLEUM-GARFIELD-MCCONE- RICHLAND-DAWSON-PRAIRIE-WIBAUX-NORTHERN PHILLIPS- SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS-NORTHERN VALLEY-EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 305 PM MST SAT JAN 4 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WIND CHILL WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS OF 40 BELOW TO 65 BELOW. GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL ALSO BRING AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY WIND CHILLS OF 40 BELOW TO 65 BELOW ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. .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.
16 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Consistent wind chills across Sheridan County as cold as -40 began as early as 11:42 PM on the 4th and continued as late as 10:02 AM on the 6th. The coldest wind chill of -63 was recorded at 9:30 AM on the 5th at the Comertown Turn-Off MT-5 DOT site.
Consistent wind chills across western Roosevelt County as cold as -40 began as early as 12:30 AM on the 5th and continued as late as 9:09 AM on the 6th. The coldest wind chill of -59 was recorded at 9:46 AM on the 5th at the McDonalds MT-13 DOT site.
At the Navajo MT-5 DOT site, wind chills of -40 or worse were consistent beginning at 12:42 AM on the 5th until 8:45 AM on the 6th. Coldest wind chill of -61 occurred on the 5th from 8:45 to 9:00 AM, then again from 9:45 to 10:10 AM.
Consistent wind chills across central and southern Valley County as cold as -40 began as early as 2:15 AM on the 5th and continued as late as 2:15 AM on the 6th. The coldest wind chill of -56 was recorded at 9:00 AM on the 5th at the Saint Marie mesonet site.
Consistent wind chills across eastern Roosevelt County as cold as -40 began as early as 2:52 AM on the 5th and continued as late as 8:25 AM on the 6th. The coldest wind chill of -54 was recorded at 10:48 AM on the 5th at the Stateline US-2 DOT site.
Consistent wind chills across southwestern Phillips County as cold as -40 began as early as 2:55 AM on the 5th and continued as late as 11:00 AM on the 5th. The coldest wind chill of -53 was recorded at 7:21 AM on the 5th at the Hays MT-66 DOT site.
Consistent wind chills across Richland County as cold as -40 began as early as 3:30 AM on the 5th and continued as late as 5:50 AM on the 6th. The coldest wind chill of -54 was recorded at 10:29 AM on the 5th at the Sioux Pass MT-16 DOT site.
Consistent wind chills across Prairie County as cold as -40 began as early as 3:45 AM on the 5th and continued as late as 9:21 PM on the 5th. The coldest wind chill of -52 was recorded at 10:08 AM on the 5th at the Big Sheep Mountain RAWS site.
Consistent wind chills across Dawson County as cold as -40 began as early as 4:05 AM on the 5th and continued as late as 6:30 AM on the 6th. The coldest wind chill of -57 was recorded during the mid-day hours on the 5th at the Lindsay mesonet site.
Consistent wind chills across central and southeastern Phillips County as cold as -40 began as early as 4:10 AM on the 5th and continued as late as 12:45 PM on the 5th. The coldest wind chill of -48 was recorded at 8:09 AM on the 5th at the Saco US-2 DOT site.
Consistent wind chills across McCone County as cold as -40 began as early as 4:30 AM on the 5th and continued as late as 4:05 AM on the 5th. The coldest wind chill of -52 was recorded at 11:01 AM on the 5th at the Cow Creek MT-13 DOT site.
With no functioning observation sites in this zone, we cannot verify the Wind Chill Warning here directly, but given the fact that every other zone in the surrounding region easily verified, by inference, this zone was also allowed to verify using the data from the neighboring northern Valley County.
Consistent wind chills across northern Valley County as cold as -40 began as early as 4:50 AM on the 5th and continued as late as 12:00 PM on the 5th. The coldest wind chill of -42 was recorded at 5:44 AM on the 5th at the Bluff Creek RAWS site.
Consistent wind chills across Garfield County as cold as -40 began as early as 4:50 AM on the 5th and continued as late as 11:45 AM on the 5th. The coldest wind chill of -47 was recorded at 7:07 AM on the 5th at the Lufborough Hill MT-200 DOT site.
With the Beaver Hill I-94 DOT site very near the edge of Wibaux County, it was allowed to verify this warning for this zone. Consistent wind chills as cold as -40 began as early as 4:58 AM on the 5th and continued as late as 8:26 AM on the 6th. The coldest wind chill of -54 was recorded at 12:51 PM on the 5th at the Beaver Hill I-94 DOT site.
Consistent wind chills across Petroleum County as cold as -40 began as early as 6:00 AM on the 5th and continued as late as 7:15 AM on the 6th. The coldest wind chill of -40 was recorded at 6:22 AM on the 5th at the Chain Buttes RAWS site.
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, January 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 498522, 498529, 498519, 498557, 498548, 498567, 498563, 498565, 498564, 498552, 498562, 498538, 498546, 498560, 498566, 498559.