Extreme Cold in Montana, March 1, 2014

Name: Extreme Cold in Montana, March 1, 2014
Start: 2014-03-01T00:56
End: 2014-03-01T18:00
Location: Montana

March 1, 2014 · NWS TFX · 18 events in 18 counties and zones

Arctic air moving south from Canada combined with breezy winds to bring very cold wind chill to Central Montana.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 18

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.

Arctic air moving south from Canada combined with breezy winds to bring very cold wind chill to Central Montana.

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 28, 10:30 PM MST, 2 hours 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 28, 10:30 PM MST, 2 hours 26 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 28, 7:54 PM MST, 5 hours 2 minutes before

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Local storm report, Mar 1, 12:16 AM MST, 40 minutes before

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Local storm report, Mar 1, 12:17 AM MST, 39 minutes before

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Local storm report, Mar 1, 12:18 AM MST, 38 minutes before

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Event by event

18 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Glacier

When: March 1, 12:56 AM MST
Where: Eastern Glacier forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Extreme wind chill of -41 degrees Fahrenheit reported 3 mi SW of Cut Bank, MT at the Cut Bank Airport ASOS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Liberty

When: March 1, 2:00 AM MST to 4:00 AM MST
Where: Liberty forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

Extreme wind chill of -44 degrees Fahrenheit reported 14 mi NNW of Joplin, MT at the Chester APRSWXNet sensor.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Toole

When: March 1, 2:10 AM MST
Where: Toole forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

Extreme wind chill of -40 degrees Fahrenheit reported 8 mi WNW of Whitlash, MT at the Sunburst APRSWXNet sensor.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Hill

When: March 1, 3:00 AM MST
Where: Hill forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

Extreme wind chill of -40 degrees Fahrenheit reported 23 mi N of Havre, MT at the Mud Lake MSCN sensor.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, North Rocky Mountain Front

When: March 1, 3:42 AM MST
Where: North Rocky Mountain Front forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Extreme wind chill of -40 degrees Fahrenheit reported 1 mi E of East Glacier Park, MT.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Rocky Mountain Front

When: March 1, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Southern Rocky Mountain Front forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Extreme wind chill of -40 degrees Fahrenheit reported 2 mi NW of Pendroy, MT.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Blaine

When: March 1, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Blaine forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

Extreme wind chill of -40 degrees Fahrenheit reported in Turner, MT.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Pondera

When: March 1, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Eastern Pondera forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

Extreme wind chill of -40 degrees Fahrenheit reported 5 mi WNW of Ledger, MT.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Lewis and Clark

When: March 1, 6:00 AM MST
Where: Southern Lewis and Clark forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Extreme wind chill of -40 degrees Fahrenheit reported 17 mi SW of Simms, MT at the Bowman's Corner DOT sensor.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Madison

When: March 1, 7:04 AM MST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Extreme wind chill of -40 degrees Fahrenheit reported 18 mi WNW of West Yellowstone, MT at the Raynolds Pass DOT sensor.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Beaverhead

When: March 1, 7:04 AM MST
Where: Beaverhead forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Extreme wind chill of -40 degrees Fahrenheit reported 6 mi SE of Jackson, MT at the Big Hole Pass DOT sensor.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Meagher

When: March 1, 8:05 AM MST
Where: Meagher forecast zone
Reported by: RAWS

Extreme wind chill of -49 degrees Fahrenheit reported 7 mi S of Neihart, MT at the Porphyry Peak RAWS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Jefferson

When: March 1, 8:30 AM MST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Extreme wind chill of -42 degrees Fahrenheit reported 2 mi SE of Wickes, MT at the Boulder Hill DOT sensor.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Fergus

When: March 1, 9:00 AM MST
Where: Fergus forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Extreme wind chill of -41 degrees Fahrenheit reported 7 mi NW of Forestgrove, MT at the Lewistown Divide DOT sensor.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Chouteau

When: March 1, 9:25 AM MST
Where: Chouteau forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Extreme wind chill of -40 degrees Fahrenheit reported 1 mi N of Loma, MT at the Loma DOT sensor.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Gallatin

When: March 1, 11:25 AM MST
Where: Gallatin forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Extreme wind chill of -46 degrees Fahrenheit reported 11 mi E of Bozeman, MT at the Bozeman Pass DOT sensor.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Cascade

When: March 1, 1:35 PM MST
Where: Cascade forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Extreme wind chill of -40 degrees Fahrenheit reported 3 mi NNE of Monarch, MT at the Monarch Canyon DOT sensor.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Judith Basin

When: March 1, 6:00 PM MST
Where: Judith Basin forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

Extreme wind chill of -41 degrees Fahrenheit reported 2 mi WNW of Moccasin, MT at the Moccasin Agrimet sensor.

What these are

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

Every storm in Montana in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, March 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: 500569, 500570, 500571, 500572, 500573, 500575, 500576, 500577, 500578, 500579, 500581, 500580, 500582, 500584, 500585, 500586, 500583, 500587.