Montana, 2014

Extreme Cold and Strong Wind in Montana, March 1 to 2, 2014

March 1 to 2, 2014 · NWS MSO · 7 events in 6 counties and zones

With a continuation of impacts from the blizzard conditions that occurred on Feb. 28, extreme wind chill values mainly ranged between 20 to 30 below zero Fahrenheit across western Montana.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$2,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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 MSO wrote it up.

With a continuation of impacts from the blizzard conditions that occurred on Feb. 28, extreme wind chill values mainly ranged between 20 to 30 below zero Fahrenheit across western Montana. A few areas along the Continental Divide, especially in constrictions that caused wind channeling, were able to get as cold or colder than -40 F during this event.

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 28, 9:26 PM MST, 2 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 28, 9:26 PM MST, 2 hours 34 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 28, 7:25 PM MST, 4 hours 35 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 28, 7:57 PM MST, 4 hours 3 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 28, 8:00 PM MST, 4 hours before
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Local storm report, Feb 28, 8:05 PM MST, 3 hours 55 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 28, 9:40 PM MST, 2 hours 20 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 28, 9:41 PM MST, 2 hours 19 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 extreme cold/wind chill, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, West Glacier Region

When
March 1, 12:00 AM MST to March 2, 9:00 PM MST
Where
West Glacier Region forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
47.971, -114.069 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Fielding RAWS station located 4.4 miles southwest of Marias Pass reported extreme wind chill values that peaked around -40 deg. F during the evening hours of Mar. 1. The MT DOT near Essex reported a wind chill of -35 F.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Butte / Blackfoot Region

When
March 1, 12:00 AM MST to March 2, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Butte / Blackfoot Region forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
46.306, -113.025 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The MT DOT sensor located near Helmville reported a wind chill of -41 deg. F at 8:06 am on Mar. 1. Other cold wind chill values include: -40 Garrison, -37 Elliston and -32 at both Georgetown Lake and Bert Mooney Airport near Butte.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Kootenai/Cabinet Region

When
March 1, 1:00 AM MST to March 2, 9:00 AM MST
Where
Kootenai/Cabinet Region forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
48.171, -114.863 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A weather station located 4 miles north of Kila reported a wind chill of -26 deg. F at 8:08 am MST on Mar. 1. Another station located one mile east-southeast of Marion reported -23 deg. F at 4:48 am MST on Mar. 1.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Flathead/Mission Valleys

When
March 1, 1:00 AM MST to March 2, 10:00 AM 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)

The Glacier National Airport located 8 miles north of Kalispell reported wind chill values between -20 and -30 deg. F while winds were ranging between 10 and 31 mph mainly blowing out of Bad Rock Canyon.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys

When
March 1, 1:00 AM MST to March 2, 2:00 AM MST
Where
Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
46.560, -114.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Missoula International Airport reported the coldest wind chill value of -24 deg. F at 9:09 am MST on Mar. 1. Winds were gusting as high as 35 mph at the airport, but were probably over 50 mph near Hellgate Canyon.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Lower Clark Fork Region

When
March 1, 1:00 AM MST to March 2, 2:00 AM MST
Where
Lower Clark Fork Region forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
47.286, -114.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A weather sensor located 4 miles east of Mullan reported the coldest wind chill of -21 deg. F. A weather sensor located three miles north of Ninemile reported -20 deg. F.

Strong Wind, Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys

When
March 1, 12:33 PM MST
Where
Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys forecast zone
Measured
48 kt (55 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
Newspaper
Coordinates
46.560, -114.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 12:33 pm MST on Mar. 1, a local newspaper reported that a large tree blew onto a car near the intersection of Cooper and Scott Streets in Missoula due to the wind.

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.
Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

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, 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: 505080, 505087, 505079, 505081, 505082, 505085, 505084.