Montana, 2014Extreme 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.
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
- 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.
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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</html>In the hours before
Local storm report, Feb 28, 7:25 PM MST, 4 hours 35 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Feb 28, 7:57 PM MST, 4 hours 3 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Feb 28, 8:05 PM MST, 3 hours 55 minutes before
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</html>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.
- 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.
- Winter Weather in Colorado, March 1, 20141 death · 30 injured · 1 event
- Flash Flood and Heavy Snow in Arizona, March 1 to 2, 20141 death · 1 injured · $91,000 · 50 kt wind · 5 events
- Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 2014$10 million · 24 events
- Tornado and Flood in Arizona, March 1 to 2, 2014$165,000 · EF0 · 10 events
- Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 2014$105,000 · 18 events
- Drought in Oklahoma, March 1 to 31, 201433 events
- Drought in New Mexico, March 1 to 31, 201432 events
- Extreme Cold in Minnesota, March 1 to 2, 201429 events
- Extreme Cold in North Dakota, March 1 to 2, 201427 events
- Extreme Cold in Minnesota, March 1 to 2, 201424 events
- Cold in Nebraska, March 1 to 2, 201422 events
- Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 201421 events
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.