A period of snowfall fell across the higher elevations of southwest Montana. An avalanche takes the life of a skier near Philipsburg.
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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 MSO wrote it up.
A period of snowfall fell across the higher elevations of southwest Montana. An avalanche takes the life of a skier near Philipsburg.
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 Mar 9, 1:54 PM MST, 10 hours 6 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
254 PM MDT Sun Mar 9 2014
...Flooding potential continues as more rain is on the way...
.DISCUSSION...Not much has changed with the overall forecast
reasoning given the continued high degree of consistency within
numerical weather models. The first round of very heavy rain has
made its way through the region and has resulted in steady rises
to small streams and creeks across parts of NW Montana. Additional
flooding issues are likely to arise as this heavy rain continues
to drain off the mountains and into the lower elevation streams.
But the good news is that the focus of heaviest precipitation will
steadily be shifting south over central Idaho and parts of west
central into southwest Montana overnight as a second weather
system and cold front approach.
This second precipitation maximum is already starting to produce
more robust precipitation over Clearwater & Idaho counties as well
as over the higher terrain of far southern Ravalli and northern
Lemhi County. All the data supports continued enhancement of
rainfall and heavy higher terrain snow tonight which by Monday
morning will likely produce some significant flooding impacts. But
just where these impacts will occur still remains a bit
uncertainty as it largely depends on variables such as remaining
lower elevation snow, ground saturation and current creek/stream
levels. We believe all these factors will ultimately play into the
flooding picture and thus have continued the Flood Watch for those
areas of chief concern. Those who live within this watch and near
areas which could flood are encouraged to keep watch tonight
through tomorrow and have an plan in place should flooding occur.
Accompanying this second wave of precipitation will be an
increasing threat for snow impacts. The heaviest amounts are
expected over the higher terrain over Lost Trail Pass through
Georgetown Lake tonight. However additional accumulation down to
around 5000 feet are expected by Monday morning, which should
even affect the city of Butte with several slushy inches for the
morning commute. The atmosphere will turn quite unstable during
the afternoon with additional snow accumulations possible but
being quite variable and continue through Tuesday morning.
The rest of the week appears to be largely quiet with high
pressure becoming dominant. Cool nights followed by seasonable
warm days appear likely. There is low confidence with a weak
system breaking through the ridge on Friday.
&&
.AVIATION...Few aviation impacts are expected at the larger
airfields of KMSO, KGPI and KSMN through the next 24 hours.
Widespread low clouds may obscure terrain...especially overnight
as precipitation intensifies over central Idaho and southwest
Montana. KBTM and throughout southwest Montana will see mixed
precipitation transition to snow early Monday morning with a
problematic period due to snow and low visibilities and ceilings
likely through Monday night.
&&
.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 6 AM Monday to 9 AM MDT Tuesday
ABOVE 5000 FEET FOR THE Butte/Blackfoot Region.
ID...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY until 6 AM MDT Tuesday for Lost Trail
Pass IN THE Eastern Lemhi County.
&&
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https://www.twitter.com/NWSMissoulaThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather, 1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
A weather spotter located 7.4 northwest of Anaconda reported 6.5 of snowfall in 18 hours.
A 27 year old male died as a result of asphyxia after being buried by a hard slab avalanche on a westerly slope above Altoona Lakes, in the Flint Creek Range or about 11 miles east-northeast of Philipsburg. The crown was located at 8,512 feet, slope angle was 35 degrees plus, length was 1,324 feet on the ground and the estimated horizontal length of the crown was 2,100 feet. An investigation made by the West Central Montana Avalanche Center found that dry & cold weather during the early winter and a shallow snowpack had created a very weak faceted layer near the ground was 10 inches in depth. The skier broke through the weakness near some rocks which allowed for the season's snowpack to slide at once.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche, Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains | 2014-03-10 | 27 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
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, March 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: 507351, 507341.