Unsettled northwesterly flow brought off and on snow to Central Montana. Multiple shortwaves passing through the region caused string winds and widespread accumulating snow.
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 TFX wrote it up.
Unsettled northwesterly flow brought off and on snow to Central Montana. Multiple shortwaves passing through the region caused string winds and widespread accumulating snow.
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 Jan 2, 4:45 AM MST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT 445 AM MST Fri Jan 2 2015 CORRECTED SECOND PARAGRAPH .DISCUSSION... Friday through Sunday... An active end to the week will begin today along the Rocky Mountain Front and adjacent high plains where strong gusty winds are expected to develop. Winds are not anticipated to reach warning criteria at this time, but there is the potential for potentially damaging winds this afternoon and evening and highlites may become necessary later. The reason for the gusty winds is a fast moving shortwave trough that will punch through the area Friday night and Saturday morning. A winter weather advisory has been issued for the snow and blowing snow expected with this shortwave. Temperatures are expected to drop back below zero for a large amount of the area behind the associated cold front and the combination of falling snow and wind driven blowing snow will create potential dangerous conditions through the overnight hours. While conditions should improve Saturday afternoon, the next system is expected to move into the area Saturday evening, bringing the next round of light snowfall, while widespread snow is expected, and cool temperatures will be reinforced with a second albeit weaker cold front the the winds do not appear to be as strong with tonights system. Temperatures look to remain below seasonal values with most locations across Central and North Central Montana seeing temperatures struggling to climb into the single digits Saturday and Sunday with overnight low temperatures remaining below zero. The valleys of Southwest Montana should generally be protected from these cooler temperatures, although most locations will see single digit lows and highs remaining below freezing this weekend. Suk Sunday night through Friday...The GFS and ECMWF model runs are in better agreement than they have been of late. The latest ECMWF has come around to the wetter GFS solution. The main story for the first part of the week will be a moist northwest flow aloft. For Sunday night and Monday models indicate that the cold airmass at the beginning of the period will retreat some before there is yet another surge of a colder airmass from Canada. The GFS only retreats the initial cold airmass over southwest Montana while the ECMWF retreats the cold airmass as far east as the east slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Have gone in between the two solutions with highs on Monday. In line with the now wetter ECMWF have reversed yesterdays trend of lowering the chances of snow. Am coming up with total snow accumulations from Sunday night through Tuesday of 2 to 4 inches over the east slopes and most valleys of southwest Montana. Mountains could see 6 to 12 inches of snow during this time frame. The GFS and ECMWF have an upper ridge approaching the forecast area Tuesday night and this ridge should move over the area by Thursday. Expect snow to diminish Tuesday night with mostly dry weather Wednesday through Thursday. A weather disturbance aloft or two will move through the area Thursday night and Friday for an increased chance of snow. After moderating temperatures Wednesday with highs in the mid 30s to mid 40s except over north central Montana there will be still another surge of colder air from Canada Wednesday night which will bring cooler temperatures Thursday and Friday. This airmass is not expected to be as cold as those of this weekend and early next week. Blank && .AVIATION... UPDATED 1145Z. The main message is there will be deteriorating conditions later this afternoon and tonight as a strong Canadian cold front sweeps south and brings a change from VFR conditions to widespread IFR/LIFR conditions in snow. Have moderate confidence on the timing of the cold front and also moderate confidence with winds and ceilings/visibilities behind the cold front. Mountains/passes will be obscured behind the cold front but also there will be some mountain obscurement ahead of the cold front over the mountains of the Rocky Mountain Front this afternoon. Blank && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 37 1 7 -4 / 10 100 30 70 CTB 31 -3 4 -9 / 10 90 30 70 HLN 32 9 16 5 / 10 100 30 60 BZN 30 8 15 9 / 10 100 40 50 WEY 21 2 20 6 / 10 70 50 50 DLN 33 14 24 12 / 10 90 40 50 HVR 34 1 7 -3 / 20 90 20 40 LWT 40 -1 8 -5 / 10 90 40 60 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 5 PM this afternoon to 5 AM MST Saturday Broadwater...Cascade...Central and Southern Lewis and Clark...Chouteau...Eastern Glacier...Eastern Pondera...Eastern Teton...Fergus...Gallatin...Jefferson...Judith Basin...Madison... Meagher...Northern Rocky Mountain Front...Southern Rocky Mountain Front. Flood Advisory for ice jam flooding on the Gallatin River from Big Sky to Gallatin Gateway...in effect until 5 PM Saturday. && weather.gov/greatfalls www.twitter.com/NWSGreatFalls www.facebook.com/NWSGreatFalls
6 heavy snow, 3 high wind, 1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
High wind gusts, measuring 52KT (60MPH), were reported 13 mi W of Bynum, MT at the Dellwo sensor.
High sustained winds, measuring 37KT (42MPH), were reported 3 mi SW of Cut Bank, MT at the Cut Bank airport ASOS.
High wind gusts, measuring 57KT (66MPH), were reported in Heart Butte Bynum, MT at the Heart Butte RAWS.
Multiple areas avalanches reported via GNFAC:
1. 1/4/2015 Bridgers West Side. |2. 1/5/2015 Bridger Range - backside of Hidden Gulley.|3. 1/5/2015 N. Gallatin - Flanders.
Heavy snow, measuring 10.0 inches in 24 hours, was reported 10 mi SSE of Neihart, MT at the Deadman Creek SNOTEL; elevation 6450ft.
Heavy snow, measuring 14.0 inches in 24 hours, was reported 12 mi SE of Lewistown, MT; elevation 5000ft.
Heavy snow, measuring 9.0 inches in 24 hours, was reported 11 mi SSW of East Glacier Park, MT at the Pike Creek SNOTEL; elevation 5928ft.
Heavy snow, measuring 9.0 inches in 24 hours, was reported 23 mi W of Bynum, MT at the Waldron SNOTEL; elevation 5600ft.
Heavy snow, measuring 12.0 inches in 24 hours, was reported in Hobson, MT.
Heavy snow, measuring 15.0 inches in 24 hours, was reported in the Fox Farm area of Great Falls, MT.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, January 2015
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: 552739, 552741, 552740, 552742, 552733, 552737, 552735, 552736, 552738, 552734.