Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Montana, March 2 to 3, 2015

Name: Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Montana, March 2 to 3, 2015
Start: 2015-03-02T15:00
End: 2015-03-03T08:00
Location: Montana

March 2 to 3, 2015 · NWS MSO · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A strong arctic cold front caused heavy snow, blowing snow and icy road surfaces due to cold temperatures across portions of western Montana.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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.

A strong arctic cold front caused heavy snow, blowing snow and icy road surfaces due to cold temperatures across portions of western 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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 2, 2:41 PM MST, 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 2, 2:41 PM MST, 19 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
241 PM MST MON MAR 2 2015

.DISCUSSION...An arctic air mass will continue to push through
the Northern Rockies this afternoon and evening. This arctic will
interact with a system streaming out of British Columbia,
enhancing precipitation over the Northern Rockies. The models
continue to indicate that the I-90 corridor from Superior to
Garrison Jct will receive the most snow and have the biggest
impact, thus a winter storm warning has been issued. Not only will
the accumulating snow be an issue, but the refreezing of wet
and/or slushy roads will create hazardous driving conditions by
the Tuesday morning commute. The arctic front will cause gusty
easterly to northeasterly winds with the strongest being at the
mouth of Badrock and Hellgate canyons. These gusty winds will
cause localized blowing and drifting snow. The winds will diminish
during the over night hours, but the lingering wind combined with
the colder air mass will create significant wind chills.

Fairly dry northwesterly upper level flow will persist over the
the region Tuesday and on into Wednesday. Temperatures will be
very cold for this time of year especially during the morning
hours. The maximum temperatures will warm slightly from Tuesday to
Wednesday.

The latter half of the week is leaning toward stable and dry
conditions under a ridge, but models are not in complete
agreement on this solution. The EC keeps the ridge axis more along
the west coast allowing a weak system to move overhead on Friday.
The drier solution has been somewhat more consistent over the past
couple days, and for now continues to be followed.

&&

.AVIATION...The arctic front has passed KGPI causing gusty
northeasterly winds. Snow will be fairly minimal since the leading
edge of the front has passed. The arctic will steadily push across
the remainder of western Montana and north central Idaho this
evening. KMSO will receive light snow around 02/22z and intensify
at 03/00z. KBTM will be impacted by the front between 03/00z
and 03/04z. The visibility will be reduced due to the snow and
strong gusty northeast winds. The winds and snow will decrease
throughout the night into Tuesday morning.

&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...WINTER STORM WARNING until 11 AM MST Tuesday
     Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains...Butte/Blackfoot Region...
     Lower Clark Fork Region...Missoula/Bitterroot
     Valleys...Potomac/Seeley Lake Region.

     WINTER STORM WARNING until 11 AM MST Tuesday Flathead/Mission
     Valleys.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY until 8 AM MST Tuesday West Glacier
     Region.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY until 8 AM MST Tuesday Kootenai/Cabinet
     Region.

ID...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY until 11 AM MST Tuesday Eastern Lemhi
     County...Western Lemhi County.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY until 10 AM PST Tuesday Lower Hells
     Canyon/Salmon River Region...Northern Clearwater
     Mountains...Orofino/Grangeville Region...Southern
     Clearwater Mountains.

&&

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 winter weather, 1 heavy snow, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Butte / Blackfoot Region

When: March 2, 3:00 PM MST to March 3, 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)

MacDonald Pass on US-2 began accumulating snow with deteriorating conditions with blowing snow by 3 pm MST on the 2nd. MDT reported around 3 inches of snow at the pass while only 2 inches were reported at Discovery Ski Resort. The Butte ASOS reported light snow with strong gusty winds to 35 mph with the arctic cold front.

Heavy Snow, Lower Clark Fork Region

When: March 2, 4:00 PM MST to March 3, 8:00 AM MST
Where: Lower Clark Fork Region forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 47.286, -114.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moderate to heavy snow fell along Interstate 90 ahead of an arctic cold front during the evening of the 2nd. The snow melted and then turned to ice as colder air filtered south causing road conditions to become very slick. The MDT and a NWS employee reported very icy roads during the morning of the 3rd. Alberton received 4.5 inches of snow.

Winter Weather, Potomac / Seeley Lake Region

When: March 2, 4:00 PM MST to March 3, 8:00 AM MST
Where: Potomac / Seeley Lake Region forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 46.986, -113.597 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The MDT reported snow that melted and froze causing slick areas along I-90 near Clinton to Bearmouth. Around 2 inches of snow fell in the Clinton area.

Winter Storm, Flathead/Mission Valleys

When: March 2, 5:00 PM MST to March 3, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Flathead/Mission Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 47.872, -114.424 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The MDT section manager in the Hot Springs area reported heavy snow and gusty winds to 25 mph causing severe drifting and blowing snow. The one to two foot drifts formed continually throughout the evening especially between 830 and 1030 pm MST on highway 28 between the 10 to 19 mile-markers. Another impact was snow that melted then froze to an ice layer under the snow causing treacherous conditions. They received anywhere from 1 to 5 inches. The manager had to call in extra help from another area to mitigate the conditions.

Winter Weather, Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys

When: March 2, 5:00 PM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where: Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys forecast zone
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 46.560, -114.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Even though a few places saw a melt and re-freeze scenario with slick roads, the majority of the Missoula and Bitterroot Valleys saw low impact. Around a half-inch of snow fell in Frenchtown which froze after sunset causing roads to slicken up. A 57-year-old man was injured in an accident in which he slid and rolled off I-90 near Frenchtown. The MDT reported periods of moderate snow with gusty winds and drifting snow in the Hamilton area.

Winter Weather, Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains

When: March 2, 5:00 PM MST to March 3, 1:00 AM MST
Where: Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.508, -113.828 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

MDT reported 6 inches of snow fell at Lost Trail Pass on US-93 while in the higher valley northeast of Sula 4 to 5 inches fell. The snow began around 5:20 pm on the 2nd at Lost Trail Pass and caused road conditions to become slick throughout the evening. Webcams revealed some blowing and drifting snow.

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Montana in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, March 2015

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 567932, 567924, 567935, 567923, 567927, 567930.