A large storm system from the central Rockies pulled enough Pacific moisture and Canadian cold air through the region to spread moderate to heavy snow and blizzard conditions through portions of northeast Montana, especially near the border with North Dakota.
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.
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 GGW wrote it up.
A large storm system from the central Rockies pulled enough Pacific moisture and Canadian cold air through the region to spread moderate to heavy snow and blizzard conditions through portions of northeast Montana, especially near the border with North Dakota.
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 Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 25, 9:12 AM MST, 2 hours 48 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service GLASGOW MT 912 AM MST Sun Dec 25 2016 .SHORT TERM...for northeast Montana...today through Tue... ...Blizzard Conditions expected this afternoon and evening for parts of northeast Montana... Overall, the forecast is proceeding on track. Light snow has been falling throughout the morning as this low pressure system continues to track north and east toward the area as expected. Have had a couple of reports of light freezing drizzle along parts of the North Dakota border, so added that into the forecast this morning. This should become entirely snow over the next couple of hours. Hickford PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...Latest 00z and 06z model guidance continues to support intermittent snow during the day today before steadier snow approaches from the southeast and expanding northwest this afternoon and evening as low pressure tracks into the Dakotas. A sharp cutoff in the steady snowfall accumulations is expected. An inch or two of snow and some blowing snow concerns remain possible for far western portions of the CWA. From about Opheim through Glasgow and into the Sand Springs area...a difficult forecast is shaping up with models having these locations right on the edge of the steadier snow. A shift to the east would mean only an inch or two of snowfall whereas a shift further west would bring in a solid 4 to 5 inches of snow. Existing winter weather advisory with 2 to 5 inches still appears to be effective messaging. Meanwhile, best isentropic support should fall near the MT/ND border and it would not be surprising to see snowfall rates of an inch an hour at times late this afternoon and evening across parts of the eastern zones. Additionally, as low pressure tracks downstream, expect a tight pressure gradient to set up over these locations helping to drive gusty north winds...frequently near 35 mph. This combination will likely produce near zero visibility at times. As a result, Blizzard Warnings have been hoisted. Given some degree of uncertainty on the westward extent of the highest snowfall rates, opted to leave Daniels, W. Roosevelt, and McCone Counties in the Winter Storm Warning. Day shift will be able to further assess the situation, but confidence is growing that the worst conditions should occur closest to the MT/ND border from roughly 3pm this afternoon until around 10 or 11 pm this evening. Snow will taper off tonight gradually and then attention will turn to wind chills by Monday morning approaching 20 below. The Arctic air mass will slide east Tuesday with a shortwave ridge building across Montana allowing for considerably milder temperatures, which will likely persist into the midweek. Maliawco .LONG TERM...Tue night through Sun... An upper trough moves through the area Tuesday Night with a cold front that will bring gusty west winds and little chance for snow. The gusty west winds will continue on Wednesday and may cause some of the snow received over the weekend to drift if it is still loose. Northwest flow aloft will prevail on Thursday as the upper trough moves to the east and a shortwave ridge moves across the forecast area. Look for dry weather with near normal temperatures as surface high pressure will be over the area. Models are pointing towards a cold front during the day on Friday as an upper trough drops south from Canada. It looks like there will be enough moisture for a chance of snow. Colder temperatures are expected on Saturday. Another upper trough is expected on Sunday with a chance of snow. Forrester && .AVIATION... Synopsis: A strong low pressure system over Colorado this morning will continue to move Northeast across the Dakotas tonight. Cold air in place ahead of the system will allow for precipitation to fall as all snow and reduce visibility with strong winds. Flight Category: A mix of VFR/mvfr/ifr this morning lowering to IFR with areas of LIFR this afternoon and tonight. Wind/Wx: East wind 15 to 25 knots early will back to the northeast this morning at 10 to 20 knots and to the north this afternoon. Wind speeds will increase to 20 to 30 knots by evening with KGDV and KSDY having the higher winds. The strong winds will turn northwest late tonight and diminish Monday Morning. Light snow will continue off and on this morning and then AFT 18Z the snow will increase and reduce visibility to below airport minimums. && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 11 PM MST this evening for Central and Southeast Phillips...Central and Southern Valley... Garfield...Northern Phillips...Northern Valley...Petroleum... Southwest Phillips. Winter Storm Warning until 5 AM MST Monday for Daniels... McCone...Western Roosevelt. Blizzard Warning until 5 AM MST Monday for Dawson...Eastern Roosevelt...Prairie...Richland...Sheridan...Wibaux. && weather.gov/glasgow
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 323 AM MST SUN DEC 25 2016 MTZ016-017-021-022-059>061-261000- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY- PETROLEUM-GARFIELD-NORTHERN PHILLIPS-SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS- NORTHERN VALLEY- 323 AM MST SUN DEC 25 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR 2 TO 5 INCHES OF OF SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITY IN BLOWING SNOW. DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AS A RESULT OF THESE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ018-020-023-261000- DANIELS-WESTERN ROOSEVELT-MCCONE- 323 AM MST SUN DEC 25 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING EFFECT THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING FOR 5 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW AND LOW VISIBILITY IN BLOWING SNOW. DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AS A RESULT OF THESE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ019-024>027-062-261000- SHERIDAN-RICHLAND-DAWSON-PRAIRIE-WIBAUX-EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 323 AM MST SUN DEC 25 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A BLIZZARD WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING FOR 6 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW...NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY...AND FREQUENT WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE WORST OF THE STORM THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Trained spotters south of Wibaux reported blizzard conditions from the afternoon on Christmas day to the early morning of the next day. Times are estimated.
Trained spotters reported blizzard conditions from the afternoon on Christmas day to the early morning of the next day.
Multiple trained spotters across Sheridan County, Montana generally confirmed what the mesonet observation in Plentywood recorded. Blizzard conditions were common from early in the evening on Christmas day until early the next morning.
Trained spotter at 2 NNE Froid reported blizzard conditions through the overnight hours. Times are estimated.
Trained spotters reported blizzard conditions from the evening on Christmas Day to the morning of the next day. Times are estimated.
Trained spotter 8N Lindsay reported blizzard conditions from the evening on Christmas Day to the morning of the next day. Times are estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, December 2016
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: 668257, 668261, 668241, 668242, 668244, 668252.