Strong and gusty winds combined with recent snowfall to create hazardous driving conditions for Sheridan County with blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibilities.
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The episode as NWS GGW wrote it up.
Strong and gusty winds combined with recent snowfall to create hazardous driving conditions for Sheridan County with blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibilities.
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 30, 10:26 AM MST, 2 hours 4 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service GLASGOW MT 1026 AM MST Fri Dec 30 2016 .SHORT TERM...for northeast Montana...today through Sun... 1026AM Update... Wind speeds have come up considerably above forecast values area wide across the CWA this morning. As such, forecast was updated to trend more toward observations and near term expectations. Now expecting sustained wind speeds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 50 mph for the next several hours before gradually diminishing this afternoon and evening. Maliawco 9AM Update... Pops were increased in the southwest zones to match up with radar and surrounding observations. Other changes were cosmetic in nature with the overall forecast in good shape. Maliawco Previous Discussion... Synoptic Setup: A narrow pacific trough runs from off the coast of the Pacific Northwest through northern Idaho and southern Saskatchewan and towards the cold core center over the Hudson Bay. northeast Montana lies under zonal flow as the trough drops south through the area. Farther northwest another ridge is nosing in from the Gulf of Alaska into northern british COlumbia and dropping south in the flow. directly behind that is yet another trough moving through the Alaska north-slope. Today through Saturday: A succession of the trough Today followed by the ridge upstream will pass through the area. However the effects of the ridge will mute out as it dissipates in the flow by saturday Afternoon. Conditions should be dry through these periods. Saturday night through Sunday: As the ridge wanes the Alaskan North-slope trough will move through Montana. However this trough will have latched onto arctic air from the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. The following cold front and CAA behind it will generate a strong enough lift zone for post frontal snow showers across most of the CWA. Currently less than 2 inches is expected for the event with southern zones receiving the most moisture. GAH .LONG TERM...Sun night through Fri... Arctic trof drops into the northern Rockies early next week for a return to below normal temperatures. An upslope snow event expected with the cold air pushing up against the mountains and Pacific moisture streaming across the cold air. Most of the snow should be to the south and west but a few inches are possible in eastern Montana through Monday night. Cold air will linger through the remainder of the week with upper flow out of the arctic. Several additional shortwaves dive through the flow during the period with some snow potential but models currently differing on timing and position of snow. Ebert && .AVIATION... Mainly VFR. A upper-level short-wave trough and cold front swings through Northeast Montana today. This will bring isolated light snow showers that may produce temporary MVFR or IFR flight conditions. Amends as necessary. A closed off surface low has developed over southern Saskatchewan and is moving southeast into N. Dakota. This low will energize surface winds over the region. Expect northeast 15-25G35kt today, diminishing this evening to less than 10kt as it becomes westerly. Templer && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && weather.gov/glasgow
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GLASGOW MT 255 AM MST FRI DEC 30 2016 MTZ016>027-059>062-311100- CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PHILLIPS-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY- DANIELS-SHERIDAN-WESTERN ROOSEVELT-PETROLEUM-GARFIELD-MCCONE- RICHLAND-DAWSON-PRAIRIE-WIBAUX-NORTHERN PHILLIPS- SOUTHWEST PHILLIPS-NORTHERN VALLEY-EASTERN ROOSEVELT- 255 AM MST FRI DEC 30 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST MONTANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER TODAY AND TONIGHT IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A RETURN TO MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED BY EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH LOWS OF 10 BELOW TO 20 BELOW POSSIBLE. DANGEROUS WINDCHILL COULD BE POSSIBLE. .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.
1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Trained spotter reported 1/4 mile visibility with blowing and drifting snow and large drifts across Highway 5 east of Plentywood. Times estimated from Plentywood mesonet observation.
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: 669373.