Montana, 2017

Winter Storm in Montana, January 31, 2017

January 31, 2017 · NWS MSO · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Periods of moderate to heavy snow causes slick roads and a high volume of accidents across west-central and southwest Montana.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

Periods of moderate to heavy snow causes slick roads and a high volume of accidents across west-central and southwest Montana.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys

When
January 31, 4:00 AM MST to 11:59 PM MST
Where
Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
46.560, -114.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Hamilton AWOS reported up to 4 hours of quarter mile or less visibility due to moderate and heavy snow. A trained spotter reported 8 to 10 inches of snow in Hamilton. The combination of heavy snow and warm afternoon road surfaces led to icy road conditions during the evening commute.

Winter Storm, Butte / Blackfoot Region

When
January 31, 4:00 AM MST to 11:59 PM MST
Where
Butte / Blackfoot Region forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.306, -113.025 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trained spotters reported 7 inches of snow in Anaconda, and 6 inches of snow in Butte with snow drifts up to 2 feet. Discovery ski resort reported 9 inches of new snow in 24 hours.

What these are

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

More

Every storm in Montana in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, January 2017

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: 672787, 672791.