Unseasonably warm temperatures led to rapid snowmelt across parts of Southwest Montana, which in turn led to flooding in a few areas.
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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.
Unseasonably warm temperatures led to rapid snowmelt across parts of Southwest Montana, which in turn led to flooding in a few areas.
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 Mar 14, 1:41 PM MST, 2 hours 37 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Great Falls MT 241 PM MDT Tue Mar 14 2017 .DISCUSSION... Tonight through Thursday...light rain showers will continue to push northeastward as a warm front lifts across the remainder of North Central Montana this evening. Southwest to westerly flow aloft will also keep the chance for rain and/or snow showers across the Continental Divide. Increasing flow aloft and a sharpening lee side surface trough will result in windy downsloping conditions along the Northern and Southern Rocky Mountain Front through late this evening. Some gusts of 50 to 60 knots will be possible in wind prone areas, however, widespread high wind criteria is not anticipated. On Wednesday, southwest to westerly flow will continue with weak height falls as the next upper level disturbance moves into the Pacific Northwest. Light rain and/or snow showers will continue along the Continental Divide due to upslope flow, with possibly even some light rain showers moving onto the North Central Plains as a weak disturbance rounds the top of the eastward progressing ridge. Highs will be well above normal on Wednesday, with most locations reaching the 50s to low 60s. A weak disturbance will then push across the Southern Canadian Provinces of Albert and Saskatchewan late Wednesday night and Thursday, and drag a Pacific cold front across the region. Cooler (but still above normal) temperatures and the chance for more widespread light showers will accompany this disturbance and cold front. In addition, wind will be on the increase Wednesday night and into the day on Thursday. This time frame will need to be closely monitored, especially along the Rocky Mountain Front for the potential for high winds. - Moldan Thursday Night through Tuesday...Medium range models remain in good agreement for much of the period showing a progressive pattern aloft. Shortwave energy over the region Thursday evening moves rapidly eastward overnight allowing upper level ridging to develop for Friday and Saturday. This will bring mostly dry conditions and warm temperatures to the state with high temperatures on Saturday possibly climbing to near record high territory. Another shortwave trough approaches the region Saturday night allowing an Alberta Clipper system to sweep eastward across southern Alberta- Saskatchewan on Sunday. This will bring windy conditions to much of central and north central Montana with a surface cold front sweeping east of the Rockies and bringing somewhat cooler temperatures for Sunday through Tuesday. For much of the medium range period, the combination of westerly flow aloft and breezy to windy downslope winds over the plains will keep lower elevations generally dry while mountains near the Continental Divide continue to see periods of rain and snow. Only exception to this pattern will be the introduction of slight chance to chance PoPs for the plains and valleys as the Alberta Clipper sweeps by on Sunday/Monday. mpj && .AVIATION... UPDATED 1730Z. VFR conditions prevail overall, with temporary MVFR this afternoon in rain showers. A band of rain showers extends from near KCTB to KGTF to KLWT this afternoon. This will gradually shift east and weaken. Mid-level ceilings persist tonight over N-central MT, with partial clearing over SW MT. Winds increase this afternoon across N- central Montana as the rain band moves further east. PN && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 44 61 42 54 / 10 10 20 20 CTB 37 52 35 48 / 10 10 20 10 HLN 38 59 38 52 / 10 10 30 30 BZN 37 61 40 56 / 10 10 30 60 WEY 29 46 36 43 / 10 20 50 60 DLN 37 64 40 55 / 10 10 30 40 HVR 35 55 37 52 / 40 20 30 20 LWT 38 59 37 51 / 30 10 20 20 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && weather.gov/greatfalls
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Great Falls MT
1229 PM MDT TUE MAR 14 2017
MTZ011-047-142015-
Hill-Blaine-
1229 PM MDT TUE MAR 14 2017
A brief period of light freezing rain may be possible early this
afternoon, generally along and north of a Havre to Harlem line.
Furthermore, given the recent cold temperatures, road surfaces may
remain below freezing long enough for some isolated slick spots to
develop.
LAT...LON 4900 10823 4891 10824 4891 10826 4875 10826
4874 10832 4844 10835 4844 10842 4838 10841
4843 10991 4900 10989
TIME...MOT...LOC 1816Z 246DEG 21KT 4852 11010
MoldanThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Madison County DES reports water flowing over several roadways in Virginia City, including over Highway 287, due to rapid snowmelt.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, March 2017
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: 683309.