With a large low pressure system over the Canadian Prairie, strong and gusty winds were funneled across most of northeast Montana, easily blowing around recently fallen snow.
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.
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.
With a large low pressure system over the Canadian Prairie, strong and gusty winds were funneled across most of northeast Montana, easily blowing around recently fallen snow.
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 Mar 7, 2:39 AM MST, 6 hours earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service GLASGOW MT 239 AM MST Tue Mar 7 2017 .SHORT TERM...for northeast Montana...today through Thu... Tight surface gradient will continue over Northeast Montana today with deep surface low over Ontario and surface high over Alberta and North Central Montana. This will bring gusty NW winds across the forecast area today. The high to the west will also allow for a dry and cool day with highs 5 to 10 degrees below normal. The surface high will move through Eastern Montana this evening. Late tonight and Wednesday morning, moisture will overrun a frontal boundary to the west of the forecast area. This moisture will bring snow to the southwest part of the forecast area where locations like Winnett could see an inch or two of accumulation. At this point, there may not be enough snow for a winter weather advisory. Overrunning diminishes by afternoon on Wednesday as a shortwave trough moves along the MT/Canada border. Models differ on where precipitation will be Wednesday afternoon and night will mention a chance of snow. Models bring another round of overrunning snow to Central and possibly Eastern Montana on Thursday but they differ on how far east the snow will occur. The GFS and NAM wants to keep the snow south and west of the forecast area and keep it dry with the Arctic high over Saskatchewan. Meanwhile, the ECMWF brings it through most of Northeast Montana. Will mention a chance of snow SW and slight chance NE for now. Temperatures will feel more like January with highs in the teens north and 20s south. Forrester .LONG TERM...Thu night through Tue... The extended period begins Thursday evening with a long-wave upper level ridge over the far west and a longer wave trough anchored by the Hudson Bay low. This places a northwest flow aloft over Northeast Montana with our CWA on the cold side of the stationary boundary. A storm system off the Pac-NW coast will be ejecting Pacific moisture into the Northern Rockies. As the trough/storm pushes inland it sends the ridge east. The moisture flows over the cold boundary, spreading accumulating snow across our area Friday and Friday night. There will be a break in the action for Saturday, but a quick moving disturbance in the upper flow brings another round of moisture into the Northwest and Montana beginning Saturday night, then accumulating snow for Sunday and possibly Sunday night. With another ridge, there will be another break for Monday before the next round of more scattered precipitation shows up for Tuesday. Temperatures are expected to remain below normal for this time of year, as much as 20F degrees below normal. A return to more normal highs and lows should occur by the middle of next week. Templer && .AVIATION... VFR. The large, stacked-up low/winter storm moves into southern Manitoba and Ontario, but its effects will continue today in the wind it produces over Northeast Montana. Therefore, this morning, expect scattered high clouds and northwest flow aloft up through 700mb. By late morning, wind above 700mb will also become northwesterly, mixing down and reinforcing. Winds: this morning northwest 10-15G25kt. Later today 20-30G40kt. Templer && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && weather.gov/glasgow
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service GLASGOW MT 323 AM MST Tue Mar 7 2017 MTZ017-023-025>027-059-081030- Central and Southern Valley-McCone-Dawson-Prairie-Wibaux- Northern Phillips- 323 AM MST Tue Mar 7 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northeast Montana. * Potential Impacts: Snow. * Timing: Thursday Night and Friday. * Snow Accumulation: There is uncertainty in the timing and track of the storm system at this time. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Hazardous Weather Outlook is issued when hazardous weather could impact the region within the next week. Be sure to stay tuned for future updates as locations, timing, and impacts could change. Begin preparations to mitigate any impacts that could result from the hazardous weather. && MTZ016-021-022-060-081030- Central and Southeast Phillips-Petroleum-Garfield- Southwest Phillips- 323 AM MST Tue Mar 7 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northeast Montana. * Potential Impacts: Snow. * Timing: Tonight and Wednesday Morning and again Thursday Night and Friday. * Snow Accumulation: Tonight and Wednesday, 1 to 2 inches with highest amounts near Winnett. Thursday Night and Friday, there is uncertainty in the timing and track of the storm system at this time. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Hazardous Weather Outlook is issued when hazardous weather could impact the region within the next week. Be sure to stay tuned for future updates as locations, timing, and impacts could change. Begin preparations to mitigate any impacts that could result from the hazardous weather. && MTZ018>020-024-061-062-081030- Daniels-Sheridan-Western Roosevelt-Richland-Northern Valley- Eastern Roosevelt- 323 AM MST Tue Mar 7 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northeast Montana. * Potential Impacts: Areas of Blowing Snow. * Timing: Today. * Blowing Snow: Northwest winds 25 to 35 mph will create areas of blowing snow today. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Hazardous Weather Outlook is issued when hazardous weather could impact the region within the next week. Be sure to stay tuned for future updates as locations, timing, and impacts could change. Begin preparations to mitigate any impacts that could result from the hazardous weather. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind, 1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Across portions of Sheridan County, sustained winds of at least 40 mph were measured from mid-morning until late that evening, with a peak wind gust of 61 mph at 4:52 PM at the Comertown Turn-Off MT-5 DOT site.
Road conditions report from the Montana DOT indicated that eastern Roosevelt County had severe driving conditions from blowing and drifting snow, with visibilities likely near zero. Times are estimated.
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: 674608, 682018.