Montana, 2018

Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Montana, April 1 to 2, 2018

April 1 to 2, 2018 · NWS MSO · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Arctic air spilled over the Continental Divide leading to heavy snow and blowing snow which made travel difficult in parts of Northwest Montana the evening of the 1st into the morning of the 2nd.

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.

Arctic air spilled over the Continental Divide leading to heavy snow and blowing snow which made travel difficult in parts of Northwest Montana the evening of the 1st into the morning of the 2nd.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 heavy snow, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Kootenai/Cabinet Region

When
April 1, 8:21 PM MST to April 2, 11:00 AM MST
Where
Kootenai/Cabinet Region forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
48.171, -114.863 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow fell across far northwest Montana with general amounts of 6-10 inches for valleys locations. The heaviest amounts were observed on Highway 37 south of Eureka, where 18 inches fell over 12 hours. Travel was difficult to impossible based on public and highway department reports.

Winter Storm, Flathead/Mission Valleys

When
April 2, 4:55 AM MST to 9:20 AM MST
Where
Flathead/Mission Valleys forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
47.872, -114.424 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Difficult to severe driving conditions were reported in the Kalispell vicinity as well as in Lake County. Numerous accidents occurred due to a combination of ice and reduced visibility in blowing snow.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
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 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, April 2018

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: 742955, 742956.