Montana, 2018

Winter Storm in Montana, April 1 to 3, 2018

April 1 to 3, 2018 · NWS BYZ · 21 events in 21 counties and zones

A strong upper low over Idaho combined with a surface low over central Wyoming brought a late season heavy snow event to the entire Billings forecast area. |Snowfall amounts of 6 to 10 inches were common across the entire forecast area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 16 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
21

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 BYZ wrote it up.

A strong upper low over Idaho combined with a surface low over central Wyoming brought a late season heavy snow event to the entire Billings forecast area. Tight surface pressure gradients associated with the surface low resulted in gusty northwest winds and considerable blowing and drifting snow across the east and southeast portions of the area.|Snowfall amounts of 6 to 10 inches were common across the entire forecast area.

What forecasters said that day

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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 1, 2:48 PM MST, 2 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 1, 2:48 PM MST, 2 hours 12 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 1, 2:07 PM MST, 2 hours 53 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

21 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Crazy Mountains

When
April 1, 5:00 PM MST to April 2, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Crazy Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.923, -110.104 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The east side of the Crazies received over a foot of new snow.

Winter Storm, Absarokee / Beartooth Mountains

When
April 1, 5:00 PM MST to April 2, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Absarokee / Beartooth Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
45.550, -109.722 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Fisher Creek and Cole Creek received 12+ inches of new snow.

Winter Storm, Beartooth Foothills

When
April 1, 6:00 PM MST to April 2, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Beartooth Foothills forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.742, -109.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mystic Lake received 19 inches of snow while McLeod received 12 inches.

Winter Storm, Livingston Area

When
April 1, 6:00 PM MST to April 2, 1:30 PM MST
Where
Livingston Area forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.488, -110.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 5 to 10 inches was reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Red Lodge Foothills

When
April 1, 6:00 PM MST to April 2, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Red Lodge Foothills forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.227, -109.028 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 6 to 9 inches was reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Northern Sweet Grass

When
April 1, 6:55 PM MST to April 2, 3:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Sweet Grass forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Snowfall of 5 to 10 inches was reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Judith Gap

When
April 1, 7:00 PM MST to April 2, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Judith Gap forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.424, -109.509 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 4 inches was reported. Highway 191 was closed through Judith Gap due to blizzard conditions.

Winter Storm, Golden Valley

When
April 1, 7:00 PM MST to April 2, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Golden Valley forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.381, -109.175 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 9 inches was reported. Highways 87 and 191 were closed due to bad road conditions.

Winter Storm, Musselshell

When
April 1, 7:00 PM MST to April 2, 10:00 PM MST
Where
Musselshell forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.497, -108.398 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 8 to 10 inches was reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Southern Wheatland

When
April 1, 7:00 PM MST to April 2, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Wheatland forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Two Dot received 7 inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Paradise Valley

When
April 1, 7:00 PM MST to April 3, 1:30 PM MST
Where
Paradise Valley forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.488, -110.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 6 inches was reported south of Livingston.

Winter Storm, Northern Park County

When
April 1, 7:00 PM MST to April 2, 1:30 PM MST
Where
Northern Park County forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.488, -110.526 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 5 to 10 inches was reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Yellowstone

When
April 1, 8:00 PM MST to April 2, 10:00 PM MST
Where
Yellowstone forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Broadview received 7 inches of snow and Laurel received 8 inches.

Winter Storm, Eastern Carbon

When
April 1, 8:00 PM MST to April 2, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Eastern Carbon forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Snowfall of 9 inches was reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Northern Stillwater

When
April 1, 8:00 PM MST to April 2, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Stillwater forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.669, -109.395 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 5 to 8 inches was reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Northern Big Horn

When
April 1, 9:00 PM MST to April 3, 1:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Big Horn forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.424, -107.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 6 inches was reported in Hardin and Busby.

Winter Storm, Northern Rosebud

When
April 1, 11:00 PM MST to April 3, 1:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Rosebud forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.230, -106.731 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 6 to 8 inches was reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Treasure

When
April 1, 11:00 PM MST to April 3, 1:00 AM MST
Where
Treasure forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.212, -107.272 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 6 to 9 inches was reported.

Winter Storm, Southern Big Horn

When
April 2, 3:00 AM MST to April 3, 2:00 AM MST
Where
Southern Big Horn forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Both lanes of I-90 were blocked by numerous accidents around and north of Aberdeen Hill. Northern Sheridan County in Wyoming received 4 to 8 inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Southern Rosebud

When
April 2, 5:00 AM MST to April 3, 2:00 AM MST
Where
Southern Rosebud forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.230, -106.731 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Chains were required over Lame Deer Divide.

Winter Storm, Powder River

When
April 2, 7:00 AM MST to April 3, 3:00 AM MST
Where
Powder River forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.395, -105.630 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 6 inches along with severe driving conditions along Highway 212 were reported.

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 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: 746444, 746445, 746436, 746437, 746439, 746440, 746431, 746432, 746434, 746435, 746438, 746441, 746433, 746442, 746443, 746386, 746389, 746420, 746387, 746381, 746388.