Strong winds developed along the Rocky Mountain Front after a fresh snowfall leading to ground blizzard conditions, especially along the Highway 2 corridor from Browning to the East Glacier area. While the impacts of the blizzard conditions were over a smaller area, it did cause significant impacts, especially to travel.
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.
Strong winds developed along the Rocky Mountain Front after a fresh snowfall leading to ground blizzard conditions, especially along the Highway 2 corridor from Browning to the East Glacier area. While the impacts of the blizzard conditions were over a smaller area, it did cause significant impacts, especially to travel.
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 Jan 1, 3:21 PM MST, 2 hours 39 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Great Falls MT 321 PM MST Mon Jan 1 2018 .SYNOPSIS... An upper level ridge of high pressure is slowly rebuilding over the Pacific Northwest. As a result warmer temperatures will slowly move back into North Central and Southwest MT over the next few days. It will likely take until Friday before the warm air moves into the entire region. There is a small chance for a passing snow shower later this week over the western mountains, while most areas will not have a chance for snow showers until the weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Tonight through Monday...The main weather feature will be an upper level ridge of high pressure trying to build over the Pacific Northwest over the next few days. As the ridge builds, warmer air is expected to move into the region. However, I have delayed on how fast the warm air moves into the Plains of North Central MT, along with the Helena/Bozeman valleys. It will take a few days for the warmer air to move into these regions, especially up in the Havre/Harlem areas. Breezy west winds are expected tonight, and that will help mix down some warmer air, but not everyone will mix out. Some blowing snow will develop over the Rocky Mountain Front out into the Cut Bank area, thus the blowing snow advisory will continue. Wind chills are meeting criteria in a few locations, but not widespread enough at this time to issue a highlight. Later in the week, a few upper level disturbances will move southward through the northwest flow aloft. A few snow showers will pass through the region, with the best chance for snow over the Rocky Mountain Front through Friday. For next weekend, the disturbance could be a bit stronger, possibly spreading the chance for shower showers further east out over the region. National Blend models also indicate a cooling trend next weekend. Brusda && .AVIATION... Updated 2230Z. Other than some passing high clouds later tonight, expect VFR conditions to prevail across the region through the period. Brusda && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF -15 14 12 28 / 0 0 0 10 CTB -21 24 16 30 / 0 0 0 10 HLN -8 15 7 24 / 0 0 0 10 BZN -3 17 3 25 / 0 0 0 10 WEY -6 21 -4 26 / 0 0 0 10 DLN 7 29 13 34 / 0 0 0 10 HVR -25 6 2 18 / 0 0 0 0 LWT -9 18 16 30 / 0 0 0 10 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 11 AM MST Tuesday Eastern Glacier...Northern Rocky Mountain Front...Southern Rocky Mountain Front. && http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Great Falls MT 224 PM MST Mon Jan 1 2018 MTZ011-045-047-020000- Hill-Liberty-Blaine- Including the cities of Havre, Rocky Boy, Chester, Joplin, Lothair, Whitlash, Chinook, Lloyd, Zurich, Harlem, Hogeland, Hays, and Lodge Pole 224 PM MST Mon Jan 1 2018 West winds between 10 and 15 mph are creating wind chill values of 30 below to 40 below zero across portions of Liberty, Hill and Blaine counties. The winds should diminish early this evening, subsiding the wind chills a bit. Remember, frostbite can occur in less than 30 minutes with the current wind chills.
3 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Browning Police Department reports whiteout conditions with numerous accidents, including vehicles in ditches. Travel is very difficult. Wind gusts up to 56 mph occurring at this time. Several roads have been closed in the area.
Numerous road closures due to significant blowing and drifting of snow. Road closures included sections of Highways 89, 444, and 2 from Marias Pass to Browning.
Montana DES reports that the Blackfeet Tribal Reservation's EOC has been stood up for wind events with blowing and drifting snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, January 2018
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: 726213, 726219, 726222.