Winter Storm in Montana, March 15, 2018

Name: Winter Storm in Montana, March 15, 2018
Start: 2018-03-15T03:55
End: 2018-03-15T03:55
Location: Montana

March 15, 2018 · NWS TFX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A compact shortwave trough moved northward along and near the Continental Divide in Montana. This system delivered accumulating snow to most of the mountains of North-Central and Southwest Montana.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 TFX wrote it up.

A compact shortwave trough moved northward along and near the Continental Divide in Montana. This system delivered accumulating snow to most of the mountains of North-Central and Southwest Montana. Most lower elevations in both regions experienced a mix of rain and snow, with minor snow accumulations and impacts.

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 Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 15, 3:02 AM MST, 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 15, 3:02 AM MST, 53 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 15, 2:09 AM MST, 1 hour 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
309 AM MDT THU MAR 15 2018

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0200 AM     SNOW             ALBRO LAKE SNOTEL       45.60N 111.96W
03/15/2018  M5.0 INCH        MADISON            MT   MESONET

            MESONET STATION ABRM8, ALBRO LAKE SNOTEL.
            THE DURATION OF THE SNOW EVENT WAS 12 HOURS.

0200 AM     SNOW             BEAVER CREEK SNOTEL     44.95N 111.36W
03/15/2018  M3.0 INCH        GALLATIN           MT   MESONET

            MESONET STATION BEVM8, BEAVER CREEK SNOTEL.
            THE DURATION OF THE SNOW EVENT WAS 12 HOURS.

0200 AM     SNOW             CARROT BASIN SNOTEL     44.96N 111.29W
03/15/2018  M6.0 INCH        GALLATIN           MT   MESONET

            MESONET STATION CRRM8, CARROT BASIN SNOTEL.
            THE DURATION OF THE SNOW EVENT WAS 12 HOURS.

0200 AM     SNOW             TIZER BASIN SNOTEL      46.35N 111.85W
03/15/2018  M3.0 INCH        JEFFERSON          MT   MESONET

            MESONET STATION TIBM8, TIZER BASIN SNOTEL.
            THE DURATION OF THE SNOW EVENT WAS 12 HOURS.

0200 AM     SNOW             LAKEVIEW RIDGE SNOTEL   44.59N 111.82W
03/15/2018  M3.0 INCH        BEAVERHEAD         MT   MESONET

            MESONET STATION LVRM8, LAKEVIEW RIDGE
            SNOTEL. THE DURATION OF THE SNOW EVENT WAS
            12 HOURS.

0200 AM     SNOW             TEPEE CREEK SNOTEL      44.79N 111.71W
03/15/2018  M3.0 INCH        MADISON            MT   MESONET

            MESONET STATION TPEM8, TEPEE CREEK SNOTEL.
            THE DURATION OF THE SNOW EVENT WAS 12 HOURS.

&&

Event by event

1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Southern Lewis and Clark

When: March 15, 3:55 AM MST
Where: Southern Lewis and Clark forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Montana DOT reported chains required on MT-200 from Rogers Pass to junction with Flesher Pass Road.

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

Every storm in Montana in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, March 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 737312.