A strong and cold low pressure system from the Canadian Rockies swept through the state of Montana and pushed strong, gusty winds and several inches of snow through many locations.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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.
A strong and cold low pressure system from the Canadian Rockies swept through the state of Montana and pushed strong, gusty winds and several inches of snow through many locations.
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 Apr 28, 2:50 AM MST, 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Glasgow MT 350 AM MDT Sun Apr 28 2019 .DISCUSSION... ...RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW THIS MORNING ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER AND HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE LITTLE ROCKIES... Radar and observations continue to show an area of mainly significant rain occurring over the northern zones and eastern half of the CWA. A dry slot has moved into the western and central portions of the forecast area, temporarily shutting off precipitation for a time this morning. As low pressure pushes through, cold temperatures will begin to feed into the region as wrap around precipitation begins to spill southeastward. This is when any rain will change to accumulating snow, with the steadiest accumulations expected along the Canadian border east of Opheim and over the higher terrain of the Little Rockies. The snow combined with strong and gusty winds developing with the tight pressure gradient on the back side of the surface low will lead to near blizzard conditions for a time this morning or afternoon over some of these locations, and so will leave inherited headlines in place. Travel could become quite difficult, if not hazardous along places such as 191 through the Malta South DOT site to near Zortman, or through the higher terrain of the Little Rockies, as well as along the Canadian border east of Opheim. Further to the south, it will take longer for the rain to change to snow, but a period of accumulating snow may still occur along Highway 2 or perhaps as far south as Sidney late this morning into the afternoon hours, wrapping around the low pressure system. Thus, a Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect, and has been expanded to include Richland County. Regardless of precise evolution of the dry slot and rain vs. snow line, storm total precipitation from Friday to tonight should still range between 0.25" and 0.75" for most places, with some locations coming in a little under or a little over. This system will pull away from the region tonight and Monday will follow with cool and dry weather conditions in place. The next system will deliver a chance for rain and snow for mainly the southern and eastern zones Tuesday into Wednesday, but amounts look lighter than the current system in place. Zonal or slightly northwest upper flow will set up over the Western U.S. following the midweek system, with dry weather conditions and near seasonable temperatures expected. Given the focus placed on details for the near term storm system with expected impacts, have trended the longer range period toward consensus blends to account for uncertainties at larger time scales. Maliawco && .AVIATION... FLIGHT CATEGORY: MVFR TO IFR. DISCUSSION: Low ceilings and rain will continue early this morning across the region, and visibilities may drop to MVFR range as rain changes to wet snow between 12-18Z for area terminals. Expect gradual improvement in flight conditions tonight as the storm system lifts out of the region. Winds: East winds around 10 to 15 kts this morning will become northeast and north this afternoon and increase, ranging to 15 to 25 kts with gusts in excess of 30 kts. North winds will diminish to around 10 kts after 03Z this evening. Maliawco && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Blizzard Warning until midnight MDT tonight for Central and Southeast Phillips...Northern Phillips...Northern Valley... Southwest Phillips. Winter Weather Advisory from 9 AM this morning to midnight MDT tonight for Central and Southern Valley...Eastern Roosevelt... Richland...Western Roosevelt. Blizzard Warning until midnight MDT tonight for Daniels... Sheridan. && weather.gov/glasgow
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Two public reports in Daniels County indicate heavy snow and strong winds were common. Whiteout conditions with near zero visibility reported. Times estimated.
Phillips County dispatch relayed a report of a complete whiteout with zero visibility at 5 S Hays in southwest Phillips County. Cooperative observer in Zortman reported 10.2 inches of new snowfall. Times estimated.
Multiple reports from trained spotters indicate that heavy snow and strong winds resulted in periods of one quarter of a mile visibility at times throughout most of the day. Most of the snow melted on contact, but visibility was still significantly impacted.
Multiple reports from locations in northern Valley County indicate heavy snow, strong winds, and visibility of a quarter of a mile or less. Whiteout and blizzard conditions reported. Times estimated.
Trained spotter in the southwest corner of Sheridan County reported blizzard conditions with near zero visibility and 4 inches of new snow accumulation.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, April 2019
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: 815529, 815537, 815543, 815518, 815547.