Localized, steady to heavy snow bands affected portions of north-central Montana between the evening of February 15th and early morning of February 16th. As an eastward-moving shortwave trough traversed the region, a low pressure center aloft developed within this shortwave.
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.
Localized, steady to heavy snow bands affected portions of north-central Montana between the evening of February 15th and early morning of February 16th. As an eastward-moving shortwave trough traversed the region, a low pressure center aloft developed within this shortwave. The low's cyclonic circulation drew relatively-warm air northward and then around the backside of the low pressure center. This warm air encountered colder air, resulting in frontogenesis in the low- to mid-level atmosphere. The combination of lift induced by this frontogenesis and abundant low- to mid-level moisture contributed to the development of steady to heavy snow bands, generally north through west of the low pressure center aloft. The greatest snow totals were focused in Cascade County, where reports of about 6 to 12-inches of snow were received.
3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Fresh snowfall of 6.2-inches since 10 PM MST February 15th at the Great Falls NWS Forecast Office. Of that total, 6.1-inches had fallen during the past six-hours. Location: 5-miles WSW of Great Falls.
Fresh snowfall of 8.0-inches since 11 PM MST February 15th. Snow fell at a rate of up to 2-inches per hour. Was still snowing at time of report. Location: 7-miles SW of Highwood.
Great Falls Tribune reported Great Falls Police Department had received at least 50 calls regarding vehicles stuck in the snow as of Saturday afternoon, February 16th.
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, February 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 801649, 801640, 801650.