Blizzard and Winter Storm in Montana, February 24 to 26, 2019

Name: Blizzard and Winter Storm in Montana, February 24 to 26, 2019
Start: 2019-02-24T18:00
End: 2019-02-26T11:00
Location: Montana

February 24 to 26, 2019 · NWS MSO · 6 events in 5 counties and zones

A plume of subtropical moisture interacted with an intense arctic cold front producing widespread heavy snowfall across areas of western Montana.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: 6

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 MSO wrote it up.

A plume of subtropical moisture interacted with an intense arctic cold front producing widespread heavy snowfall across areas of western Montana.

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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 24, 3:07 PM MST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 24, 3:07 PM MST, 2 hours 53 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
307 PM MST Sun Feb 24 2019

...PROLONGED SNOW EVENT CONTINUES FOR CENTRAL IDAHO AND WEST
CENTRAL MONTANA...

.DISCUSSION...Many stations are currently reporting snow across
central Idaho and western Montana. The snow will continue through
Tuesday, with the most intense snow occurring Monday.

Recent changes to the forecast include a more northerly trend in
the track of the storm, prompting more watches from the shift last
night. Also, wind forecasts have increased along the Highway 200
corridor from Lincoln to Missoula, prompting more concern for
Missoula Monday afternoon and evening. Blowing and drifting snow
with reduced visibility will make the evening commute in Missoula
a challenge.

Further south in the Bitterroot valley, some areas are expected to
get a foot of new snow from Monday morning through Tuesday
morning. This has been a consistent feature in the forecasts for
the last few days and has given us confidence to issue a winter
storm warning.

Many areas in central Idaho, and south of Interstate 90 in
western Montana, are expected to get several inches of snow.
Please check our website for information specific to your area;
there are far too many impacts to list them here.

Mid week into next weekend the region remains under the influence
of a broad trough keeping cold air in the region. Daytime
temperatures will remain 10 to 20 degrees below average through
the end of the week. The overall pattern will remain active with
periods of snow showers, though significant storm systems like
this one are expected.

&&

.AVIATION...All aviation sites, save for KGPI, will continue to
experience degraded vsby and ceil due to periods of moderate to
heavy snowfall this evening. A brief lessening of snow intensity
will occur later in the evening and early Monday morning before
the next round of snow occurs. This enhancement of snow will cause
prolonged heavy snow to create very degraded flying conditions due
to low visibility and low ceilings for KMSO, KBTM, and KSMN.
Expect the worst conditions to occur between 25/1800Z through
26/0600Z, particularly for KMSO, which will see the brunt of the
impacts from snow, gusty easterly winds, and resultant blowing
snow. As for KGPI, much lighter snow will be possible late Monday,
but impacts will be minor at best.

&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Winter Weather Advisory until 11 AM MST Monday
     Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains.

     Winter Storm Warning from 11 AM Monday to 11 AM MST Tuesday
     Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains.

     Winter Storm Watch from Monday morning through Tuesday morning
     Butte/Blackfoot Region...Potomac/Seeley Lake Region.

     Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM MST Monday Butte/Blackfoot
     Region.

     Winter Storm Watch from Monday morning through Tuesday morning
     Lower Clark Fork Region.

     Winter Weather Advisory until 11 AM MST Monday
     Missoula/Bitterroot Valleys.

     Winter Storm Warning from 11 AM Monday to 11 AM MST Tuesday
     Missoula/Bitterroot Valleys.

ID...Winter Weather Advisory until 10 AM PST Tuesday Lower Hells
     Canyon/Salmon River Region...Orofino/Grangeville Region.

     Winter Storm Watch from Monday morning through Tuesday morning
     Northern Clearwater Mountains.

     Winter Weather Advisory from 6 AM Monday to 11 AM MST Tuesday
     Western Lemhi County.

     Winter Storm Warning until 6 AM MST Monday Western Lemhi County.

     Winter Weather Advisory until 11 AM MST Tuesday Eastern Lemhi
     County.

     Winter Weather Advisory until 10 AM PST Monday Southern
     Clearwater Mountains.

     Winter Storm Watch from Monday morning through Tuesday morning
     Southern Clearwater Mountains.

&&

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 24, 5:08 PM MST, 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
508 PM MST SUN FEB 24 2019

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

0508 PM     HEAVY SNOW       FLORENCE                46.63N 114.08W
02/24/2019  M5.0 INCH        RAVALLI            MT   PUBLIC

            4 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOWFALL DURING THE LAST 3
            HOURS.

&&

AL

Local storm report, Feb 24, 5:19 PM MST, 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
519 PM MST SUN FEB 24 2019

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

0518 PM     SNOW             4 NNW NINEMILE          47.08N 114.44W
02/24/2019  M2.3 INCH        MISSOULA           MT   PUBLIC

            19.7 INCHES OF SNOW DEPTH.

&&

AL

Local storm report, Feb 24, 5:21 PM MST, 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
521 PM MST SUN FEB 24 2019

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

0430 PM     SNOW             1 W ANACONDA            46.13N 112.96W
02/24/2019  M3.0 INCH        DEER LODGE         MT   TRAINED SPOTTER

            2-3 INCHES OF SNOW. DIFFICULT TO MEASURE
            GIVEN BREEZY EASTERLY WINDS.

&&

AL

Local storm report, Feb 24, 5:26 PM MST, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
526 PM MST SUN FEB 24 2019

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

0500 PM     SNOW             6 NW MISSOULA           46.93N 114.09W
02/24/2019  M1.0 INCH        MISSOULA           MT   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

&&

AL

Local storm report, Feb 24, 5:49 PM MST, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
549 PM MST SUN FEB 24 2019

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

0548 PM     HEAVY SNOW       LOLO                    46.76N 114.09W
02/24/2019  M4.0 INCH        MISSOULA           MT   NWS EMPLOYEE

            AT LEAST 4 INCHES OF SNOW. CURRENTLY SNOWING
            WITH RATES OF AT LEAST 2 INCHES PER HOUR.

&&

AL

Local storm report, Feb 24, 5:55 PM MST, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
555 PM MST SUN FEB 24 2019

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

0555 PM     SNOW             2 NW STEVENSVILLE       46.53N 114.11W
02/24/2019  M5.0 INCH        RAVALLI            MT   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

AL

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 winter storm, 1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys

When: February 24, 6:00 PM MST to February 26, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 46.560, -114.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Prolonged snowfall and blustery northerly winds caused significant impacts to the Bitterroot and Missoula Valleys. Widespread accumulations of up to two feet of snowfall was observed in the Bitterroot valley. The City of Hamilton declared a snow emergency February 25, urging drivers to stay off roadways until conditions improve. Areas of snow and blowing snow in the southern part of the Missoula valley and northern sections of the Bitterroot valley led to a period of severe driving conditions and numerous accidents were reported. Many schools in the Bitterroot valley were closed for Tuesday, including Stevensville, Hamilton, and Florence.

Winter Storm, Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains

When: February 24, 6:00 PM MST to February 26, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Bitterroot / Sapphire Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.508, -113.828 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy prolonged snowfall impacted travel over Lolo and Lost Trail passes where one to two feet of snowfall was observed.

Winter Storm, Butte / Blackfoot Region

When: February 24, 6:00 PM MST to February 26, 10:00 AM MST
Where: Butte / Blackfoot Region forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 46.306, -113.025 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snowfall and blowing snow led to areas of severe driving conditions and closure of schools, including Butte and Anaconda. According to Butte school district officials, the school closed on February 16 for the first time since 1989. Widespread areas of 9 to 13 inches of snow was observed in Silver Bow county. Up to 30 inches of snow was reported in Anaconda! Numerous accidents were reported on stretches of I-90 near Anaconda and Butte.

Winter Storm, Potomac / Seeley Lake Region

When: February 25, 9:00 AM MST to February 26, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Potomac / Seeley Lake Region forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.986, -113.597 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow and blowing snow caused hazardous driving conditions along portions of I-90 and Montana 200 and 83. 17 inches of snow was reported in Potomac, 11 inches in Clinton, and 10 inches in Seeley Lake.

Blizzard, Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys

When: February 25, 12:05 PM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where: Missoula / Bitterroot Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 46.560, -114.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

During the afternoon and evening of the 25th, wind gusts over 40 mph and visibility reduced to less than a quarter of a mile in downtown and east Missoula were observed. Significant travel impacts were reported in the city of Missoula, and Missoula County asked citizens to only travel if absolutely necessary. Flights out of Missoula were also canceled or delayed.

Winter Storm, Lower Clark Fork Region

When: February 25, 6:00 PM MST to February 26, 1:00 AM MST
Where: Lower Clark Fork Region forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.286, -114.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A period of intense snowfall during the evening hours of the 25th led to significant accumulations and travel impacts. Chains became required over Evaro Hill on US 95 where 24 inches of snow fell. Heavy snow and blowing snow was observed from Clinton to Ninemile, causing impacts to travel on I-90. 11 inches of snow was observed in Alberton and 8 inches was reported in Huson.

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Montana in 2019 Every state in 2019 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, February 2019

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: 805778, 805779, 805781, 805780, 805776, 805777.