Montana, 2019

Blizzard in Montana, January 27 to 28, 2019

January 27 to 28, 2019 · NWS BYZ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Very strong winds resulted in considerable blowing snow and reduced visibilities through the Judith Gap area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

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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 BYZ wrote it up.

Very strong winds resulted in considerable blowing snow and reduced visibilities through the Judith Gap area.

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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 27, 3:55 PM MST, 7 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 27, 3:55 PM MST, 7 hours 5 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Judith Gap

When
January 27, 11:00 PM MST to January 28, 5:15 AM MST
Where
Judith Gap forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
46.424, -109.509 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Highway 3 was closed due to zero visibility and stranded vehicles.

What these are

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

More

Every storm in Montana in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, January 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 800250.