A spring snow storm impacted areas along the Continental Divide in west-central Montana April 10th and 11th.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 MSO wrote it up.
A spring snow storm impacted areas along the Continental Divide in west-central Montana April 10th and 11th.
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 Apr 10, 1:45 PM MST, 8 hours 15 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter weather, 1 winter storm, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Light snowfall and gusty easterly winds impacted travel on U.S. Highway 2 over Marias Pass the evening of April 10 through the morning of April 11.
Heavy snowfall and blowing snow was observed on U.S. Highway 12 and Montana Highway 141. Travel was difficult on Highway 12 and Montana Highway 141 as 6 to 10 inches of snow fell. Lesser snow amounts were noted on I-90 from Garrison Junction to Butte. Wind gusts up to 30 mph led to blowing snow and reduced visibility for travelers going over MacDonald Pass.
Gusty north and east winds were felt across the Flathead Valley and Flathead Lake with gusts over 40 mph being observed. A downed tree damaged power lines on Echo Lake Road northeast of Bigfork. Flathead Electric noted 400 customers lost power during this strong northeast wind event.
Snow totals ranged from 3 to 6 inches across the Seeley-Swan and Potomac valleys and along the I-90 corridor east of Missoula. Little travel impact was noted on Montana Highway 200 and 83 and along I-90.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, April 2020
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: 879414, 879413, 879415, 879412.