Heavy Snow and High Wind in Montana, February 1 to 3, 2020

Name: Heavy Snow and High Wind in Montana, February 1 to 3, 2020
Start: 2020-02-01T13:00
End: 2020-02-03T16:00
Location: Montana

February 1 to 3, 2020 · NWS TFX · 11 events in 5 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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 TFX wrote it up.

A surface cold front pushes into the region from southern Alberta, bringing a few snow showers to parts of northern and central Montana. Temperatures expected to be roughly 20-30 degrees colder than previous day. Snow widespread across SW MT through much of the day. General snow total accumulation of 3-6 inches expected for areas along and south of I90 with up to 12 inches possible in the higher elevations of the Madison and Gallatin ranges.

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 Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 1, 10:18 AM MST, 2 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 1, 10:18 AM MST, 2 hours 42 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 1, 12:13 PM MST, 47 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 1, 12:14 PM MST, 46 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 1, 12:15 PM MST, 45 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 1, 12:16 PM MST, 44 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 1, 12:34 PM MST, 26 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 1, 12:40 PM MST, 20 minutes before

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Event by event

7 winter weather, 3 heavy snow, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Eastern Teton

When: February 1, 1:00 PM MST to February 2, 6:00 AM MST
Where: Eastern Teton forecast zone
Reported by: Public

Measured 8 to 12 inches of snow from Saturday afternoon (February 1st).

Heavy Snow, Gallatin

When: February 1, 1:00 PM MST to February 2, 6:58 AM MST
Where: Gallatin forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

Snow 13 inches since Saturday afternoon (February 1st) 12 nne Bozeman.

Heavy Snow, Madison

When: February 1, 3:30 PM MST to February 3, 3:30 PM MST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Co-op observer madm8, madison dam. 10 inches two-day snow total.

Winter Weather, Gallatin

When: February 1, 4:00 PM MST to February 3, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Gallatin forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Co-op observer station bzem8 bozeman msu coop. 7 inches two day snow total.

Heavy Snow, Madison

When: February 2, 1:00 AM MST to February 3, 8:00 AM MST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: Public

Measured 18 inches snow since late Saturday night/early Sunday morning.

High Wind, Blaine

When: February 2, 7:25 AM MST
Where: Blaine forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

Station mtm37.

Winter Weather, Gallatin

When: February 2, 1:10 PM MST
Where: Gallatin forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media

Report from kbzk studios. 7.5 inches of snow.

Winter Weather, Madison

When: February 2, 3:15 PM MST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Measured 8 inches snow.

Winter Weather, Beaverhead

When: February 2, 3:54 PM MST
Where: Beaverhead forecast zone
Reported by: Social Media

Measured 8 inches of snow in Dillon.

Winter Weather, Gallatin

When: February 3, 7:00 AM MST
Where: Gallatin forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS

Cocorahs station mt-gn-11, 1 se bozeman cocorahs. 8 inches two-day total.

Winter Weather, Beaverhead

When: February 3, 8:00 AM MST
Where: Beaverhead forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Co-op observer station grnm8, grant 5 se. 7.5 inches two-day storm total.

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Montana in 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, February 2020

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 873590, 873591, 873610, 873614, 873608, 873589, 873597, 873592, 873594, 873611, 873613.