Montana, 2020Cold in Montana, January 15 to 16, 2020
January 15 to 16, 2020 · NWS GGW · 9 events in 9 counties and zones
The very large and very cold arctic air mass from the Canadian Rockies from the day before lingered over entire region. With plenty of clearing skies, gusty winds easily resulted in wind chill values lower than 40 below zero for many northeast Montana locations.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 9
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 very large and very cold arctic air mass from the Canadian Rockies from the day before lingered over entire region. With plenty of clearing skies, gusty winds easily resulted in wind chill values lower than 40 below zero for many northeast Montana locations.
Cold/Wind Chill, Central and Southern Valley
- When
- January 15, 6:50 PM MST to January 16, 5:15 AM MST
- Where
- Central and Southern Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 48.365, -106.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
At the BLM Vandalia N mesonet site (MTM34), temperatures of -10 to -16 combined with wind speeds of 18 to 46 mph to create wind chill values of -40 to -44 for 6 hours from the late night of the 15th to the early morning of the 16th. In addition, at the Saint Marie MARCO site (07MT), temperatures of -12 to -22 combined with wind speeds of 6 to 32 mph to create wind chill values of -40 to -45 for more than 9 hours from the evening of the 15th to the early morning of the 16th.
Cold/Wind Chill, Central and Se Phillips
- When
- January 15, 8:15 PM MST to 10:35 PM MST
- Where
- Central and Se Phillips forecast zone
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 48.259, -107.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
At the Malta AIRNOW mesonet site (A3570), temperatures of -19 to -28 combined with wind speeds of 10 to 18 mph to create wind chill values of -44 to -52 for 10 hours from the night of the 15th through the early morning of the 16th. In addition, at the Malta airport AWOS site (KM75), temperatures of -15 to -17 combined with wind speeds of 11 to 16 mph to create wind chill values of near -40 to -42 for about 2 and 1/2 hours on the night of the 15th.
Cold/Wind Chill, Western Roosevelt
- When
- January 15, 8:18 PM MST to January 16, 6:30 AM MST
- Where
- Western Roosevelt forecast zone
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 48.295, -105.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
At the Poplar airport mesonet site (KPO1), temperatures of -17 to -20 combined with wind speeds of 8 to 18 mph to create wind chill values of -40 to -44 for more than 7 hours from the late night of the 15th through the early morning of the 16th. In addition, at the Poplar RAWS site (POPM8), temperatures of -16 to -23 combined with wind speeds of 9 to 27 mph to create wind chill values of -40 to -46 for about 10 hours from the evening of the 15th through the early morning of the 16th. Also, at the McDonalds MT-13 DOT site (MTMCD), temperatures of -14 to -21 combined with wind speeds of 9 to 26 mph to create wind chill values of -40 to -46 for almost 6 hours from the late night of the 15th through the early morning of the 16th.
Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Valley
- When
- January 15, 9:47 PM MST to January 16, 6:00 AM MST
- Where
- Northern Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 48.365, -106.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
At the Glentana mesonet site (F2113), temperatures of -16 to -24 combined with wind speeds of 6 to 21 mph to create wind chill values of -40 to -45 for more than 8 hours from the night of the 15th through the early morning of the 16th. In addition, at the Bluff Creek RAWS site (BLUM8), temperatures of -22 to -25 combined with wind speeds of 9 to 14 mph to create wind chill values of -45 to -47 for more about 5 hours on the night of the 15th. Also at the Honrud mesonet site (E5606), temperatures of -17 to -19 combined with winds speeds of 8 to 23 mph to create wind chill values of near -40 to -42 for about 2 hours in the early morning of the 16th.
Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Roosevelt
- When
- January 15, 10:30 PM MST to January 16, 6:33 AM MST
- Where
- Eastern Roosevelt forecast zone
- Reported by
- Department of Highways
- Coordinates
- 48.295, -105.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
At the US-2 @Stateline DOT site (MTSTA), temperatures of -12 to -20 combined with wind speeds of 7 to 30 mph to create wind chill values of near -40 to -45 for about 8 hours from the late night of the 15th through the early morning of the 16th.
Cold/Wind Chill, McCone
- When
- January 15, 11:50 PM MST to January 16, 6:50 AM MST
- Where
- McCone forecast zone
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 47.645, -105.795 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
At the Fort Peck Dam mesonet site (GGWFP), temperatures of -13 to -15 combined with wind speeds of 20 to 39 mph to create wind chill values of -40 to -43 for 7 hours from the late night of the 15th through the early morning of the 16th.
Cold/Wind Chill, Sheridan
- When
- January 16, 12:29 AM MST to 7:16 AM MST
- Where
- Sheridan forecast zone
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 48.721, -104.505 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
At the Comertown Turn-Off MT-5 DOT site (MTCOM), temperatures of -15 to -24 combined with wind speeds of 6 to 20 mph to create wind chill values of -40 to -47 for almost 7 hours through the early morning of 16th. In addition, at the Plentywood mesonet site (GGWPW), temperatures of -14 to -18 combined with wind speeds of 17 to 20 mph to create wind chill values of -40 to -44 for about 3 hours during the early morning of the 16th. Also, at the Medicine Lake RAWS site (MLKM8), temperatures of -17 to -22 combined with wind speeds of 10 to 19 mph to create wind chill values of -40 to -43 for about 4 hours in the early morning of the 16th.
Cold/Wind Chill, Richland
- When
- January 16, 1:00 AM MST to 7:00 AM MST
- Where
- Richland forecast zone
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 47.788, -104.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
At the Sidney 201 AIRNOW mesonet site (A3696), temperatures of -16 to -22 combined with wind speeds of 10 to 15 mph to create wind chill values of -40 to -44 for 6 hours during the early morning of the 16th. In addition, at the Sioux Pass MT-16 DOT site (MTSOO), temperatures of -17 to -18 combined with wind speeds of 10 to 16 mph to create wind chill values of -40 to -42 for more than 3 hours during the early morning of the 16th.
Cold/Wind Chill, Daniels
- When
- January 16, 1:47 AM MST to 7:02 AM MST
- Where
- Daniels forecast zone
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 48.784, -105.549 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
At the Navajo MT-5 DOT site (MTRED), temperatures of -18 to -24 combined with wind speeds of 6 to 17 mph to create wind chill values of -40 to -47 for about 5 and 1/2 hours during the early morning of the 16th. In addition, at the Scobey N MDA mesonet site (MTM78), temperatures of -16 to -19 combined with wind speeds of 12 to 24 mph to create wind chill values of -40 to -44 for almost 3 hours during the early morning of the 16th.
- Cold/Wind Chill
- Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Avalanche in Idaho, January 15, 20201 death · 1 event
- Flood in Montana, January 15 to 22, 2020$250,000 · 1 event
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in California, January 15 to 17, 202039 events
- Heavy Snow in Washington, January 15 to 16, 202033 events
- Extreme Cold in North Dakota, January 15 to 16, 202010 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in New York, January 15 to 16, 2020$10,000 · 9 events
- Extreme Cold in Minnesota, January 15 to 16, 20208 events
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, January 15 to 16, 20208 events
- Winter Weather in Michigan, January 15 to 16, 20206 events
- Heavy Snow in California, January 15 to 16, 20204 events
- Winter Weather in Iowa, January 15, 2020$10,000 · 3 events
- High Wind in Alaska, January 15 to 18, 202078 kt wind · 3 events
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: 875367, 875368, 875322, 875359, 875369, 875361, 875356, 875319, 875358.