Montana, 2020Winter Storm in Montana, March 13 to 15, 2020
March 13 to 15, 2020 · NWS BYZ · 4 events in 4 counties and zones
A strong jet stream, combined with a moist over-running southwest flow aloft, resulted |in heavy snow across the western portions of the Billings Forecast Area.
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.
- 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
- 4
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.
A strong jet stream, combined with a moist over-running southwest flow aloft, resulted |in heavy snow across the western portions of the Billings Forecast 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 Mar 13, 8:03 AM MST, 57 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 13, 8:03 AM MST, 57 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 13, 4:39 AM MST, 4 hours 21 minutes before
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Local storm report, Mar 13, 6:50 AM MST, 2 hours 10 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Mar 13, 8:31 AM MST, 29 minutes before
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</html>Winter Storm, Southern Wheatland
- When
- March 13, 9:00 AM MST to March 15, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Southern Wheatland forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 46.466, -109.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Snowfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches were reported across the area.
Winter Storm, Melville Foothills
- When
- March 13, 10:00 AM MST to March 15, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Melville Foothills forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 46.140, -109.892 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Snowfall amounts of 6 to 10 inches were reported across the area.
Winter Storm, Judith Gap
- When
- March 13, 9:00 PM MST to March 15, 3:00 PM MST
- Where
- Judith Gap forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 46.424, -109.509 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Snowfall amounts of 3 to 7 inches were reported across the area.
Winter Storm, Absaroka / Beartooth Mountains
- When
- March 14, 10:00 AM MST to March 15, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Absaroka / Beartooth Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- SNOTEL
- Coordinates
- 45.550, -109.722 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Area Snotels recorded 9 to 21 inches of snow.
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Texas, March 13, 20201 injured · $550,000 · EF1 · 4 events
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Idaho, March 13 to 14, 20201 injured · $301,000 · 60 kt wind · 5 events
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Montana, March 13 to 14, 20201 injured · $131,000 · 63 kt wind · 5 events
- Damaging Wind in Texas, March 13, 2020$70,000 · 78 kt wind · 2 events
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Arizona, March 13, 2020$50,000 · 7 events
- Heavy Snow and Hail in California, March 13 to 17, 2020$750 · 0.25 in hail · 30 events
- Flash Flooding in West Virginia, March 13, 2020$28,000 · 3 events
- Winter Weather in Nebraska, March 13 to 14, 202024 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in South Dakota, March 13 to 14, 202021 events
- Tornado in New Mexico, March 13, 2020$25,000 · EF0 · 1 event
- Flooding in Missouri, March 13 to 15, 202019 events
- High Wind and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, March 13, 2020$14,000 · 6 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 884894, 884889, 884898, 884882.