The seasonal weather pattern continued to steer most precipitation away from the northeast corner and the eastern edge of Montana through the month. Locations with severe drought conditions remained unchanged throughout the month.
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.
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 GGW wrote it up.
The seasonal weather pattern continued to steer most precipitation away from the northeast corner and the eastern edge of Montana through the month. Locations with severe drought conditions remained unchanged throughout the month.
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 Glasgow, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 31, 7:04 PM MST, 4 hours 56 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Glasgow MT 704 PM MST Sun Jan 31 2021 .DISCUSSION... Evening update... Main change was the addition of fog in Sheridan and Eastern Roosevelt Counties overnight and into Monday morning. Fog is showing up on the nighttime microphysics satellite imagery over western ND between Williston and Minot, and it seems reasonable that some of this will end up developing further westward into the aforementioned zones. Temperatures seemed to be at least in the ballpark, although cloud cover will dictate temperature recovery during the day on Monday. 97 Previous discussion... The entire western US is under an upper level ridge, keeping winds light and warming over the next couple days, well above normal. Temperatures peak around Tuesday where many locations may hit at least 50 near the Hi Line and south. Patchy valley fog may return to visit again tonight. Higher confidence to the east and northeast. A cold front will move through eastern Montana Wednesday morning where temperatures will begin its wintry descent to well below normal by the weekend. Models are starting to come to consensus with a band of precipitation sweeping through Wednesday. Precipitation type will need to be reevaluated as the airmass transitions midday. Another cold front out of Canada will help to draw frigid arctic air into the region late in the week. There is a lot of uncertainty in the extended with the placement of the airmass and with the addition of potential snow cover (also low confidence) that will affect the temperatures through the weekend. Some wind is expected to further drop the wind chills. It is a good time to consider preparing for colder temperatures, especially if you plan to travel over the weekend. Roxy && .AVIATION... FLIGHT CAT: VFR DISCUSSION: A ridge over the area will keep cloud bases in VFR ranges. Overnight, the potential for patchy valley fog may bring down visibility but confidence is low at the time exactly which TAF sites will be impacted. WIND: Light and variable with more of a S to SW component in the Yellowstone River Valley through Monday night. 97 && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && weather.gov/glasgow
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought conditions (D2-Severe) persisted across all of Sheridan County through the entire month of February.
Drought conditions (D2-Severe) persisted across central and eastern portions of Daniels County (generally near and east of MT Highway 13) through the entire month of February.
Drought conditions (D2-Severe) persisted over all but the western edge of western Roosevelt County throughout the entire month of February.
Drought conditions (D2-Severe) persisted across all of eastern Roosevelt County through the entire month of February.
Drought conditions (D2-Severe) persisted in the northeast corner of McCone County through the entire month of February.
Drought conditions (D2-Severe) persisted across all but the southwest corner of Richland County through the entire month of February.
Drought Conditions (D2-Severe) persisted over roughly the eastern third of Dawson County through the entire month of February.
Drought Conditions (D2-Severe) persisted across all of Wibaux County through the entire month of February.
Drought Conditions (D2-Severe) over the far eastern edge of Prairie County persisted there through the entire month of February.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, February 2021
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: 942364, 942365, 942366, 942367, 942368, 942369, 942370, 942371, 942372.