Under a persistent dry weather pattern, the lack of any decent precipitation introduced drought conditions to new areas of northeast Montana.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
Under a persistent dry weather pattern, the lack of any decent precipitation introduced drought conditions to new areas of northeast Montana.
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 Mar 8, 10:12 AM MST, 13 hours 48 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Glasgow MT 1012 AM MST Mon Mar 8 2021 .DISCUSSION... Sent an update this morning to fine tune the forecast for expected snowfall this evening through Tuesday morning. Most model data is lining up for decent accumulation, but looks to be limited to the our Southwest Phillips and North Phillips and Northern Valley Counties with 1 to 2 inches. If this thinking persists by this afternoon, we may need to issue a Winter Weather Advisory given how long it has been since any snowfall occurred and the lateness of the season, etc. Previous discussion: Precipitation begins to move into the region late this afternoon, moving out by tomorrow evening. A dusting of snow is possible by the time the precipitation ends for most places, with a half inch or more possible for much of Phillips County and Northern Valley County by the time things wind down. In addition, a mix of precipitation types are possible elsewhere with potential for a light icing in Daniels, Roosevelt, and Sheridan Counties tomorrow morning. Precipitation Chances (today through Tuesday afternoon)... Today will be dry and mild once again for the area, with some rain moving into the western portions of Phillips and Petroleum Counties late this afternoon into this evening. The precipitation will spread across the region by Tuesday morning, with mixed precipitation in the evening north and west of a Whitetail to St. Marie to Sand Springs line, and everybody getting a chance of some type of wintry precipitation by Tuesday morning. A quick glance at forecast soundings suggest the potential for freezing rain late tonight and Tuesday morning in the eastern half of the CWA, with a light glaze--enough to impact travel--possible Tuesday morning in the northeastern portion of the CWA (mentioned above). Temperatures will warm up by Tuesday afternoon, transitioning the precipitation back to (mostly) rain before coming to an end. Dryness Returns (Tuesday night and beyond)... By Tuesday night, the dry weather returns to Northeast Montana. On Wednesday, another storm system begins to take shape in the Central Plains, which will have no impact on our area outside of a drop in temperatures on Thursday that'll be close to seasonal normals. By Friday and through the weekend, an upper low sets up over the Four Corners with ridging over the top of it with the net result being a warming of temperatures. 97 && .AVIATION... FLIGHT CATEGORY: VFR through this evening. MVFR ceilings possible overnight tonight into Tuesday morning. VFR ceilings expected again by Tuesday afternoon and evening. WINDS: Light and variable this morning, becoming E-NE 5-15 kts this afternoon. NE-N 10-20 kts tonight. NW 15-25 kts & gusty on Tuesday. SYNOPSIS: A storm system and slow-moving cold front will bring a chance of wintry precipitation overnight tonight through Tuesday morning to area TAF sites, but more-so toward the northwest of our TAF sites. Any precipitation will change to rain by Tuesday afternoon before moving out of the area by Tuesday evening. Afterwards, dry weather will return to the region. 97 && .GLASGOW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && weather.gov/glasgow
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
In the second week of March, drought conditions (D2-Severe) began across the southern and southeastern portions of Northern Valley County. Then, through the last two weeks of March, drought conditions (D2-Severe) spread across all of Northern Valley County.
In the second week of March, new drought conditions (D2-Severe) began across the eastern portion of Central and Southeastern Phillips County. Through the last two weeks of March, drought conditions (D2-Severe) spread further westward to cover most of the northeastern third of Central and Southeastern Phillips County.
In the second week of March, drought conditions (D2-Severe) began in the far southeastern corner of Northern Phillips County. Through the last two weeks of March, drought conditions (D2-Severe) spread across all of Northern Valley County.
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, March 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: 948378, 948379, 948380.