Strong northeast winds developed across northwest Montana on April 11th as a surface low deepened across eastern Oregon.
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.
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 MSO wrote it up.
Strong northeast winds developed across northwest Montana on April 11th as a surface low deepened across eastern Oregon.
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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 11, 2:00 AM MST, 8 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
300 AM MDT Mon Apr 11 2022
.DISCUSSION...
The complex and high-impact wind event and winter
storm remain on track beginning today and continuing through
Tuesday.
A slow-moving circulation developed over Flathead Lake overnight,
resulting in snow accumulations, especially on the east side of
Flathead Lake, along Highway 35 through Creston. Impacts from this
area of snow will linger through the morning commute so a winter
weather advisory has been issued.
An easterly pressure gradient is developing in western Montana
which will strengthen today and tonight resulting in a rare April
easterly wind event. By 8 pm this evening, the HREF ensemble mean
shows widespread wind gusts from Missoula north to the Canadian
border of 40-50 mph. The west slopes of north-south-oriented
mountain ranges, such as the Mission Mountains, show even stronger
winds of over 60 mph. High wind warnings remain in effect.
Falling trees are expected and power outages are possible.
Snow will also impact much of the region and the approaching low
pressure system is already producing snow at low elevations in
Oregon. The track of the low remains favorable for impactful snow
throughout most of Idaho County, southern Ravalli County, Lemhi
County, and Granite/Deer lodge/Powell/Silver Bow counties, which
all have either a winter storm warning or winter weather advisory
in effect from this afternoon through Tuesday morning. The
combination of a refreeze on roadways, snow intensities of at
least 1-2 inches per hour, and/or gusty winds will cause difficult
travel conditions. Most of the warned areas have a high (greater
than 80 percent) probability of 4-6 inches of snow, and locations
along the Divide including Homestake/MacDonald passes and Butte
have a greater than 80 percent probability of over 8 inches of
snow by Tuesday morning.
Low pressure will pass to the east during Tuesday, leaving most
places with high temperatures in the low 30s or colder and
decreasing snow showers.
An active weather pattern remains for the rest of the week with
below-average temperatures and increasing snow chances to end the
week.
&&
.AVIATION...An organized area of snow showers will continue to
impact the Flathead Valley through at least 11/1200Z, with
visibility reductions of 1/2SM or less at times for KGPI. A closed
low pressure system will track across eastern Oregon this
afternoon, reaching north-central Idaho by 12/0000Z. Strong and
potentially damaging northeast-east winds will develop across
northwest Montana and the Missoula valley by 11/2100Z and will
continue through 12/1200Z. Widespread snow will impact north-
central Idaho and southwest Montana this afternoon into Tuesday
morning, where winter storm warnings remain in effect.
&&
.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Winter Storm Warning from 4 PM this afternoon to noon MDT
Tuesday Butte/Blackfoot Region.
Winter Storm Warning from 3 PM this afternoon to noon MDT
Tuesday Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains.
High Wind Warning from 2 PM this afternoon to midnight MDT
tonight Missoula/Bitterroot Valleys.
Winter Weather Advisory from 3 PM this afternoon to 9 AM MDT
Tuesday Missoula/Bitterroot Valleys.
High Wind Warning from 5 PM this afternoon to 6 AM MDT Tuesday
Lower Clark Fork Region.
High Wind Warning from 2 PM this afternoon to 9 AM MDT Tuesday
Flathead/Mission Valleys.
Winter Weather Advisory until 9 AM MDT this morning
Flathead/Mission Valleys.
Wind Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 2 PM MDT this afternoon
Flathead/Mission Valleys.
High Wind Warning from 4 PM this afternoon to 9 AM MDT Tuesday
West Glacier Region.
Wind Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 4 PM MDT this afternoon
West Glacier Region.
High Wind Warning from 4 PM this afternoon to 9 AM MDT Tuesday
Kootenai/Cabinet Region.
Winter Weather Advisory from 6 PM this evening to 9 AM MDT
Tuesday Potomac/Seeley Lake Region.
ID...Winter Storm Warning from 6 PM this evening to noon MDT Tuesday
Eastern Lemhi County...Western Lemhi County.
Winter Weather Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 11 PM PDT
this evening Northern Clearwater Mountains.
Winter Storm Warning from 2 PM this afternoon to 11 AM PDT
Tuesday Lower Hells Canyon/Salmon River Region.
Winter Storm Warning from 2 PM this afternoon to 11 AM PDT
Tuesday Southern Clearwater Mountains.
Winter Storm Warning from 2 PM this afternoon to 11 AM PDT
Tuesday Orofino/Grangeville Region.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
712 AM MDT MON APR 11 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0712 AM HEAVY SNOW 2 E CRESTON 48.19N 114.10W
04/11/2022 E6.0 INCH FLATHEAD MT PUBLIC
CONVECTIVE.
&&
BECPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
1106 AM MDT MON APR 11 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 AM HEAVY SNOW 1 NNW KILA 48.13N 114.47W
04/11/2022 E8.0 INCH FLATHEAD MT PUBLIC
OVERNIGHT SNOWFALL.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
1122 AM MDT MON APR 11 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 AM SNOW KALISPELL 48.20N 114.32W
04/11/2022 E5.0 INCH FLATHEAD MT PUBLIC
OVERNIGHT SNOWFALL. TWITTER REPORT.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 strong wind, 2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Over 100 customers lost power in the Swan Lake area as a tree fell onto a powerline.
Mission Valley Power reported downed trees on Finley Point and in the Synder Hill and Addy Lane areas. Utility crews reported two broken power poles and multiple downed lines. Downed trees in Bigfork and Ferndale led to power outages.
The Lincoln Electric COOP reported 1700 customers without power, with specific impacts in Olney, Dickey Lake, Wolf Prairie, Burma, the Indian Creek area, and Lupfer. Utility crews reported numerous downed and/or damaged trees. Furthermore, 15 to 20 trees fell onto power lines.
A minor power outage was reported in Greenough Park. A large fir tree was downed in McCormick Park. A poorly maintained building experienced shingle damage off 14th Street and Russel Street.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, April 2022
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: 1020901, 1020902, 1020899, 1020904.