Two teenagers drowned on Swan Lake following an increase in offshore winds.
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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.
Two teenagers drowned on Swan Lake following an increase in offshore winds.
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 14, 1:58 PM MST, 2 hours 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
258 PM MDT Thu Apr 14 2022
...The rather unusual cold and unsettled pattern will persist into
the weekend...
.DISCUSSION...Periods of snow have occurred across north- central
Idaho and portions of western Montana so far today. An upper
level low, currently over central Washington State will move east
and be situated over the Mission Valley by daybreak Friday. As a
result it will spark off general snow showers region- wide except
for far northwest Montana. There is better forcing closer to this
feature as it tracks towards the Interstate 90 corridor this
evening. In response more widespread accumulating snowfall is
expected in this region, including the Highway 200 corridor.
Therefore we have issued a winter weather advisory because this is
the area where we have the highest confidence for more widespread
impact. Black ice is another concern for other locations,
especially at the passes but also for other valley locations
across southwest Montana and north-central Idaho.
High temperatures today will struggle thanks to the cloud cover
and the very cold air mass in place. There could be a few record
low maximums that occur. A few previous records include 40 degrees
in Missoula on April 14, 1955; 29 degrees in Butte set back in
1970; 33 degrees in Philipsburg set in 1970 and 38 degrees in
Seeley Lake set in 1970.
The next storm system is expected to bring more widespread wintry
impacts to the region Saturday into Sunday. There are some
differences in the track of the main surface low...the mean of the
ensemble solutions take the track of the mid-level low reflection
from Lewiston to Missoula to central Montana by late Saturday
night. The surface low will be offset from this feature to the
southeast. There is still room for this system to jog a little
further north, as the single run of the GFS model indicates, or
shift south which would ultimately determine the precipitation
type across west- central Montana.
Our highest confidence for this storm includes:
* Mountain passes and higher elevations locations, minus areas
from Salmon southward will experience accumulating snowfall and
associated winter impacts.
* Accumulating valley snowfall across northwest Montana. Wintry
impacts are certainly possible along the Highway 200, I-90 and
US-93 corridors north and west of Missoula. The probability for
greater than 1 inch of snow is very high in these areas.
* Increased potential for wintry impacts Saturday morning across
north-central Idaho ahead of a warm front. If the timing of this
upper level warm front is quicker, then there is even more of a
chance for brief wintry impacts along the US-95 and US-12
corridors.
* As the low exits the region, snow showers will persist Saturday
night and both mountain and valley locations could pick up a
little bit more snow.
* The Bitterroot Valley, Lemhi County and areas of southwest
Montana will likely get into the warm sector of this low
pressure system. That means temperatures will warm up into the
40s and perhaps 50s in Salmon. Also expect gusty southwest
winds in these areas.
A brief lull in the weather is expected as a transient ridge of
high pressure builds on Monday before a cold front moves through
by daybreak Tuesday. Besides another round of winter impacts at
mountain passes, gusty winds are expected for the remainder of
Tuesday with snow or graupel showers.
Relatively dry weather is expected by Wednesday and could last
into Thursday as the region will be under high pressure. Southwest
flow which will bring increasing clouds with a chance for
precipitation later Thursday or Friday. The pattern looks quite
unsettled into next weekend.
&&
.AVIATION...Areas of snow showers will continue through late this
evening becoming more scattered on Friday. Showers will be focused
mainly from the Mission Valley and southward and near a weak
circulation that will approach Lookout Pass later this evening.
Sudden but mostly brief reductions in visibility and lowered
ceilings are expected at terminal sites, while mountain
obscurations will be common. The persistent easterly gradient will
finally relax tonight leading to lighter winds on Friday.
&&
.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Winter Weather Advisory from 7 PM this evening to 9 AM MDT
Friday Lower Clark Fork Region.
ID...None.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Two teenager kayakers drowned on Swan Lake following the development of strong offshore winds.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind, West Glacier Region | 2022-04-14 | Male | In Water | Indirect | |
| Strong Wind, West Glacier Region | 2022-04-14 | Female | In Water | Indirect |
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: 1020896.