An arctic airmass moved across the Billings Forecast Area. At the same time, a moist, Pacific flow aloft moved over this airmass.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 BYZ wrote it up.
An arctic airmass moved across the Billings Forecast Area. At the same time, a moist, Pacific flow aloft moved over this airmass. This resulted in heavy snow across portions of south central and southeast 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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 4, 2:49 PM MST, 4 hours 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Billings MT
249 PM MST Sun Dec 4 2022
.DISCUSSION...
Tonight through Monday night...
Pacific moisture associated with an upper low off the West Coast
was moving into the region from the southwest this afternoon. At
the same time, a cold front was dropping in from the north. This
will bring a period of overrunning precipitation to the area this
afternoon/evening through Monday. Snowfall will gradually spread
from west to east overnight into Monday, with the heaviest
snowfall expected tonight into Monday morning. Latest guidance has
increased precipitation totals a bit more into Powder River
County, and have added them into the Winter Weather Advisory. The
remainder of the Winter Weather Advisory looks to be in good
shape. Otherwise, snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches can be expected
across central areas, with 3 to 6 inches along the western
foothills. 6 to 12 inches can be expected in the Crazy and
Beartooth/Absaroka mountains, with a few inches down into the
Bighorns. Latest NBM probabilities for 2 or more inches of snow
are greatest from Lame Deer and areas west.
Snow will gradually diminish from south to north during the late
morning and afternoon on Monday as a warm front lifts north.
Guidance is still struggling with how far north to lift the
baroclinic zone, before a reinforcing shot of colder air drops
south, bringing another period of snowfall. At this time, it looks
like the far north has the better potential at additional snow
accumulations, and more information can be found in the long term
forecast.
As the warm front lifts north, southwest to west winds will pick up
along the western foothills Monday night into Tuesday, but look
to remain below advisory levels at this time. Highs on Monday look
to range from the upper teens to the lower 30s, warmest across
the western foothills. STP
Tuesday through Sunday night...
Snow will mostly be confined to northern areas Tuesday into
Tuesday night as well as across the mountains. Overrunning flow
Tuesday with ample moisture available will likely make for some
decent snowfall rates in a band of snow that stretches from
north-central Montana through the east-central part of the state.
The heaviest snow appears likely to fall in areas from Prairie and
Garfield Counties to points northwest, thus staying largely north
of our area. However, northern portions of Golden Valley,
Musselshell, Rosebud, Custer, and Fallon Counties will see
accumulating snow, generally in the range of 1 to 3 inches. The
chance for at least an inch of snow Tuesday and Tuesday evening
across these locations ranges from 50 percent near the center of
the counties up to around 70 percent for the far northern
portions. Far northern Rosebud and Custer Counties have the best
chance (~60%) for at least 2 inches of snow.
There will be a very tight snowfall gradient and should the band
of snow shift any farther south, these amounts could certainly
increase considerably.
By Wednesday, more zonal flow will take over bringing quiet
conditions across the region. High temperatures will be around 30
degrees across much of our central and eastern areas, with 20s in
the west for the second half of the week. By the weekend,
ensembles are showing a broad trough moving over much of the
western United States which may bring light precipitation chances
back into our region.
Our local wind guidance continues to show increased winds between
Livingston and Nye Tuesday through Thursday this week as a favorable
pressure gradient is expected to set up. Have therefore gone ahead
and bumped up winds slightly for this period with a blend of the
NBM and NBM 90th percentile grids. Uncertainty still remains on
how strong these winds will be and when the exact timing will be
for the strongest winds.
-Mottice
&&
.AVIATION...
Conditions will begin to deteriorate over western and central
areas this afternoon and evening as snow spreads into the area
from the southwest, lowering conditions to MVFR to LIFR. Snow will
continue overnight into Monday, gradually diminishing from south
to north through the day. Mountains will be obscured through the
period in snow. STP
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 019/026 012/023 009/032 013/031 017/032 018/032 015/030
97/S 23/S 10/U 00/U 01/E 11/B 11/B
LVM 019/035 021/035 017/034 014/033 016/033 016/029 012/031
+6/S 22/S 10/N 00/N 12/S 22/S 22/S
HDN 014/024 008/021 002/030 004/030 006/030 010/030 008/029
98/S 23/S 10/U 00/U 01/B 11/B 11/B
MLS 014/021 009/017 001/028 007/029 008/028 011/029 009/027
36/S 66/S 30/U 00/U 01/B 11/B 11/B
4BQ 017/024 013/024 007/035 011/036 012/035 015/033 014/032
77/S 12/S 10/U 00/U 00/B 11/B 10/B
BHK 012/019 008/018 001/030 009/033 012/032 012/028 011/026
24/S 53/S 20/U 00/U 00/B 00/B 00/B
SHR 014/027 010/028 008/035 010/036 013/035 012/032 009/031
65/S 01/B 00/U 00/U 01/B 11/B 11/B
&&
.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 3 PM MST Monday FOR
ZONES 29>31-36-42-57-58-63-138-169-173-228-235.
Winter Weather Advisory in effect until noon MST Monday FOR
ZONES 34-40-56-64>66-141-170-172.
WY...None.
&&
weather.gov/billingsThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall of 6 to 7 inches was reported across the area.
Snowfall of 6 to 10 inches was reported across the area.
Snowfall of 6 inches was reported across the area.
Winds gusted to 69 mph, this combined with the falling snow and snow already on the ground, resulted in visibilities down to a quarter mile at times.
Snowfall of 6 to 8 inches was reported across the area.
Snowfall of 6 to 8 inches was reported across the northwest part of the county.
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, December 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: 1066501, 1066496, 1066495, 1066485, 1066508, 1066515.