A fast moving Alberta Clipper system embedded in northwesterly flow aloft moved through the area, bringing winds and some rain and snow showers to the area. Winds were the bigger impact with this system, as 45-55 knot winds aloft were ducted down to the surface, thanks in part to a stable layer near mountain peak level.
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 TFX wrote it up.
A fast moving Alberta Clipper system embedded in northwesterly flow aloft moved through the area, bringing winds and some rain and snow showers to the area. Winds were the bigger impact with this system, as 45-55 knot winds aloft were ducted down to the surface, thanks in part to a stable layer near mountain peak level.
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 Great Falls, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 17, 5:05 AM MST, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Great Falls MT 505 AM MST Thu Feb 17 2022 UPDATED AVIATION SECTION .SYNOPSIS... The next week or so will be quite active weather wise. Temperatures will be warmer than normal temperatures with a chance of mainly mountain showers through Saturday, but that comes with gusty winds, especially over the plains, and especially today and Saturday. A Pacific weather system will then bring a change in the weather pattern for the late weekend period, with falling temperatures and a period of light snow. This system will then bring cold Arctic air into the area for early next week. && .DISCUSSION... Overall, the main concerns for the upcoming week include: the potential for strong winds over north central and central Montana both today and Saturday, a significant weather pattern change that could bring significant snowfall Saturday night through Sunday night, and the potential for bitter cold air for much of next week. Today and Tonight... Forecast models continue to indicate a fast- moving Alberta clipper system in the northwest flow aloft to move more so over Saskatchewan into the northern Great Plains. This may cause a few light rain and snow showers to move through the area later this morning through early this evening, but the greater hazard will likely be strong winds. The passage of the disturbance will cause northwest winds to strengthen into the 45 to 55 kt range at the mid levels, and a stable layer at mountain top level will help translate these winds down to the surface. The areas most likely to see the stronger winds are the Rocky Mountain Front and adjacent plains, but these stronger winds also track over central Montana, including along the MT Highway 200 corridor and possibly including over MacDonald Pass. Have therefore upgraded the High Wind Watch for these areas to a Warning. The favored time period for the strongest winds overall will likely be between 10 am and 2 pm on the Rocky Mountain Front and between 11 am and 3 pm elsewhere. There is also a concern for reduced visibility in blowing snow and lane obstruction on highways due to drifting snow during the morning hours; above freezing (and 5- to 10-degree warmer than normal) temperatures should help stabilize the snow after noon. Showers may also help translate a few stronger wind gusts down to the surface outside of the warned area, especially over the plains, but confidence in this happening is only moderate at best, so will leave those areas out of the warning. The exit of the system will decrease clouds and showers this evening, but lingering breezy winds will help keep overnight temperatures between 5 and 15 degrees above normal. Friday through Saturday... The northwest flow aloft will persist through the day on Friday as a weak Canadian cold front pushes through the area. A few showers may fall mainly in the mountains, and overall decreasing winds will likely shift more northerly over the plains. This passing front will mainly cool temperatures closer to normal on the Hi-Line, while the remainder of the area stays well above normal. The high pressure ridge off the Pacific coast is then forecast to move back onshore Friday night into Saturday, as a low pressure trough moves southeast out of the Gulf of Alaska. As a result, the flow aloft will shift more westerly over Montana and increase, which will likely translate gusty winds back down to the surface, especially over the plains. Weak disturbances in the flow will bring a chance of mainly mountain showers, but they will also help bring a more prolonged period of strong winds to the plains than what is expected for today. These winds appear to be similar in strength to those for today, but the potential area for strong winds is a bit larger than is expected for today, making another round of High Wind highlights quite possible. However, the winds will likely warm temperatures back up to between 10 and 15 degrees above normal. Saturday Night through Sunday Night... The Gulf of Alaska trough is then forecast to move southeast into the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies during this period. Its Pacific moisture will combine with a strong Canadian cold front passage to likely bring widespread rain and snow that will change over to all snow by early Sunday morning. The main period for snow will likely be during the day on Sunday, as temperatures fall into the 20s in the southwest and into the teens and single digits above zero over the plains. Gusty north winds behind the front will also likely cause wind chills in the single digits and teens below zero over the plains and may cause areas of blowing snow. Significant snowfall accumulation is possible, but uncertainty among the models make it difficult to accurately predict just how much will fall at this time. Regardless, winter weather highlights may be needed as confidence in this weather pattern increases. Any snow lingering overnight Sunday night should mostly remain in the mountains. Northerly winds should decrease somewhat as well Sunday night, but the continued push of Arctic air into the area (lows falling into the single digits above zero in the south and single digits below zero in the north) will likely cause wind chills to fall into the teens to lower 20s below zero, so wind chill highlights may be needed then as well. Monday through Tuesday... This will likely be the coldest portion of the forecast period, and potentially the coldest period since the beginning of the year. The low pressure trough will continue to deepen over the western United States Monday through Tuesday, allowing the Arctic airmass to settle in over the area. While snow chances will remain low and mainly over the mountains, temperatures will mostly remain in the single digits above and below zero, with the potential for lows in the teens below zero (or possibly even lower) over the plains. Lingering breezy northerly winds will also keep the threat for overnight wind chills in the -20s in the south and -30s in the north, for a continued chance of additional wind chill highlights. Wednesday through Thursday... Forecast models differ on the solution for this period; some want to move the cold low pressure trough east of the area, while some leave it in place. As a result, the National Blend of Models indicates that the greatest likelihood is that temperatures will slowly moderate through this period, though they will remain below freezing, with a chance of lingering light snow showers, mainly in the mountains. -Coulston && .AVIATION... 505 AM MST Thu Feb 17 2022 (17/12Z TAF period) VFR conditions are expected to mostly continue for at least the next 24 hours across the area. The main concern today will be strong westerly winds causing mountain wave turbulence and low level wind shear. Winds aloft will increase through around 20Z then gradually decrease through 06Z, with the strongest winds likely between 16Z and 21Z. The strongest gusts will be 50 kt or higher at times along the east slopes of the Rockies (KCTB KGTF), mostly 35 to 45 kt over the eastern plains (KHVR KLWT) and central Montana valleys (KHLN), and mostly 25 to 35 kt in the southwest valleys (KBZN KEKS). Otherwise, the mid-level cloudiness over southwest Montana currently should decrease through around 17Z, as mid- and high-level cloudiness increases again from north to south over the area through 20Z. A few rain and snow showers may also develop during the day, which may cause more erratic wind gusts and brief periods of MVFR conditions, but clouds and showers should decrease after 00Z. -Coulston Refer to weather.gov/zlc for more detailed regional aviation weather and hazard information. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GTF 42 29 44 30 / 30 10 10 0 CTB 40 28 39 31 / 30 0 0 0 HLN 42 31 46 29 / 20 10 10 10 BZN 38 21 43 21 / 30 40 10 10 WYS 26 8 32 13 / 30 60 10 0 DLN 39 23 44 23 / 0 0 0 0 HVR 42 27 35 23 / 30 10 10 0 LWT 38 26 38 26 / 20 20 10 0 && .TFX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning from 9 AM this morning to 6 PM MST this evening Cascade...Central and Southern Lewis and Clark... Chouteau...Eastern Pondera...Eastern Teton...Judith Basin... Toole. High Wind Warning until 6 PM MST this evening Eastern Glacier... Northern Rocky Mountain Front...Southern Rocky Mountain Front. && http://www.weather.gov/greatfalls
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREAT FALLS MT
628 AM MST THU FEB 17 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0521 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 8 SE EAST GLACIER PARK 48.36N 113.11W
02/17/2022 M79 MPH GLACIER MT MESONET
MESONET STATION DCRM8 DEEP CREEK RAWS.
&&
MOLDAN5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Mesonet sensor 14 miles west of Bynum reported wind gusts to 73 mph.
Cut Bank ASOS recorded wind gusts to 59 mph.
Mesonet sensor 2 miles south-southeast of Geyser recorded a wind gust of 58 mph.
Mesonet station at Two Medicine Bridge reported a wind gust to 65 mph.
Mesonet sensors north of Ledger reported wind gusts to 67 mph.
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, February 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: 1011338, 1011328, 1011329, 1011324, 1011335.