A strong arctic airmass settled in over the Billings Forecast Area. At the same time, abundant Pacific moisture overrode this airmass.
Every event with a place to put it; 17 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.
A strong arctic airmass settled in over the Billings Forecast Area. At the same time, abundant Pacific moisture overrode this airmass. This resulted in a prolonged period of heavy snow across all of south central and southeast Montana. Snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches were common.
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 Feb 20, 4:22 AM MST, 7 hours 8 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Billings MT
422 AM MST Sun Feb 20 2022
.DISCUSSION...
Today through Monday night...
A couple of significant changes have occurred in the model trends
which necessitate some changes to our forecast and overall
messaging.
First of all, models have slowed the arrival of the arctic front
into our CWA by at least a few hours. This jives with current
location of cold air just now approaching the Canadian/Montana
Border. We are now looking for a frontal passage at Billings
around 2 PM rather than 10 AM like we were 24 hrs ago. This will
mean a little less snow accumulation for areas through Sunday.
Second, the best upper forcing and potential for banding has
shifted somewhat north and extends further east. This would mean
somewhat less snowfall for Sheridan County and also the southern
portions of Powder River and Carter Counties (though the northern
portions of those two counties could still get hit hard), but hit
our northeast zones harder. With this in mind, will upgrade our
Winter Weather Advisories (Treasure, Northern Rosebud, Custer and
Fallon) to Winter Storm Warnings with 6-7 inches of snowfall now
expected in these areas. Have also adjusted timing of highlights
to start at 11 Am rather than 6 AM.
Due to slower expected frontal passage, will make some
adjustments to highs for today. Expect temperatures to fall
quickly once the front does move through.
Strong frontogenesis is expected to set up this evening. Strong
lift aided by upslope flow will produce heavy snow in the western
areas. Strong SW/W flow with tail end of jet across the MT/WY
border will create strong lift eastward as well. This is a recipe
for a relatively narrow band of heavy snow in a deep dendritic
growth layer tonight. The best guess is this band will set up from
south of Big Timber to southern Fallon County tonight into early
Monday. Most areas will pick up the bulk of their expected snow
tonight. The Monday morning commute WILL see hazardous travel for
much of the area including large portions of I-90 and I-94,
US-212 near Red Lodge and also over near Ashland. Winds will also
be gusty at times behind the front through the evening creating
blowing and drifting snow with reduced visibility.
The upper dynamics will shift E/SE Monday and frontogenesis will
fade Monday morning. However, the upper trough axis associated
with this system will remain to our west as cold air settles into
the northern Rockies and high plains. This will allow a moist
upslope flow to continue through at least Monday night leading to
persistent light snow over our area. The shifted upper dynamics
should still be producing light snow across the southeast zones
and northern Wyoming as well through this period.
Please be aware that besides the snow, our temperatures will turn
quite cold with highs in the single digits above and below zero
Monday. Wind chills will drop into the teens to 20s below zero.
This bitter cold environment will continue into midweek. BT
Tuesday through Sunday...
Precip will be mostly ended across the area Tuesday morning as
subsidence dominates on the back side of the parent low. There may
be some very light snow showers lingering in favored NE upslope
areas along the western and southern foothills as northeasterly
winds hang on until Tuesday afternoon, though any additional
accumulation during this time is expected to be very light. The
real story starting Tuesday are temperatures. Tuesday will start
off below zero across the area, and likely only warm to around
zero. Wednesday morning will be the coldest, with temps bottoming
out around -20 for the entire area. NBM 25th percentile gives
minimum temps of -25 to -30. If skies are able to clear out
completely, areas with dense snow cover could fall into this
range. With wind chills near -30, will likely need wind chill
highlights for overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, and possibly
again Thursday morning. By Thursday, the upper trough axis finally
shifts eastward and westerly winds build back in, which will aid
in pushing the arctic air out of the area. High temps will be in
the teens Thursday. There are some hints at a shortwave trough
that makes it's way through Thursday, which would bring slight
chance of snow showers to the western zones. High temps warm into
the weekend as upper ridging takes over with 20s Friday and low-
to-mid 30s Saturday and Sunday.
Behringer
&&
.AVIATION...
VFR will prevail through the night. Mountains will be obscured
starting Sunday morning. Scattered snow showers will move into the
vicinity of KLVM Sunday morning, and flight conditions will
deteriorate into the afternoon from north to south. By about 21Z,
expect a strong frontal passage with winds switching to N-NE with
gusts of 20-25 kts. Between 21-00Z, snow will intensify across
much of the area, heavy at times. IFR or lower will prevail from
Sunday evening likely through Monday afternoon.
Behringer
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...
Tdy Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
-------------------------------------------------------
BIL 042 003/005 905/001 916/003 914/015 902/026 009/032
7/O +9/S 72/S 11/B 00/B 00/B 00/B
LVM 041 005/008 909/003 914/010 906/021 003/029 010/036
8/S +8/S 72/S 11/B 00/B 00/N 00/N
HDN 041 002/006 907/001 919/006 916/012 907/026 002/033
6/O +9/S 63/S 11/B 00/B 00/B 00/B
MLS 038 000/004 909/000 919/002 917/006 910/020 004/029
4/O 99/S 42/S 01/B 00/B 00/B 00/B
4BQ 044 001/004 909/901 917/006 913/015 907/024 007/032
2/R 99/S 52/S 11/B 00/B 00/B 00/U
BHK 036 907/902 913/903 922/001 917/008 912/018 003/026
4/S 99/S 32/S 00/B 00/B 00/B 00/U
SHR 047 003/006 909/003 917/009 910/016 904/026 004/035
3/R +9/S 73/S 11/B 10/B 00/B 00/U
&&
.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Winter Storm Warning in effect from 11 AM this morning to 6
PM MST Monday FOR ZONES 29>33-42-63-173-228.
Winter Storm Warning in effect from 11 AM this morning to 6
AM MST Tuesday FOR ZONES
34-36-37-40-56>58-64>68-138-139-141-169>172-235.
WY...Winter Storm Warning in effect from 11 AM this morning to 6
AM MST Tuesday FOR ZONES 198-199.
&&
weather.gov/billingsThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
16 winter storm, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall of 5 to 11 inches was reported across the area.
South Fork Shields SNOTEL reported 12 inches of snow.
Snowfall of 4 to 8 inches was reported across the area, along with snow-drifted roads.
Snowfall of 6 to 9 inches was reported across the area.
Snowfall of 4 to 8 inches was reported across the area.
Snowfall of 12 inches occurred across the area.
Heavy snow, black ice, low visibilities and numerous accidents were reported across the area.
Snowfall of 6 to 10 inches was reported across the area.
Snowfall of 6 to 8 inches was reported across the area. Black ice, poor visibilities and numerous accidents were also reported.
Snowfall of 5 to 7 inches, along with slick roads and low visibilities, was reported across the area.
Snowfall of 5 to 7 inches, along with low visibilities, was reported across the area.
Snowfall of 5 to 10 inches was reported across the area.
Snowfall of 6+ inches was reported across the area.
Snowfall of 6+ inches was reported across the area.
Snowfall of 6+ inches, along with accidents, were reported across the area. In addition, chains were required on US 212.
Snowfall of 4-10 inches was reported across the area.
Snowfall of 6+ inches and poor visibilities were reported across the area.
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1003053, 1003044, 1003037, 1003038, 1003039, 1003043, 1003051, 1003052, 1003056, 1003057, 1003050, 1003040, 1003045, 1003047, 1003046, 1003048, 1003049.