Montana, 2022

Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Montana, March 7 to 8, 2022

March 7 to 8, 2022 · NWS TFX · 14 events in 4 counties and zones

A vigorous shortwave trough and attendant cold front dove south into the Northern Rockies, delivering a shot of cold air and snowfall. Convective snow bands along and behind the front were fueled by strong cold air advection and low level lapse rates of 5 to 8C/km.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
14

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS TFX wrote it up.

A vigorous shortwave trough and attendant cold front dove south into the Northern Rockies, delivering a shot of cold air and snowfall. Convective snow bands along and behind the front were fueled by strong cold air advection and low level lapse rates of 5 to 8C/km. H700 temperatures quickly dropped to the -10 to -15 C range, which played a role in northerly winds gusting in excess of 40 mph at times. The combination of falling/blowing snow brought brief visibility reductions down to a quarter mile or less to many locations. The snow became lighter and steadier following the frontal passage, but did produce localized heavy snowfall amounts, particularly on the southwest side of Bozeman.

Event by event

7 heavy snow, 6 winter weather, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Gallatin

When
March 7, 6:48 AM MST to March 8, 6:48 AM MST
Where
Gallatin forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Trained spotter at 5 E Gallatin Gateway measured 12 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Glacier

When
March 7, 3:06 PM MST
Where
Eastern Glacier forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

Snow Squall observed at KCTB. Visibility fell to a quarter mile for 14 minutes and winds gusted as high as 45 mph.

Winter Weather, Eastern Glacier

When
March 7, 3:06 PM MST
Where
Eastern Glacier forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

Snow squall. Snow Squall observed at KCTB. Visibility fell to a quarter mile for 14 minutes and winds gusted as high as 45 mph.

Heavy Snow, Cascade

When
March 7, 4:51 PM MST
Where
Cascade forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

Snow squall observed at KGTF. Visibility dropped to a quarter mile for 12 minutes and winds gusts peaked at 48 mph.

Winter Weather, Cascade

When
March 7, 4:51 PM MST
Where
Cascade forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

Snow squall. Snow squall observed at KGTF. Visibility dropped to a quarter mile for 12 minutes and winds gusts peaked at 48 mph.

Heavy Snow, Cascade

When
March 7, 5:27 PM MST
Where
Cascade forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Trained spotter at 5 SSW Belt observes a snow squall. Whiteout conditions from falling and blowing snow.

Winter Weather, Cascade

When
March 7, 5:27 PM MST
Where
Cascade forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Snow squall. Trained spotter at 5 SSW Belt observed a snow squall. Whiteout conditions from falling and blowing snow.

Heavy Snow, Cascade

When
March 7, 6:36 PM MST
Where
Cascade forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Trained spotter at 7 SSE Ulm observes a snow squall. Visibility fell to a less than a quarter mile and peak wind gust was 36 mph.

Winter Weather, Cascade

When
March 7, 6:36 PM MST
Where
Cascade forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Snow squall. Trained spotter at 7 SSE Ulm observed a snow squall. Visibility fell to a less than a quarter mile and peak wind gust was 36 mph.

Heavy Snow, Judith Basin

When
March 7, 6:52 PM MST
Where
Judith Basin forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Trained spotter at 5 SW Stanford observes a snow snow squall. Near zero visibility due to falling/blowing snow and highly variable winds.

Winter Weather, Judith Basin

When
March 7, 6:52 PM MST
Where
Judith Basin forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Snow squall. Trained spotter at 5 SW Stanford observed a snow squall. Near zero visibility due to falling/blowing snow and highly variable winds.

Heavy Snow, Judith Basin

When
March 7, 8:13 PM MST
Where
Judith Basin forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

KLWT observes a snow squall. Visibility fell to a quarter mile for 12 minutes and peak wind gust was 28 mph.

Winter Weather, Judith Basin

When
March 7, 8:13 PM MST
Where
Judith Basin forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

Snow squall. KLWT observed a snow squall. Visibility fell to a quarter mile for 12 minutes and peak wind gust was 28 mph.

Winter Storm, Gallatin

When
March 8, 7:48 AM MST
Where
Gallatin forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Trained spotter at 5 E Gallatin Gateway measured 12 inches of snow.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Montana in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, March 2022

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1076212, 1012159, 1076206, 1012160, 1076211, 1012167, 1076207, 1012170, 1076208, 1012172, 1076209, 1012173, 1076210, 1012174.