After ample snow fell along the Rocky Mountain Front and adjacent plains, Strong westerly winds developed and resulted in significant blowing snow, especially along the Northern Rocky Mountain Front and High Plains. Isolated strong wind gusts also occurred across the Madison and Gallatin Mountains as well as the Judith Mountains.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 TFX wrote it up.
After ample snow fell along the Rocky Mountain Front and adjacent plains, Strong westerly winds developed and resulted in significant blowing snow, especially along the Northern Rocky Mountain Front and High Plains. Isolated strong wind gusts also occurred across the Madison and Gallatin Mountains as well as the Judith Mountains.
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 24, 4:05 PM MST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind, 3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Very strong winds occurred in a data sparse area, likely resulting in near ground blizzard conditions. A peak measured wind gust of 82 mph occurred at the Deep Creek RAWS, located about 8 miles southeast of East Glacier Park.
Very strong winds in the Browning area resulted in significant blowing snow and resultant poor visibility, as well as near ground blizzard conditions. A peak measured wind gust of 58 mph occurred at a Montana Department of Transportation sensor located about two miles southeast of Browning.
Significant blowing of snow resulted in a prolonged period of greatly reduced visibility. Strongest recorded wind gusts consisted of a 58 mph gust from a portable RAWS site located about 11 miles west/northwest of Augusta and a 75 mph wind gust from mesonet site DELMT located about 14 miles west of Bynum.
A Montana Department of Transportation sensor located about one mile east/northeast of East Glacier Park measured a wind gust of 72 mph.
A Montana Department of Highways sensor located about 6 miles north/northwest of Sunburst measured a sustained wind speed of 40 mph or greater for over an hour. Average sustained speed was 43 mph. Additionally, a max gust of 62 mph was measured during the hour of sustained winds averaging greater than 40 mph.
Avalanche reporting site GNFHY measured a peak gust of 61 mph about 16 miles southeast of Gallatin Gateway.
Avalanche reporting site YCTIM measured a peak gust of 64 mph about 6 miles west/northwest of Big Sky.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, February 2023
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: 1077481, 1077484, 1077483, 1077486, 1077482, 1077488, 1077487.