Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Montana, March 14 to 15, 2023

Name: Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Montana, March 14 to 15, 2023
Start: 2023-03-14T01:00
End: 2023-03-15T18:00
Location: Montana

March 14 to 15, 2023 · NWS TFX · 19 events in 17 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $200,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 19

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 Pacific weather system arrived from the west and ushered in an unsettled weather pattern that persisted through mid-week. Strong wind occurred along the Rocky Mountain Front and portions of Central and Southwest Montana. Heavy snow also developed along the immediate eastern slopes of the Continental Divide and the southwestern mountains.

What forecasters said that day

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 Mar 13, 4:18 PM MST, 8 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 13, 4:18 PM MST, 8 hours 42 minutes before

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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 heavy snow, 7 high wind, 3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Gallatin and Madison County Mountains and Centennial Mountains

When: March 14, 1:00 AM MST
Where: Gallatin and Madison County Mountains and Centennial Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 45.325, -111.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet YCTIM (Yellowstone Club) measured 61 mph wind gust. 9399 ft elevation.

High Wind, Judith Basin County and Judith Gap

When: March 14, 2:30 AM MST
Where: Judith Basin County and Judith Gap forecast zone
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.155, -109.745 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ambient weather station 4 WSW Geyser measured a peak gust of 68 mph.

High Wind, Cascade County Below 5000ft

When: March 14, 3:46 AM MST
Where: Cascade County Below 5000ft forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 47.308, -111.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

NWS employee via ambient weather station measured 61 mph wind gust near 6 W Sand Coulee.

High Wind, Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera

When: March 14, 4:09 AM MST
Where: Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera forecast zone
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.529, -112.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ambient weather station near LJ Johnson Farms measured 68 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Southern High Plains

When: March 14, 5:59 AM MST
Where: Southern High Plains forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 47.480, -112.315 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station KMTFAIRF12 measured 62 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Northern High Plains

When: March 14, 6:40 AM MST
Where: Northern High Plains forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.467, -112.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station MTBWG (Browning) measured 59 mph wind gust.

High Wind, East Glacier Park Region

When: March 14, 8:21 AM MST
Where: East Glacier Park Region forecast zone
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 48.467, -112.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station DCRM8 (Deep Creek Raws) measured 66 mph wind gust.

Heavy Snow, Little Belt and Highwood Mountains

When: March 14, 11:00 AM MST to March 15, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Little Belt and Highwood Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: SNOTEL
Coordinates: 47.208, -110.733 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Onion Park and Spur Park SNOTEL sites both received 8 inches of snow for event totals. Elevation of sites are 7,640 and 8,097 feet, respectively.

Heavy Snow, Northern Blaine County

When: March 14, 4:00 PM MST to March 15, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Northern Blaine County forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 48.433, -108.959 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Observer about two miles southwest of Fort Belknap reported an event total of 6.4 inches of snow.

Heavy Snow, Helena Valley

When: March 14, 5:00 PM MST to March 15, 5:00 PM MST
Where: Helena Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 47.122, -112.390 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Helena Law Enforcement reported two school bus slide offs, a semi crash that took out a fire hydrant, and multiple two-vehicle crashes. CoCoRaHS station MT-LC-14 2 NNW Helena reported 6 inches of snowfall.

Winter Storm, Ruby Mountains and Southern Beaverhead Mountains

When: March 14, 5:00 PM MST to March 15, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Ruby Mountains and Southern Beaverhead Mountains forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 45.217, -112.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sheriff's office reported a 72-car train hit a large snowdrift near the intersection of S Monida Rd and S Valley Rd. The lead engine derailed. Portions of I-15 were closed due to severe driving conditions.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Toole and Liberty

When: March 14, 6:00 PM MST to March 15, 2:00 PM MST
Where: Eastern Toole and Liberty forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 48.609, -111.360 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two CoCoRaHS stations across northeast Liberty County reported event snow totals of 5 and 7.2 inches. Lesser amounts of snow occurred farther south and west.

Winter Storm, Gallatin and Madison County Mountains and Centennial Mountains

When: March 14, 6:00 PM MST to March 15, 6:00 PM MST
Where: Gallatin and Madison County Mountains and Centennial Mountains forecast zone
Property damage: $150,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 45.325, -111.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous traffic wrecks across the area due to winter weather conditions. US 191 between Big Sky and Gallatin Gateway was completely shutdown at times due to accidents. 16 accidents occurred in the Big Sky area due to weather. One included six vehicles and one semi. No injuries were reported. SNOTEL sites received snow amounts ranging from 8 to 10 inches.

Heavy Snow, Upper Blackfoot and Macdonald Pass

When: March 14, 10:00 PM MST to March 15, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Upper Blackfoot and Macdonald Pass forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 47.122, -112.390 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotter located about 11 miles west of Helena reported new snowfall of 6 inches over 12 hours.

Heavy Snow, Gates of the Mountains

When: March 14, 10:00 PM MST to March 15, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Gates of the Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 47.215, -111.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Observer at Holter Dam reported an event total of 6 inches of snow, with a liquid equivalent of 0.45.

Heavy Snow, Western and Central Chouteau County

When: March 14, 10:00 PM MST to March 15, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Western and Central Chouteau County forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 47.881, -110.435 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

COOP observer located about 19 miles south of Rudyard reported an event total snow amount of 6 inches.

Heavy Snow, Hill County

When: March 14, 10:00 PM MST to March 15, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Hill County forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 48.628, -110.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

COOP observer located about 21 miles north of Rudyard reported an event total snow amount of 6 inches.

Winter Storm, Cascade County Below 5000ft

When: March 15, 12:00 AM MST to 6:00 PM MST
Where: Cascade County Below 5000ft forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 47.308, -111.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cascade County Sheriff's office reported several vehicle incidents and wrecks due to snow covered roadways.

Heavy Snow, Big Belt, Bridger and Castle Mountains

When: March 15, 5:00 AM MST to 11:00 AM MST
Where: Big Belt, Bridger and Castle Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: SNOTEL
Coordinates: 46.398, -111.485 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Burst of heavy snow resulted in Sacajawea SNOTEL receiving an estimated an event total amount of 8 inches which occurred over only a few hours.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
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

Every storm in Montana in 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, March 2023

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1084018, 1084013, 1084019, 1084014, 1084017, 1084020, 1084016, 1084031, 1092061, 1084035, 1091376, 1084039, 1091392, 1089506, 1092064, 1092065, 1092066, 1091385, 1084030.