Montana, 2024

Winter Storm in Montana, April 16 to 17, 2024

April 16 to 17, 2024 · NWS BYZ · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

An unstable northwest flow aloft resulted in heavy snow to the mountains and adjacent foothills.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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 BYZ wrote it up.

An unstable northwest flow aloft resulted in heavy snow to the mountains and adjacent foothills.

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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 16, 2:23 PM MST, 1 hour 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 16, 2:23 PM MST, 1 hour 37 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 16, 11:57 AM MST, 4 hours 3 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

4 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Absaroka / Beartooth Mountains

When
April 16, 4:00 PM MST to April 17, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Absaroka / Beartooth Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
45.550, -109.722 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Area Snotels reported anywhere from 10 to 24 inches of snow.

Winter Storm, Beartooth Foothills

When
April 16, 7:00 PM MST to April 17, 11:00 AM MST
Where
Beartooth Foothills forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.742, -109.668 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 7 to 10 inches was reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Red Lodge Foothills

When
April 16, 7:00 PM MST to April 17, 11:00 AM MST
Where
Red Lodge Foothills forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.227, -109.028 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 6 to 10 inches was reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Pryor/Northern Bighorn Mountains

When
April 16, 8:00 PM MST to April 17, 10:00 PM MST
Where
Pryor/Northern Bighorn Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
45.326, -108.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Area Snotels reported anywhere from 10 to 21 inches of snow.

What these are

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 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, April 2024

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: 1168829, 1168830, 1168832, 1168833.