Winter Storm in Montana, February 26 to 27, 2024

Name: Winter Storm in Montana, February 26 to 27, 2024
Start: 2024-02-26T15:00
End: 2024-02-27T06:00
Location: Montana

February 26 to 27, 2024 · NWS BYZ · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

An unstable northwest flow aloft resulted in heavy snow to the foothills locations of the Beartooth/Absaroka and Bighorn Mountains.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
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Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
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Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 foothills locations of the Beartooth/Absaroka and Bighorn 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 Billings, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 26, 1:51 PM MST, 1 hour 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 26, 1:51 PM MST, 1 hour 9 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 26, 9:23 AM MST, 5 hours 37 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 26, 9:37 AM MST, 5 hours 23 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 26, 9:43 AM MST, 5 hours 17 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 26, 11:03 AM MST, 3 hours 57 minutes before

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Local storm report, Feb 26, 1:14 PM MST, 1 hour 46 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Billings, MT
114 PM MST Mon Feb 26 2024

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1204 PM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 1 NW Burgess Junction   44.79N 107.54W
02/26/2024  M58.00 MPH       Sheridan           WY   Mesonet

&&

LT

Local storm report, Feb 26, 2:03 PM MST, 57 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Billings, MT
203 PM MST Mon Feb 26 2024

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0842 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 8 S Burgess Junction    44.65N 107.50W
02/26/2024  M51.00 MPH       Sheridan           WY   Dept of Highways

0928 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 8 S Burgess Junction    44.65N 107.50W
02/26/2024  M56.00 MPH       Sheridan           WY   Dept of Highways

0953 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 6 ENE Livingston        45.70N 110.45W
02/26/2024  M58.00 MPH       Park               MT   ASOS

1000 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 3 ESE Emigrant          45.35N 110.68W
02/26/2024  M52.00 MPH       Park               MT   Mesonet

1004 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 1 NW Burgess Junction   44.79N 107.54W
02/26/2024  M51.00 MPH       Sheridan           WY   Mesonet

1015 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 3 ESE Emigrant          45.35N 110.68W
02/26/2024  M51.00 MPH       Park               MT   Mesonet

1043 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 6 ENE Livingston        45.70N 110.45W
02/26/2024  M58.00 MPH       Park               MT   ASOS

1045 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 3 ESE Emigrant          45.35N 110.68W
02/26/2024  M56.00 MPH       Park               MT   Mesonet

1053 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 6 ENE Livingston        45.70N 110.45W
02/26/2024  M55.00 MPH       Park               MT   ASOS

1100 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 3 ESE Emigrant          45.35N 110.68W
02/26/2024  M54.00 MPH       Park               MT   Mesonet

1104 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 8 S Burgess Junction    44.65N 107.50W
02/26/2024  M56.00 MPH       Sheridan           WY   Dept of Highways

1115 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 3 ENE Livingston        45.69N 110.50W
02/26/2024  M51.00 MPH       Park               MT   Dept of Highways

1130 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 3 ESE Emigrant          45.35N 110.68W
02/26/2024  M53.00 MPH       Park               MT   Mesonet

1137 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 6 ENE Livingston        45.70N 110.45W
02/26/2024  M61.00 MPH       Park               MT   ASOS

1140 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 8 S Burgess Junction    44.65N 107.50W
02/26/2024  M53.00 MPH       Sheridan           WY   Dept of Highways

1153 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 6 ENE Livingston        45.70N 110.45W
02/26/2024  M59.00 MPH       Park               MT   ASOS

1200 PM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 WSW Livingston        45.65N 110.60W
02/26/2024  M51.00 MPH       Park               MT   Dept of Highways

1203 PM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 6 ENE Livingston        45.70N 110.45W
02/26/2024  M59.00 MPH       Park               MT   ASOS

0104 PM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 1 NW Burgess Junction   44.79N 107.54W
02/26/2024  M64.00 MPH       Sheridan           WY   Mesonet

&&

TS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Absaroka / Beartooth Mountains

When: February 26, 3:00 PM MST to February 27, 6:00 AM 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 received around a foot of snow.

Winter Storm, Beartooth Foothills

When: February 26, 4:00 PM MST to February 27, 6:00 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 around 8 inches was reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Red Lodge Foothills

When: February 26, 5:00 PM MST to February 27, 6:00 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 8 inches was reported across the area.

Winter Storm, Southern Big Horn

When: February 26, 6:00 PM MST to February 27, 6:00 AM MST
Where: Southern Big Horn forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.424, -107.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall of 6 inches occurred across the area.

Winter Storm, Bighorn Canyon

When: February 26, 6:00 PM MST to February 27, 6:00 AM MST
Where: Bighorn Canyon forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.326, -108.259 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Fort Smith reported 6 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

Every storm in Montana in 2024 Every state in 2024 This day in weather history Warnings in Montana, February 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1158071, 1158072, 1158073, 1158074, 1158075.