Montana, 2024

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Montana, May 1 to 2, 2024

May 1 to 2, 2024 · NWS TFX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

The latter of a few embedded shortwaves within a more broad trough across the west pivoted across the region within westerly flow aloft. Snow showers were the initial concern at higher elevation locations before a trowal pivoted southwestward toward the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountain Front.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
2

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.

The latter of a few embedded shortwaves within a more broad trough across the west pivoted across the region within westerly flow aloft. Snow showers were the initial concern at higher elevation locations before a trowal pivoted southwestward toward the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountain Front. Eventually this better forcing shifted southeastward toward the Central Montana 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 Apr 30, 4:40 PM MST, 18 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 4:40 PM MST, 18 hours 20 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

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

Winter Weather, Bears Paw Mountains and Southern Blaine

When
May 1, 11:00 AM MST to May 2, 8:32 AM MST
Where
Bears Paw Mountains and Southern Blaine forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
48.314, -109.835 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trained spotter reported 10 inches heavy wet snow in the Bears Paw. In the surrounding lower elevation areas in the forecast zone, precipitation fell entirely as rain and did not pose impacts. A Winter Weather Advisory was in effect mentioning up to 10 inches within the terrain of the Bears Paw, but nothing at lower, non-mountainous elevations within the forecast zone.

Heavy Snow, Little Belt and Highwood Mountains

When
May 1, 1:00 PM MST to May 2, 9:00 AM 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)

Snotel equipment at Onion Park estimated 9 inches new snow.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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, May 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: 1176073, 1176072.