Montana, 2025

Winter Storm and Extreme Cold in Montana, February 15 to 19, 2025

February 15 to 19, 2025 · NWS TFX · 19 events in 17 counties and zones

A stout closed low over Manitoba swung a shortwave around its western periphery and then southward toward the Northern Rockies Feb 16. The wave stalled over MT, resulting in a strongly cyclonic flow aloft, while the main upper disturbance exited eastward..

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
None recorded
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 stout closed low over Manitoba swung a shortwave around its western periphery and then southward toward the Northern Rockies Feb 16. The wave stalled over MT, resulting in a strongly cyclonic flow aloft, while the main upper disturbance exited eastward.. This allowed for a long duration snow event that lasted into the 18th.

After this system cleared out, a strong surface high resulted in another period of extreme cold. This episode will also serve as the location for additional extreme cold highlights from June 16 through the morning of the 19th.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 extreme cold/wind chill, 5 heavy snow, 1 winter weather, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Gallatin and Madison County Mountains and Centennial Mountains

When
February 15, 5:00 PM MST to February 16, 5:00 PM MST
Where
Gallatin and Madison County Mountains and Centennial Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
45.325, -111.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Black Bear Snotel estimated 15 inches new snow over 24 hours. This was an isolated instance of heavy snow and was not representative of the entire zone.

Heavy Snow, Big Belt, Bridger and Castle Mountains

When
February 16, 2:00 AM MST to 6:00 PM 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)

Snotel equipment at Brackett Creek and Sacajawea estimated snow in excess of 9 inches, including a peak of a foot at Brackett Creek.

Heavy Snow, Bears Paw Mountains and Southern Blaine

When
February 16, 6:00 AM MST to February 17, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Bears Paw Mountains and Southern Blaine forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
48.314, -109.835 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Coop observer reported 10 inches total over two observations. Start and criteria time were estimated.

Heavy Snow, Gates of the Mountains

When
February 16, 6:00 AM MST to February 17, 4:30 PM 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)

A coop observer near Holter Dam observed 6 inches of new snow over two observations. Start time was estimated.

Heavy Snow, Southern High Plains

When
February 16, 12:30 PM MST to February 17, 11:00 PM MST
Where
Southern High Plains forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
47.480, -112.315 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Coop observer near Bynum reported 10.3 inches total new snow over two observations. Start time, end time, and criteria time were estimated.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Blaine County

When
February 16, 9:00 PM MST to February 19, 5:00 AM MST
Where
Northern Blaine County forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
48.433, -108.959 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Many sensors measured criteria cold, including mesonet station BFTM 4.4 E Hogeland (AGRIMET), which measured a -53F wind chill.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Hill County

When
February 16, 9:35 PM MST to February 19, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Hill County forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
48.628, -110.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Many, many sensors measured criteria cold, including mesonet station DVI09859 Havre, which measured a wind chill of -55F.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Toole and Liberty

When
February 17, 12:12 AM MST to February 19, 5:59 AM MST
Where
Eastern Toole and Liberty forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
48.609, -111.360 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Many, many sensors measured criteria cold, including mesonet station DW9565 Whitlash, which measured a wind chill of -58F.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Bears Paw Mountains and Southern Blaine

When
February 17, 2:18 AM MST to February 19, 5:18 AM MST
Where
Bears Paw Mountains and Southern Blaine forecast zone
Reported by
RAWS
Coordinates
48.314, -109.835 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

RAWS sensor FBLM8 Fort Belknap RAWS measured criteria cold for a few days in a row, including a minimum wind chill of -54F the morning of the 19th.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Fergus County Below 4500ft

When
February 17, 6:55 AM MST to February 19, 5:00 AM MST
Where
Fergus County Below 4500ft forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
47.264, -109.224 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Many sensors measured criteria cold, including mesonet station MTM42 Blm Roy, which measured a wind chill of -46F.

Winter Storm, Missouri Headwaters

When
February 17, 8:00 AM MST to February 18, 8:00 AM MST
Where
Missouri Headwaters forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
45.664, -111.728 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

DOT reported a foot of new snow in the Cardwell area. Public report near Whitehall estimated 18 inches new snow.

Heavy Snow, Gallatin Valley

When
February 17, 6:00 PM MST to February 18, 6:00 AM MST
Where
Gallatin Valley forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
45.541, -111.170 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trained spotter reports 8.5 inches of new snow over 12 hours near Church Hill. Criteria time estimated.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Pondera and Eastern Teton

When
February 18, 4:00 AM MST to February 19, 5:55 AM MST
Where
Eastern Pondera and Eastern Teton forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
48.033, -112.233 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A few sensors measured criteria cold, including AWOS station K1JM Juliett, which measured a wind chill of -41F.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Western and Central Chouteau County

When
February 18, 4:15 AM MST to February 19, 5:30 AM MST
Where
Western and Central Chouteau County forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
47.881, -110.435 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Many sensors measured criteria cold, including mesonet station MTM90 Big Sandy Sw, which measured a wind chill of -49F.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern High Plains

When
February 18, 8:00 PM MST to February 19, 5:30 AM MST
Where
Southern High Plains forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
47.480, -112.315 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station TRFM Teton River - Agrimet measured a wind chill of -43F.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Cascade County Below 5000ft

When
February 18, 9:15 PM MST to 9:53 PM MST
Where
Cascade County Below 5000ft forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
47.308, -111.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

ASOS station KGTF Great Falls Airport measured wind chill of -36F.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Judith Basin County and Judith Gap

When
February 18, 10:00 PM MST to February 19, 3:00 AM MST
Where
Judith Basin County and Judith Gap forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
47.155, -109.745 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mesonet station MTGYS Geyser (MT DOT) measured a wind chill of -37 F.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera

When
February 19, 2:00 AM MST to 5:00 AM MST
Where
Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, and Central Pondera forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
48.529, -112.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A few mesonets measured criteria cold the morning of the 19th, including mesonet station MTSWT Sweetgrass (MT DOT) which measured a wind chill of -59 F.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern High Plains

When
February 19, 4:21 AM MST
Where
Northern High Plains forecast zone
Reported by
RAWS
Coordinates
48.467, -112.610 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

RAWS station BGRM8 Browning measured a wind chill of -36F.

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.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.
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 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, February 2025

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: 1245084, 1245083, 1245086, 1245087, 1245090, 1246474, 1246506, 1246519, 1246483, 1246493, 1245089, 1245088, 1246522, 1246489, 1246528, 1246524, 1246527, 1246501, 1246526.