Tight surface pressure gradients across portions of the Billings Forecast Area resulted in some high wind gusts.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS BYZ wrote it up.
Tight surface pressure gradients across portions of the Billings Forecast Area resulted in some high wind gusts.
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 Mar 16, 10:08 AM MST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated
National Weather Service Billings MT
1108 AM MDT Sun Mar 16 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Strong winds over the foothills west of Billings today,
strongest this afternoon and evening. Becoming breezy over the
east.
- Very strong wind in the mountains, with locally damaging winds
possible in the higher foothills, late this evening into
tonight.
- Moderate to heavy mountain snow expected through Tuesday.
- Another round of rain/snow Monday through Tuesday over the lower
elevations. Best chance for impactful snow is over the
foothills.
&&
.UPDATE...
The High Wind Watches for the Red Lodge and Sheridan Foothills, as
well as the Bighorn Mountains have been upgraded to High Wind
Warnings. The warning for the Red Lodge Foothills goes into effect
at 3 PM this afternoon and the warning for the Sheridan Foothills
and Bighorns goes into effect at 6 PM this evening.
The rest of the forecast and other ongoing products remain in
good shape. Matos
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Today through Monday Afternoon...
Windy conditions are expected today into tonight across the
region. During the day today, the strongest winds over the lower
elevations are expected in south-central Montana, specifically
over the foothills west of Billings. During this time, a hybrid of
mix- down and gaping winds is expected around Livingston to Big
Timber where gusts around 50 to 65 mph are forecast. Around
Harlowton, winds are expected to be weaker today with gusts into
the 40s to lower 50s (mph) common. Across the rest of the lower
elevations in south-central Montana, including the city of
Billings, mix-down wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph are forecast. East
of Billings, in south- eastern Montana, winds will be weaker with
gusts around 20 to 30 mph forecast.
While the strong winds over the lower elevations of south-central
Montana will begin to decrease late this evening into tonight,
strong winds over the mountains, especially the Beartooth-
Absaroka and Bighorn mountains, will continue into tonight. This
is due to a secondary push of even stronger winds aloft. With
this, strong winds may move down the lee-side of these mountain
ranges during the late evening and overnight hours. This could
potentially bring damaging winds down towards communities along
the Beartooth and Bighorn foothills, including areas around Red
Lodge, MT and Sheridan, WY. While uncertainty remains in how far
down the mountain the damaging winds may go, high resolution and
global deterministic models continue to show a signal for such an
event. At this time, the most likely time for such damaging winds
to potentially occur is between 7PM this evening to around
midnight Monday for the Beartooth foothills and between 10PM this
evening and 6AM Monday for the Bighorn foothills. A frontal
passage Monday morning will quickly end the strong wind threat
across the area. If you live or have property in the foothills of
the Beartooth and Bighorn mountains, pay close attention to the
forecast for important updates today.
Along with the wind, snow is expected in the Beartooth-Absaroka
Mountains today through Monday. The combination of strong winds
and falling snow will make recreation in the high country very
difficult during this time. Arends
Monday night through Saturday...
Upper trough will be moving into the Rockies Monday night with mid
level flow backing and continuing to bring a fetch of Pacific
moisture into our mountains and eastward across our CWA. Low level
winds will turn northerly as colder air gets drawn southward.
However, 850mb temps do not drop below zero until after midnight.
So, look for rain showers, or a mix of rain/snow at the lower
elevations turning to all snow late. Snow, heavy at times, will
continue in the high country. Pops will be lowest over the
northern sections (15-40%) and highest to the south and along the
higher terrain (65-95%).
Trough splits as it moves through the region on Tuesday. This
will keep heaviest snowfall south of the forecast area into
Wyoming, but still bring accumulating snow to our zones along the
MT/WY border, especially at the higher elevations. Winds turn
northwesterly and become gusty in the afternoon across the western
half of the forecast area as trough in northern branch tracks
southeast across Idaho and western Montana. This will bring
another round of snow showers across the western half of the CWA
into Tuesday evening before drying occurs overnight. Highs Tuesday
will be in the 30s to mid 40s.
Monday night through Tuesday...the lower elevations will not see
much snowfall accumulation (chance of an inch 30% west to less
than 10% east), but areas in and near the foothhills could see
1-3 inches of wet snow. The high country could pick up another
5-10 inches.
Ridge builds over the area for Wednesday into Thursday for mainly
dry and breezy conditions. Temperatures will get into the 50s
during this period. Another splitting trof will bring a chance for
precipitation Thursday night into Friday morning. More Pacific
moisture associated with a longwave trof arrives by Saturday
morning for yet another shot of mountain snow and a mix of
rain/snow for the lower elevations. Overall this progressive
pattern will favor our western and southern zones for
precipitation during the extended period. BT
&&
.AVIATION...
Can't stress enough that this afternoon through tonight is not
the time to take small aircraft out for a ride. Strong to extreme
mountain wave wind potential is forecast to develop and will push
well east of the mountains.
Very strong southwest to west winds are expected to overspread
much of the forecast area this afternoon through much of tonight.
Local extreme mountain wave activity is expected along the eastern
foothills of all area mountains during this time frame (KLVM/KSHR
included), strongest in the 23-09z time frame. Added mention of
very strong wind shear to KSHR as mountain wave winds will be
intermittent there. Added wind shear into KBIL as well with gusts
in the 43kt range, but some indication winds could be stronger
this evening into the overnight hours. Will continue to monitor
and adjust as necessary, but got foot in the door for that
potential for now. KMLS should be far enough east and earlier with
FROPA to escape stronger winds.
Flight conditions are expected to be VFR today east of the
Rockies. By later tonight (08-12z) a cold front will push into the
area from the north with attendant shower activity resulting in
areas of MVFR conditions in rain/snow showers. Mountain
obscuration will be persistent through the period with Pacific
moisture flowing through producing nearly continuous
moderate/heavy snow in the high country. Chambers
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...
Tdy Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
-------------------------------------------------------
BIL 059 040/051 032/045 028/050 032/054 033/053 034/051
0/N 35/R 56/S 20/U 02/R 30/B 13/O
LVM 049 035/045 027/037 020/043 027/046 025/045 030/041
1/N 76/O 65/S 20/N 04/S 31/N 34/S
HDN 059 037/052 031/046 026/051 026/057 031/054 031/052
1/N 35/R 56/S 30/U 02/R 41/B 14/O
MLS 058 036/053 029/046 024/049 027/055 034/053 031/051
0/E 21/E 21/E 00/U 00/B 10/B 02/R
4BQ 058 039/053 032/043 025/047 025/054 033/050 030/050
0/B 11/B 54/S 10/U 00/B 21/B 02/R
BHK 055 031/052 023/041 019/044 020/051 028/049 026/051
0/B 21/B 22/S 00/U 00/B 11/B 02/R
SHR 056 034/053 026/038 018/042 019/051 024/047 023/046
0/E 15/R 88/S 30/U 01/E 41/B 14/O
&&
.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...High Wind Warning in effect from 3 PM this afternoon to 6 AM
MDT Monday FOR ZONE 56.
Wind Advisory in effect until 3 AM MDT Monday FOR ZONES
65-66.
Winter Storm Warning in effect until noon MDT Tuesday FOR
ZONES 67-68.
High Wind Warning in effect from 6 PM this evening to 9 AM
MDT Monday FOR ZONES 138-169-171.
High Wind Warning in effect until 3 AM MDT Monday FOR ZONES
141-172.
WY...High Wind Warning in effect from 6 PM this evening to 9 AM
MDT Monday FOR ZONES 198-199.
&&
weather.gov/billingsPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Billings MT
921 AM MDT Sun Mar 16 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0625 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 13 SW Washoe 45.03N 109.41W
03/16/2025 M66 MPH Carbon MT Mesonet
Mesonet station TT839 Quad Creek.
0853 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 7 ENE Livingston 45.70N 110.43W
03/16/2025 M62 MPH Park MT ASOS
ASOS station KLVM Livingston.
0745 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 WSW Livingston 45.65N 110.60W
03/16/2025 M56 MPH Park MT Mesonet
Mesonet station MTLWM 2.0 SW Livingston (MT
DOT).
0839 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 3 SSE Limestone 45.41N 109.87W
03/16/2025 M53 MPH Stillwater MT Mesonet
Mesonet station CW9088 Nye.
0900 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 3 ENE Livingston 45.69N 110.50W
03/16/2025 M53 MPH Park MT Mesonet
Mesonet station MTELV 3.3 E Livingston (MT
DOT).
0718 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 18 S Fort Smith 45.07N 107.89W
03/16/2025 M50 MPH Big Horn MT Mesonet
Mesonet station BHMM8 Bighorn Mountain.
0704 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 1 NW Burgess Junction 44.79N 107.54W
03/16/2025 M49 MPH Sheridan WY Mesonet
Mesonet station BUJW4 Burgess.
0815 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst Judith Gap 46.69N 109.75W
03/16/2025 M44 MPH Wheatland MT Mesonet
Mesonet station MTJUD Judith Gap (MT DOT).
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds gusted to 63 mph across the area.
Winds gusted up to 60 mph across the area.
Winds gusted up to 61 mph across the area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Montana in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Montana, March 2025
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1238766, 1238771, 1238773.