Widespread snow system entered south-central MT, producing heavy, wet snow across the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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.
Widespread snow system entered south-central MT, producing heavy, wet snow across the area.
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, 2:45 AM MST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Billings MT
345 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.
&&
.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.
The current wind and winter storm highlights remain in good shape.
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 foothills 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...
VFR conditions will prevail today at lower elevations, but expect
obscurations over the Beartooth/Absaroka Ranges with snow on west
facing slopes. Low to mid level wind shear is possible across
south central Montana, spreading east after 00Z Monday as mid
level winds increase. Look for strong winds in the foothills
through the day with gusts 40-50 kts at KLVM. Other locations will
see gusts 20-30kts by mid afternoon as well. Gusts over 50kts are
possible (50% chance) at KLVM between 23Z Sunday and 08Z Monday.
Mountain wave activity is possible in near and lee of mountain
ranges late this afternoon through 12Z Monday. This could impact
KRED and KSHR vicinities. BT
&&
.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/B 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/B 15/R 88/S 30/U 01/E 41/B 14/O
&&
.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...High Wind Watch in effect from 3 PM MDT this afternoon
through late tonight FOR ZONE 56.
Wind Advisory in effect until 3 AM MDT Monday FOR ZONES
65-66.
Winter Storm Warning in effect until 6 AM MDT Monday FOR
ZONES 67-68.
High Wind Watch in effect from this evening through Monday
morning FOR ZONES 138-169-171.
High Wind Warning in effect from 9 AM this morning to 3 AM
MDT Monday FOR ZONES 141-172.
WY...High Wind Watch in effect from this evening through Monday
morning FOR ZONES 198-199.
&&
weather.gov/billingsThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Got 1.2 of SWE at Fisher Creek.
Got 1 SWE at South Fork Shields with large snow ratios.
Got 1.3 swe at Tie Creek.
Proxy to other zones.
Got 11 1 ssw Red Lodge.
Got 7 snow.
Got 8 ese Belle Creek.
Got 8.3 w lodge grass.
Otter east got 6.2.
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: 1249250, 1249249, 1249254, 1249253, 1249251, 1249255, 1249481, 1249252, 1249256.