An upper low that moved across Wyoming brought heavy snow to the mountain and foothill locations.
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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.
An upper low that moved across Wyoming brought heavy snow to the mountain and foothill locations.
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 5, 4:48 PM MST, 7 hours 12 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated
National Weather Service Billings MT
448 PM MST Wed Mar 5 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Heavy snow expected for the mountains and foothills of south-
central Montana and northern Wyoming Thursday into early Friday
morning. Forecast snow amounts drop quickly away from the
foothills.
- Snow will likely impact the Thursday morning and evening
commute. Lingering impacts could impact the Friday morning
commute.
- Warm, dry, and breezy this weekend.
- Two potential systems could bring cooler temperatures and
precipitation chances middle to late next week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Through Friday...
Heavy snow is expected to return to the mountains and foothills
of south-central Montana and northern Wyoming early Thursday
morning into early Friday morning this week. Because the parent
weather system is south of our region with this event, forecast
snow amounts are primarily driven by upslope enhanced winds. This
means heavy snow over the northeast to east facing slopes of the
mountains and foothills, but much less snow as you move north and
east off the foothills into the plains. At this time, the snow
forecast remains relatively the same as earlier today. Along the
Beartooth foothills, including the town of Red Lodge, generally 8
to 14 inches of snow is forecast. In the mountains above Red
Lodge, generally 12 to 16 inches of snow is forecast. As you move
into the Beartooth-Absaroka Mountain range, amounts decrease as
the upslope enhancement is lost. Therefore, areas like Cooke City
are only forecast to see 4 to 6 inches of snow. Over the Bighorn
foothills, including the city of Sheridan, generally 6 to 8 inches
of snow is forecast. As you move closer to the foothills and
south into Buffalo, generally 8 to 12 inches of snow are forecast.
Around Burgess Junction on Highway 14, 6 to 8 inches are
forecast. With this snow, intense snow rates up to an inch an hour
are possible along the immediate foothills. This can make travel
very difficult. Along with this, areas of blowing snow are
possible over the mountains and foothills. Around Livingston to
Big Timber, easterly wind gusts of 20 to 35 mph are forecast
tomorrow. While snow amounts in this area are less, these winds
may greatly reduce visibility at times. The rest of south-central
Montana is expected to see 15 to 30 mph winds as well, increasing
the risk of greatly reduced visibility due to blowing snow at
times. Along I-90 through Sheridan, blowing snow is not expected
to be as much of an issue as winds are forecast to be lighter in
this area.
With all that said, the morning and evening commutes Thursday
will likely be impacted by winter weather. While snow comes to an
end early Friday, lingering hazards could impact the Friday
morning commute. For the latest road conditions, visit 511mt.net
(MT) or map.wyoroad.info (WY). The Winter Storm Warnings and
Advisories remain in good shape.
Outside of the snow, patchy fog is possible tonight in eastern
Montana as light winds turn out of the north to northeast. Arends
Saturday through Wednesday...
Foothills winds...
Broad upper level ridging works into the region Saturday bringing
a strong foothills pressure gradient. This will be matched by
westerly 35-45kt 700mb winds. This pattern will repeat during the
morning and early afternoon hours Saturday through Monday. The
pattern will break late in the day Monday as an Alberta Clipper
brings high pressure to the plains. Wind gusts in the 40s mph are
likely for the foothills each of these days with some 50s mph in
gap areas.
Temperatures...
Starting Saturday, a strong upper level ridge moves into the
region bringing anomalously high temperatures 10-20 F above
average through Monday. This will lead to temperatures in the 50s
and 60s F Saturday through Tuesday. Monday looks to be the warmest
day with NBM giving locations between Billings and Miles City a
30-50% chance for a high temperature greater than 70 F.
Temperatures begin to decrease Wednesday through the end of the
week.
Potential pattern change...
There is good ensemble agreement in two 500 mb troughs impacting
the western US middle to late next week. These appear to be
similar splitting Pacific troughs, the first one being the middle
of next week and the second being late in the week. Deterministic
models currently show most of the energy being well to the south
with the low pressure systems moving through the Central Plains
limiting impact to our region. These systems still bring the
potential for precipitation chances and decreasing temperatures.
Given how far out these system are however, little can be said
about potential impacts. Torgerson
&&
.AVIATION...
00z TAF Update...VFR for most areas tonight. A winter storm
system tracking south of the forecast area will push enough
moisture northward to generate a significant snow event along and
south of a Big Timber to Sheridan Wyoming line from early Thursday
morning into Thursday evening. There looks to be a sharp cutoff
in the snowfall just south of KBIL that is reflected in the
current TAFs, but it wouldn't take much of a push northward with
this system to bring bigger flight impacts into KBIL around the
time of the early morning flight push. Will keep a close eye on
this. In the snow area KLVM and KSHR are looking at IFR or lower
conditions by 10z or so, likely trending LIFR by 15-16z. For
Livingston easterly winds gusting around 30kts Thursday will bring
areas of blowing snow to KLVM and surrounding foothills zones,
likely including K6S0. KSHR will see less wind, but periods of sub
1sm visibility. Didn't go with 1/2sm or less in Sheridan just
yet, but may with subsequent TAF issuance's.
Snow intensity and thus flight categories improve the further
northeast you go. With the warm temperatures today melting snow,
once the colder northeast winds arrive there may be some pockets
of fog develop after midnight for areas east of Billings,
including KMLS and KBHK. Given the strength of the developing
northeast winds, the thinking is this fog may be overdone a bit
but worth a mention along with a generally scattered stratus deck.
Guidance did indicate 1/2sm vis for a time tomorrow morning around
sunrise for KMLS so included that in the latest TAF. Chambers
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS...
Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 029/038 025/047 029/053 035/059 038/060 036/056 031/050
14/S 30/B 00/N 00/B 00/B 01/E 33/O
LVM 026/032 020/039 023/048 030/052 032/053 033/048 027/044
27/S 30/B 00/N 00/N 00/N 12/R 43/S
HDN 025/039 022/047 024/055 030/062 032/062 032/058 027/051
03/S 30/B 00/B 00/U 00/B 01/E 32/O
MLS 024/038 021/046 027/055 035/062 036/062 032/056 027/044
00/E 00/B 00/B 00/U 00/B 00/E 12/S
4BQ 026/037 023/044 026/053 034/061 032/062 033/058 028/047
01/E 20/B 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/B 12/O
BHK 019/036 016/043 022/051 030/058 030/059 028/052 020/039
20/E 00/U 00/U 00/N 00/U 00/B 12/S
SHR 024/034 019/039 014/048 025/058 029/058 028/054 025/047
2+/S 93/S 00/U 00/U 00/B 01/B 32/O
&&
.BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...Winter Weather Advisory in effect from 2 AM Thursday to 2 AM
MST Friday FOR ZONES 34-64-65-141-170.
Winter Storm Warning in effect from 11 PM this evening to 5
AM MST Friday FOR ZONES 56-66-67.
Winter Weather Advisory in effect from 2 AM Thursday to 5 AM
MST Friday FOR ZONES 138-139-169-171.
WY...Winter Storm Warning in effect from 5 AM Thursday to 5 AM MST
Friday FOR ZONES 198-199.
&&
weather.gov/billingsThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Story received anywhere from 11 to 15 inches of snow.
The Dayton area received 7 to 9 inches of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, 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: 1240023, 1240026.