Avalanche in Montana

Events

58

Deaths

26

Injuries

12

Damage

$325,000

• Winter Storm and Avalanche in Montana, February 22 to 24, 20144 deaths · 3 injured · 8 eventsHeavy snow and blowing snow causes hazardous travel across western Montana. Around a foot of snow falls along the I-90 corridor.
• Avalanche and Winter Weather in Montana, January 6 to 8, 20121 death · 34 injured · $500 · 2 eventsA warm southwest flow created unstable snow conditions at the higher elevations and some freezing drizzle in the valleys.
• Avalanche in Montana, January 13, 20082 deaths · 1 injured · 1 eventOn January 13, a large avalanche was triggered near the Big Mountain Ski Resort.
• Avalanche in Montana, January 14, 20062 deaths · 1 eventThree snowmobilers were caught in a massive avalanche at Red Meadow Lake near Olney. One person survived, while two others perished. One of the fatalities was the result of injuries sustained in the incident. The other was caused by suffocation, a result of being buried.
• Avalanche in Montana, January 1, 20202 deaths · 1 eventHeavy snow and wind loading on weak snow layers New Year's Eve day led to an unstable snowpack to begin the New Year.
• Blizzard and Winter Storm in Montana, February 27 to 28, 20141 death · 2 injured · $319,000 · 9 eventsA moist and warm air mass brought freezing levels up to between 6,000 and 7,000 feet MSL on Feb. 27 and brought freezing rain to western Montana.
• Avalanche and Heavy Snow in Montana, January 1 to 4, 20141 death · 78 kt wind · 30 eventsWesterly flow aloft and down-slope winds developed over the Rocky Mountain Front and North-Central plains. The strongest winds were along the Rocky Mountain Front but an approaching shortwave trough, allowed strong winds to spread across Central Montana.
• Avalanche in Montana, December 27, 20211 death · 2 injured · 1 eventOn December 27, two snowmobilers were caught and killed in an avalanche on Scotch Bonnet Mountain, north of Cooke City.
• Winter Storm and Avalanche in Montana, January 4 to 6, 20151 death · $3,000 · 10 eventsA long duration snow event began Saturday evening Jan. 3 while snow intensities increased on Jan. 4 to produce widespread high impacts across western Montana and central Idaho.
• Avalanche in Montana, December 29, 20101 death · 1 injured · 1 eventAn avalance swept away 3 skiers when they were sking outside of the ski area boundaries.
• Avalanche in Montana, February 19, 20221 death · 1 injured · 1 eventOn February 19, three snowmobilers and two snow bikers were in Sheep Creek on the south face of Miller Mountain north of Cooke City. The two snow bikers were high on the slope when one stopped on a small ridge while the other climbed higher and triggered a large avalanche.
• Avalanche and Winter Weather in Montana, February 21 to 24, 20251 death · $5,000 · 6 eventsAn atmospheric river brought areas of rain and gusty winds. Sub-freezing temperatures resulted in icy road impacts. Avalanches were noted in a few areas.
• Winter Storm and Avalanche in Montana, December 30 to 31, 20111 death · 2 eventsA strong flow of Pacific moisture impacted the west facing slopes of the Beartooth and Absaroka Mountains. This resulted in a period of heavy snow to end out the year, and in fact, was the only significant snow of the month.
• Avalanche and Winter Weather in Montana, March 10 to 11, 20141 death · 2 eventsA period of snowfall fell across the higher elevations of southwest Montana. An avalanche takes the life of a skier near Philipsburg.
• Avalanche in Montana, November 15, 19981 death · 1 event
• Avalanche in Montana, January 18, 19981 death · 1 eventFatality was a snowmobiler
• Avalanche in Montana, November 26, 19991 death · 1 event
• Avalanche in Montana, January 3, 20101 death · 1 eventA 33-year old Billings man was killed in an avalanche on Scotch Bonnet Mountain near Cooke City. He had gotten stuck and was trying to free his snowmobile when the slide occurred.
• Avalanche in Montana, February 22, 20121 death · 1 eventSeven snowmobilers departed Cooke City, Montana and ascended Miller Creek drainage via Daisy Pass Trail Road. Approximately 2.25 miles up the Road the group stopped to play in a small meadow downhill from the road.
• Avalanche in Montana, November 26, 20141 death · 1 eventA group of seven snowmobilers was riding north of Cooke City when an 18 year old from Minnesota was caught in an avalanche on a steep, northwest facing slope on Crown Butte outside Cooke City.
• Avalanche in Montana, March 11, 20141 death · 1 eventA group of seven snowmobilers was riding north of Cooke City when an 18 year old from Minnesota was caught in an avalanche on a steep, northwest facing slope on Crown Butte outside Cooke City.
• Avalanche in Montana, December 19, 20151 death · 1 eventA snowmobiler died in an avalanche on Saturday, December 19th outside Cooke City. The avalanche occurred on the southeast face of Sheep Mountain between Lulu Pass and Round Lake.
• Avalanche in Montana, December 11, 20161 death · 1 eventA skier was killed by an avalanche on Henderson Mountain outside Cooke City on December 11th. The skier was in a party of 5 and his descent was the 7th track on the slope when it avalanched. He was carried into trees and buried under 5' of snow.
• Avalanche in Montana, December 31, 20221 death · 1 eventOn December 31, a snowmobiler was killed in a very large avalanche north of Cooke City, Montana. The avalanche occurred near Daisy Pass on Crown Butte on a southeast facing slope at 9,800'. Two brothers (age 17 and 21) from Washington were snowmobiling uphill on adjacent slopes.
• Avalanche in Montana, February 6, 20221 death · 1 eventOn February 6 a group of 4 men from Iowa were riding in Lionhead. They had ridden in the area for the last 12-15 winters. They all had a beacon, shovel and probe, and 3 of the 4 had airbag packs, including the victim.

Avalanche everywhereEvery kind of event in Montana

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.