Heavy Snow in Gallatin and Madison County Mountains and Centennial Mountains, Montana

Big Sky Ski resort reported 11 inches new snow between the evening of November 4 and early morning November 6. Start, end and criteria time were all estimated due to poor radar coverage and limited report details. Additionally, severe driving conditions were reported in the West Yellowstone area by MT DOT late evening November 4th, but no further details were received.

Strong mid level winds associated with a passing shortwave combined with two cold fronts (One Pacific and one Canadian), to result in two separate periods of strong winds, initially along the Rocky Mountain Front, but over portions of the plains as well later in the event. Behind the second Canadian cold front, northwesterly upslope snow developed across island ranges and in the Little Belts, which resulted in the greatest snow total for the event. Locations on the plains between Belt and Stanford also observed heavy snow. Additional heavy snow was observed further south across the Madison and Gallatin Ranges as westerly and eventually northwesterly flow allowed for a steady, but accumulating snow. A Blizzard Warning was also issued for the Rocky Mountain Front during portions of this period, but the period of strongest winds did not end up coinciding with falling snow, hence these potential impacts were never observed.