Blizzard in Fergus County Below 4500ft, Montana

ASOS station KLWT Lewistown Airport and AWOS station K1DM Delta both observed blizzard conditions for at least three hours in western and southwestern Fergus county. Visibility of less than one-quarter mile, with frequent gusts in excess of 35 mph in falling and blowing snow caused multiple impacts, including the closure of county and local facilities in the Lewistown area.

The combination of an increasing pressure gradient, cross barrier flow, and an upper level wave resulted in a period of falling and blowing snow, most notable from the Little Belts eastward through Fergus County, where blizzard conditions were observed on the 22nd. On the front end of the event, strong winds were observed from Cut Bank westward toward the Northern Rocky Mountain Front.