Winter Storm — West Glacier Region, Montana

2025-02-17 to 2025-02-18 · West Glacier Region, Montana

Event narrative

Montana Department of Transportation reported severe driving conditions on State Highway 83 at 0530 on February 17. Law enforcement reported a motor vehicle accident on Highway 2 east of West Glacier. Four to 8 inches of snow fell in the Glacier Region, but closer to 18 inches fell at Swan Lake. Nightly black ice brought slick conditions. In the Swan Range, an estimated two feet of snow fell.

Wider weather episode

Multiple waves of subtropical moisture brought periods of moderate to heavy precipitation, primarily as snowfall across the Northern Rockies. Nightly bouts of black ice, often covered by fresh snow, created extremely slick travel conditions.

Arctic air remained stalled along and just west of the Divide, occasionally pushing westward. These surges intensified snowfall, produced below-zero wind chills, and brought gusty winds.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1237605. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.