NWS Billings - January 10, 2013 Winter Storm Briefing

Hi everyone. This is Tom Humphrey from the National Weather Service in Billings, MT.
This is an updated briefing for the upcoming winter storm which will impact the region
today, January 10th , through Saturday January 12th.
A trough of low pressure was approaching the region from the west, and this will pull in
very cold air from Canada. After a mild start to the day, temperatures will begin to fall
Thursday afternoon, ending up well below normal by Friday. High temperatures on Friday and
Saturday are expected to be in the single digits and teens. The trough will also usher
in Pacific moisture that will combine with the cold air to create a prolonged snow event
for southern Montana and northern Wyoming. Snow will begin in the west, from Livingston
to Harlowton, Thursday afternoon, and slide east across the state through Saturday. The
slow-moving nature of this system will allow for significant snowfall accumulations. Strong
winds will develop over eastern Montana Friday and continue into Saturday. These strong winds
will cause blowing and drifting snow, along with producing dangerous wind chills across
eastern Montana. Here are the expected snowfall amounts across
the forecast area. Snow is expected to begin Thursday afternoon across the west and will
spread east tonight and Saturday. Snow will persist through the day on Friday for much
of the area, but taper off across the west Friday evening. Snow will persist Saturday
in eastern Montana, along with winds of 20 to 30 mph, creating blowing snow and bitter
wind chills of 20 to 30 below zero. This system will produce significant snowfall accumulations
across the entire area. Locations from Billings westward will receive 6 to 10 inches of new
snow, with 10 to 15 inches of snowfall expected in the upslope areas along the foothills to
Red Lodge. 1 to 2 feet of fresh snow is expected on northeast facing slopes of the Beartooth/Absaroka
Mountains. Lesser, but still significant amounts, of 5 to 8 inches can be expected across eastern
Montana. To summarize the impacts from this winter
storm, we are expecting widespread moderate to heavy snowfall across the region. Snow
will begin across western areas from the Mountains to Livingston to Harlowton Thursday afternoon
and spread east toward Billings by Thursday evening. Snow will continue to spread east
overnight into Friday morning across eastern Montana. Roads may become slick and icy as
the snow begins Thursday evening. Once the snow gets going, significant accumulations
are expected. Snow packed and snow covered roads are anticipated across the area, making
travel extremely difficult, along with reduced visibilities in snow and blowing snow. Temperatures
will run much below normal into the weekend, with readings only in the single digits and
teens Friday and Saturday. Wind chills across south central Montana will be below zero on
Friday, with wind chills of 20 to 30 below zero for eastern Montana and Northern Wyoming
Friday into Saturday. Blowing snow will be another concern for eastern Montana on Friday
and Saturday as winds pick up. Looking ahead, as the cold air begins to retreat on Sunday
and Monday, gusty winds may develop across western locations near Livingston and Big
Timber, making for a blowing snow concern there for early in the week.
That’s all for this web briefing. If you have any questions, please contact the National
Weather Service in Billings, or visit our website for the latest forecast. This is the
last planned briefing for this event. Thank you for joining us.