A major winter storm, which affected all of northeast Montana, and produced blizzard conditions at times, began during the morning hours on December 26th and continued through the morning hours of the 28th.  The storm produced up to 30 inches of snowfall, and set many snowfall records.  Low pressure developed in Wyoming on the morning of the 26th.  The low gradually intensified as it tracked into the Dakotas on the 27th.  Snow developed across Petroleum, Garfield, and Phillips counties during the morning hours of the 26th, and spread into Valley County during the afternoon. The snow overspread the remainder of northeast Montana during the evening and overnight hours of the 26th. At the onset of the storm, there was a period of freezing rain which produced up to a quarter of an inch of ice across portions of Prairie, Wibaux, Dawson, Richland, Roosevelt and McCone Counties.  Snow fell heavily at times during the night, and continued through the 27th.  North winds of 20 to 40 mph created blizzard conditions at times across most of northeast Montana. The snow and wind left most highways either closed or only open to emergency travel.  Highway 191 in Phillips County from Malta to Grass Range was closed through December 30th with snow drifts up to 10 feet deep, and there were 50 vehicles stuck on this stretch of road from Malta to Zortman.  Snow drifts of 5 to 6 feet were reported in Zortman. The hardest hit areas were Phillips, Northern Petroleum, Western Valley, and Western Garfield Counties were 18 to 30 inches of snow fell.  Lesser amounts of snow fell further east across Sheridan, eastern Roosevelt, Richland, southern Dawson, Wibaux and portions of Prairie County where most snowfall totals were less than 8 inches.  Although snow amounts were less near the North Dakota border, the wind was stronger with sustained wind speeds of 30 to 45 mph and gusts to 60 mph.  The blizzard conditions continued through the morning hours of the 28th along the North Dakota border where the wind remained strong.  Some snowfall totals across northeast Montana included: Glasgow: 13.7 inchesNashua: 12 inchesHinsdale: 18 inchesFort Peck: 15 inchesZortman: 30 inchesMalta: 18 inchesPort of Morgan: 12 inchesBrusett: 24 inchesFlatwillow: 14 inchesJordan: 12 inchesMedicine Lake: 10 inches

Blizzard in CENTRAL AND SE PHILLIPS, MONTANA
From 26-DEC-03 12:00:00 to 27-DEC-03 23:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY, MONTANA
From 26-DEC-03 17:00:00 to 27-DEC-03 23:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in DANIELS, MONTANA
From 26-DEC-03 23:00:00 to 28-DEC-03 06:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in DAWSON, MONTANA
From 26-DEC-03 23:00:00 to 28-DEC-03 09:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in EASTERN ROOSEVELT, MONTANA
From 26-DEC-03 21:00:00 to 28-DEC-03 12:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in GARFIELD, MONTANA
From 26-DEC-03 15:00:00 to 27-DEC-03 23:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in LITTLE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, MONTANA
From 26-DEC-03 12:00:00 to 27-DEC-03 21:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in MCCONE, MONTANA
From 26-DEC-03 21:00:00 to 28-DEC-03 06:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in NORTHERN PHILLIPS, MONTANA
From 26-DEC-03 12:00:00 to 27-DEC-03 23:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in WIBAUX, MONTANA
From 27-DEC-03 03:00:00 to 28-DEC-03 12:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in PRAIRIE, MONTANA
From 26-DEC-03 23:00:00 to 28-DEC-03 09:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in RICHLAND, MONTANA
From 27-DEC-03 03:00:00 to 28-DEC-03 12:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in SHERIDAN, MONTANA
From 27-DEC-03 03:00:00 to 28-DEC-03 12:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in WESTERN ROOSEVELT, MONTANA
From 26-DEC-03 19:00:00 to 28-DEC-03 06:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in NORTHERN VALLEY, MONTANA
From 26-DEC-03 18:00:00 to 27-DEC-03 23:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Blizzard in PETROLEUM, MONTANA
From 26-DEC-03 12:00:00 to 27-DEC-03 23:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER