This was taken in Rocky Boy, Montana! 30' of snow with 8' drifts in some places!!
© Shawn & Steph WhiteThis was taken in Rocky Boy, Montana! 30' of snow with 8' drifts in some places!!
According to the National Weather Service in Great Falls, Montana, this storm was effectively a blizzard in the Havre area, especially considering the severe impacts. A blizzard occurs when the following conditions are met for at least three consecutive hours: sustained winds or frequent gusts to at least 35 mph and considerable falling and/or blowing snow that frequently reduces visibility to less than a quarter mile.

Elsewhere, Zortman, Montana set a new one day record for October with 14 inches of snow reported Tuesday morning.

While not a record, Missoula, Montana recorded 10 inches of snow Monday night, which is the earliest recorded measurable snow there in 34 yrs.

The heaviest estimated snow amount from this storm is 30 inches in Rocky Boy, Montana. Drifts in at least one location were estimated to be eight feet high.

Top snowfall totals as of Tuesday evening include:

30 inches in Rocky Boy, Montana
20.4 inches near Encampment, Wyoming
18 inches near Steamboat Springs, Colorado
16 inches near Cameron Pass, Colorado
15.8 inches near Havre, Montana
Up to 15 inches near Breckenridge, Colorado
14 inches at the Vail Pass rest area on Interstate 70 in Colorado
14 inches near Redcliff, Colorado
14 inches in Zortman, Montana
14 inches in Cut Bank, Montana
13 inches in Havre, Montana (Havre City-County Airport)
13 inches near Rand, Colorado
12 inches near Laramie, Wyoming
10 inches near Avon, Colorado

The snow first affected the Colorado Rockies Sunday night into Monday.

Interstate 70 was closed in Colorado between Vail and Copper Mountain for a time Monday morning due to accidents and vehicles sliding off the icy road. Shelters were opened to take in stranded travelers in the area.

More than a foot of snow accumulated in many locations, including an estimated 14 inches of snow that was measured at the Vail Pass rest area on Interstate 70 as of Monday morning.

Several ski resorts in the high country of Colorado expressed their excitement about the snow.

Loveland Ski Area provided this image showing how the snow had piled up on their measuring platform at an elevation of 10,894 feet before power was knocked out there. More than a foot of snow had been measured at that location by early Monday.

Sources