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The Worst Winter Storms in Billings, Montana Histo
The Worst Winter Storms in Billings, Montana Histo
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Aug 25, 2026
4:57 AM
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Billings, Montana, has always had a complicated relationship with winter. The city sits at the edge of the Great Plains and the northern Rocky Mountain region, where Pacific moisture, Arctic air, strong winds, and rapidly changing temperatures can combine to produce difficult winter conditions. A storm does not necessarily have to deliver several feet of snow to become dangerous. In Billings, a moderate snowfall followed by wind, drifting, subzero temperatures, or rapid refreezing can create a more serious emergency than a larger but warmer snowfall.
The historical record demonstrates just how variable Billings winters can be. NOAA-based climate records show that Billings received 98.7 inches during the 1996–97 winter season, 93.8 inches during 1954–55, and 85.2 inches during 1977–78. The city has also recorded extraordinary individual months, including 42.3 inches of snow in April 1955, the highest monthly snowfall total in the available record.
Because older records do not always provide the same storm-by-storm damage documentation available today, it is important to distinguish between a single blizzard, a series of storms, and an exceptionally snowy winter season. Some of Billings' most consequential winter periods are remembered not because one storm produced a single record-breaking measurement, but because repeated snow and cold created prolonged problems for transportation, homes, businesses, public services, and residents.
The Blizzard Climate That Makes Billings Vulnerable
Billings averages considerably less snow than many mountain communities, but that does not mean its winters are easy. Historical National Weather Service climate information gives Billings a typical December-through-February snowfall of about 26.3 inches based on the 1971–2000 climate period.
The city's exposure to strong winds is especially important. Snow can be blown from open areas into streets, parking lots, driveways, and rural roads. A road that was plowed in the morning can become difficult again later in the day as wind redistributes loose snow.
Another challenge is temperature. A winter storm followed by extreme cold can prevent snow and ice from melting and can make deicing much less effective. Billings' public-works information notes that liquid deicer becomes ineffective below about 10°F, illustrating why extreme cold creates a different snow-removal problem than a relatively mild storm.
These characteristics explain why Billings' worst winter events should not be judged by snowfall totals alone. Duration, temperature, wind, timing, visibility, road conditions, and the number of consecutive storms all matter.
April 1955: The Snowiest Month in Billings History
One of the clearest candidates for the most remarkable winter-weather episode in Billings history occurred in the spring of 1955.
April is normally a month when residents expect winter to be winding down. Instead, Billings recorded an extraordinary 42.3 inches of snow during April 1955, the highest monthly snowfall total in the city's historical record.
The broader 1954–55 winter season was also exceptional. Billings accumulated 93.8 inches of snow, ranking among the city's snowiest winters. The calendar year 1955 was even more remarkable, with 127.9 inches, the greatest annual snowfall total in the NOAA-based historical record cited for Billings.
The significance of 1955 was not simply the amount of snow. A late-season snow disaster can be particularly disruptive because communities begin shifting away from winter operations. Spring transportation, agriculture, construction, schools, and businesses are not necessarily prepared for repeated heavy snow in April.
Modern readers should also remember how different Billings was in the 1950s. The city had fewer transportation alternatives, less sophisticated forecasting and communication technology, smaller municipal fleets, and far less ability to provide residents with instant road-condition information.
There is not a reliable modern-style damage and casualty accounting for the April 1955 snow period that supports assigning a precise death or dollar-loss figure to the event. However, its place in the snowfall record makes it an important historical benchmark. It demonstrated that Billings could experience serious winter conditions well after residents expected the snow season to be ending.
The lesson remains relevant today: calendar dates should never replace weather information when deciding whether winter preparation is still necessary.
The 1977–78 Winter: A Prolonged Test of Billings
The winter of 1977–78 stands out because of its overall persistence. Billings received 85.2 inches of snow during the 1977–78 winter season, making it one of the city's snowiest seasons in the historical record.
Monthly totals help show why the season was so memorable. Billings recorded 25.2 inches in November 1978 and 22.4 inches in March 1978 in the historical NOAA climate compilation, while January and February were also among the city's historically snowy periods.
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