...2018 WEATHER IN REVIEW...
 
 The following is a weather review for the Billings forecast area, 
 which includes southeast Montana, parts of south central Montana and 
 Sheridan County Wyoming.
 
 2018 was an overall chilly year with average temperatures ranging 
 from one to three degrees below normal. This was due primarily to 
 the cool weather from February through April. Precipitation was 
 above normal across the region, 2 to 6 inches above normal at our 
 official climate stations, due in large part to a wet spring. In 
 fact, Miles City`s annual total of 18.41 inches ranked as the 9th 
 wettest on record.
 
 The winter and early spring of 2018 will be remembered for its 
 abundant snowfall and widespread snow cover. Billings set a seasonal 
 snowfall record with 106.1 inches of snow. A coop observer southwest 
 of Roundup reported a whopping 126 inches. Snow depths reached 2 to 
 3 feet over the Bull Mountains and in some areas east of Billings. 
 Due to the prolonged period of snow cover, Miles City actually went 
 54 consecutive days with below normal temperatures from mid February 
 to early April!
 
 Spring was wet with above normal precipitation across the region. 
 The first severe storm of the season produced golf ball size hail 
 near Volborg on April 29th. The severe season was active, as the 
 Billings Forecast Office issued 176 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings, 
 and two Tornado Warnings. Perhaps the most memorable events of the 
 severe season were the very large hail that caused extensive damage 
 in Roundup on May 31st, and the large EF-2 tornado that moved 
 through east central Carter County on June 28th. The summer wildfire 
 season was somewhat active but we avoided any large wildfires, 
 unlike most of the western United States where numerous large 
 wildfires occurred. Air quality was poor at times due to the smoke 
 from these western fires.
 
 The first lower elevation snow of the season occurred at the end of 
 September, as Billings saw its first September snow since 2000. 
 Despite the early start, snowfall was below average through the fall 
 months.
 
 As usual, several new records were established across the area 
 during the course of the year. The following is a list of daily 
 records either tied or broken at our four main climate sites. 
 Records go back to 1934 at Billings, 1937 at Miles City, 1907 at 
 Sheridan and 1948 at Livingston.
 
 ...BILLINGS...
 Record High Temps:    102 on August 11
 
 Record Low Temps:     -15 on February 20
                       6 on April 3
                       10 on April 6
                       11 on April 7
                       18 on October 14
 
 Record Precipitation: 0.25 inches on January 10
                       0.30 inches on March 4
                       0.27 inches on April 5
                       1.54 inches on May 23
                       1.13 inches on May 28
                       0.72 inches on August 18
 
 Record Snowfall:      4.6 inches on January 10
                       6.3 inches on February 4
                       2.9 inches on February 5
                       2.5 inches on February 14
                       3.5 inches on February 15
                       5.4 inches on February 18
                       7.4 inches on April 2
                       5.2 inches on April 5
                       1.8 inches on October 13
 
 ...MILES CITY...
 Record High Temps:    105 on August 12
 
 Record Low Temps:     -30 on January 1
                       -24 on January 2
                       -18 on February 21
                       -22 on February 22
                       -19 on February 23
                        6 on April 3
                        9 on April 6
                        19 on October 10
                        20 on October 14
 
 Record Precipitation: 0.34 inches on March 16
                       1.04 inches on April 12
                       0.49 inches on August 27
                       0.54 inches on September 20
                       0.55 inches on November 2
                       0.33 inches on December 1
 
 ...LIVINGSTON...
 Record High Temps:    54 on January 18
                       54 on January 29
                       98 on August 10
                       103 on August 11
 
 Record Low Temps:     -14 on January 1
                       -14 on February 20
                       4 on March 31
                       -1 on April 1
                       2 on April 3
                       1 on April 7
                       34 on July 4
                       43 on August 6
 
 Record Precipitation: 0.47 inches on January 19
                       0.11 inches on January 30
                       0.91 inches on June 17
                       0.36 inches on June 23
                       0.43 inches on August 5
                       0.56 inches on August 27
                       0.43 inches on November 6
                       0.25 inches on November 24
 
 ...SHERIDAN...
 Record High Temps:    104 on August 11
                       104 on August 12
 
 Record Low Temps:     -22 on February 20
                       12 on October 15
 
 Record Precipitation: 1.44 inches on May 28
 
 
 The following is a chronological list of significant or noteworthy 
 weather events that occurred across the region in 2018.
 
 January 1:  A very cold start to the New Year! Miles City`s low of -
 30 and high of only -15 were records for the date. Mizpah dropped to 
 -41. Billings had 16 inches of snow depth (a record for the date).
 
 January 10:  Snow fell across the region, with widespread 
 accumulations of 2-5 inches. Higher amounts included: Roundup 12.7W 
 13.4 inches, Rapelje 10.5 inches, Klein 10 inches, Hysham 8W 9 
 inches, Melstone 8 inches, Ryegate 8 inches, Springdale 6 inches.
 
 January 12:  Much of the region received 1-3 inches of snowfall, but 
 a heavier band produced 6-8 inches in the Big Timber area. Mountains 
 received heavy snow, with up to 20 inches around Cooke City.
 
 January 14-15:  A weather system produced 1-3 inches of snowfall 
 across much of the region. Red Lodge picked up 6 inches.
 
 February 3-5:  Widespread significant snowfall, heaviest in central 
 portions of the forecast area. Amounts included: Busby 24 inches, 
 Roundup area 12-24 inches, Ashland 17 inches, Broadus area 10-16 
 inches, Ryegate and Forsyth 13 inches, Hysham area 10-15 inches, 
 Judith Gap 11 inches, Billings area 9-12 inches, Columbus 10 inches.
 
 February 8:  Freezing rain was widespread and caused many travel 
 difficulties. Highway 3 from Harlowton to Garneill was closed. In 
 the Billings area, a six-car pile up involving four separate crashes 
 caused an eastbound portion of I-90 near the King Avenue exit to 
 shut down for more than two hours. In Miles City, 0.13 inches of 
 precipitation fell as freezing rain, producing a glaze of ice on 
 cars, while surface temperatures were mostly in the teens.
 
 February 8-9:  Freezing rain was followed by another dose of heavy 
 snowfall. Amounts included: Forsyth 15 inches, Powderville 14 
 inches, Ekalaka and Hardin 12 inches, Hysham 11 inches, Mizpah and 
 Rapelje 10 inches, Sheridan area 8-12 inches, Billings area 8 to 12 
 inches, Baker 8 inches. Heavy snow fell in the mountains, with Cooke 
 City picking up 30 inches.
 
 February 13-14:  Strong winds occurred along the foothills. Peak 
 gusts included: Livingston 73 mph and Big Timber 63 mph.
 
 February 16-19:  More widespread snowfall and cold temperatures. 
 Amounts included: Mystic Lake 21 inches, Rapelje 15 inches, Melville 
 12 inches, Red Lodge and Sheridan 11 inches, Ridgeway 9 inches, Fort 
 Smith 8 inches, Broadus area 6-8 inches, Ismay 8 inches, Roundup 8 
 inches, Twodot 6 inches, Forsyth 5 inches, Billings area 4-6 inches. 
 Mountains received more heavy snowfall, with two feet at Cooke City 
 and higher amounts in the nearby mountains.
 
 February 3-19:  This was a remarkable snowy period of weather. The 
 weather pattern was locked into a favorable position to bring us 
 Pacific moisture and Canadian cold air. Billings` total snowfall 
 over this 17-day period was a whopping 32.4 inches. The entire 
 region was 10-18 degrees colder than normal. Snow depth from Roundup 
 to Billings eastward ranged from 1-2 feet by mid February, with 
 local depths to 30+ inches in the Bull Mountains and near Ashland.
 
 February 21-23:  Miles City set or tied record lows for three 
 straight days: -18 on the 21st, -22 on the 22nd, and -19 on the 23rd.
 
 March 3-4:  Significant snowfall fell across the west. Amounts 
 included: Rapelje 13.5 inches, Red Lodge area 9-13 inches, Columbus 
 10 inches, Ryegate and Big Timber 9 inches, Park City 8 inches, 
 Judith Gap 7.5 inches, Billings area 5-10 inches, Livingston 5 
 inches.
 
 March 5:  Snow and blowing snow, with wind gusts over 40 mph and 
 visibility near zero in spots, affected Fallon and Carter Counties. 
 Numerous state highways and other roads were closed from Baker to 
 Ekalaka and Alzada. During the night of the 4th, widespread fog with 
 some freezing drizzle caused roads to become icy across parts of SE 
 Montana, before the snow and blowing snow.
 
 March 16-17:  Accumulating snowfall occurred across eastern areas, 
 including 10 inches near Biddle and Sonnette, 8 inches near Ismay, 7 
 inches near Broadus, 6 inches at Lame Deer, 5.5 inches at Colstrip, 
 5 inches at Alzada, 5 inches near Miles City, and 4.5 inches at 
 Forsyth.
 
 March 17-26:  Ice jams caused areas of low land flooding along the 
 Musselshell River in Musselshell County.
 
 March 19:  A small area of heavy snow (8-10 inches) impacted 
 locations east of Ekalaka, near Mill Iron.
 
 March 30-31:  Several inches of snow fell on western/central parts, 
 greatest along the foothills. Amounts included: Dayton 12 inches, 
 Livingston 10 inches, Sheridan and Story 9 inches, Absarokee 6 
 inches, Columbus 5 inches, Big Timber 3 inches.
 
 April 1-3:  Significant snowfall occurred across much of the region. 
 17.5 inches fell at Rapelje and near Lame Deer. Other amounts 
 included: Mystic Lake 19 inches, McLeod 12 inches, Story/Fort Smith/ 
 Ryegate 11 inches, Joliet/Roundup/Clyde Park/Columbus 10 inches, 
 Colstrip/Sheridan 8 inches, Billings area 6-9 inches. Livingston set 
 a record low with -1 on the 1st, only the third time on record that 
 the temp has fallen below zero in April. Billings` snowfall of 7.4 
 inches on the 2nd was a daily record.
 
 April 5-6:  More late season snowfall. Amounts included: Burgess Jct 
 18 inches, Story/Rapelje/Harlowton 12 inches, Columbus 8 inches, 
 Bull Mountains 6-8 inches, Fort Smith 7.9 inches, Joliet 6.7 inches, 
 McLeod 6.5 inches, Pryor and Springdale 6 inches, Ryegate and 
 Sheridan 5 inches, Billings area 3-5 inches. Billings` snowfall of 
 5.2 inches at the airport on the 5th was a daily record. On the 6th, 
 record cold high temps were set or tied at Billings (18), Livingston 
 (18), Miles City ((25) and Sheridan (25).
 
 April 7:  During the evening, rain/snow showers produced strong 
 winds (possible microburst) that downed several power poles in the 
 Paradise Valley near Emigrant.
 
 April 12-13:  Yet another snow event, lighter this time, with 
 heaviest amounts in the northwest-north. The Bull Mountains picked 
 up 6-10 inches, and 10 inches fell a little east of Melstone. Other 
 amounts included: Judith Gap 8 inches, Plevna and Broadview 4 
 inches, Ekalaka and Miles City 3 inches, Red Lodge area 2-4 inches.
 
 April 23-24:  Rain and snow impacted much of the region. Rain 
 amounts ranged from about a half inch to just over an inch. The Bull 
 Mountains picked up another 6-10 inches of snow, and 4-7 inches fell 
 in the Red Lodge area. The higher hills near Lame Deer and Broadus 
 saw as much as 5-10 inches. Other snow amounts included: McLeod 10 
 inches, Powderville 6 inches, Baker and Gardiner 5 inches, Columbus 
 and Story 4 inches, Billings area 1-3 inches. On the 23rd, 2.6 
 inches of snow was measured at the Billings airport, pushing the 
 total for the season to a new record high, 106.1 inches.
 
 April 29:  The first severe thunderstorm of the spring produced golf 
 ball size (1.75 inch) hail near Volborg. Quarter size hail (1 inch) 
 fell at Ashland.
 
 May 8:  A thunderstorm in Miles City caused some wind damage. A 
 downed tree damaged a camper.
 
 May 9:  Another early season severe thunderstorm produced quarter 
 size hail from Nye to Fishtail.
 
 May 10-13:  Significant rain fell in Sweet Grass and Wheatland 
 counties. Big Timber picked up about 2 1/2 inches of rain, with 
 between 1 1/2 and 2 inches near Harlowton and Twodot. Many other 
 locations received between a half inch and inch over this period. It 
 was cold enough for some snow along the foothills on the 12th. 
 Mystic Lake picked up 4 inches of snow, and Red Lodge about an inch.
 
 May 18-19:  More rain fell, greatest in Stillwater and Yellowstone 
 to Wheatland Counties. Over 2 inches of rain fell at Twodot and near 
 Molt, with just under 2 inches at Rapelje. The Billings area 
 received between 1 and 1 1/2 inches.
 
 May 22-23:  Heavy rain fell in Carbon, Sweet Grass, Stillwater and 
 Yellowstone Counties. Reed Point picked up a whopping 4.10 inches of 
 rain, with over 3 inches near Columbus and Joliet, and over 2 inches 
 at Red Lodge. The Billings airport received 1.54 inches of rain on 
 the 23rd, a daily record. On the evening of the 22nd, torrential 
 rain produced 2.40 inches near Columbus in only 75 minutes. During 
 the night of the 22nd, there was flash flooding near Edgar as a 
 culvert overflowed along US-310 (water was 10 inches deep on the 
 highway). On the 23rd, a funnel cloud was spotted near Billings, and 
 quarter size hail was reported near Billings, Colstrip and Ridgeway. 
 A spotter 17 miles south of Miles City reported 2-inch diameter hail.
 
 May 27-29:  More heavy rain due to thunderstorms. An area of 3-4 
 inches of rain was observed from near Busby, Lame Deer and Lodge 
 Grass southward to Sheridan and Ranchester. This caused flooding on 
 the east side of the Bighorn Mountains. The Tongue River and Five 
 Mile Creek flooded at Ranchester. Goose Creek also rose above flood 
 stage at Sheridan. Over the next few days, there was some flooding 
 downriver on the Little Bighorn River near Crow Agency and on the 
 Tongue River near Birney and Ashland. Billings (1.13 inches) and 
 Sheridan (1.44 inches) each set daily precipitation records on the 
 28th. Street flooding occurred in parts of Billings in the early 
 afternoon on the 28th. Also on the 28th, water crossed Highway 313 
 about 10 miles south of Hardin.
 
 May 31:  Several severe thunderstorms impacted the region. The most 
 severe storm produced golf ball to tennis ball (2.50 inch) hail in 
 Roundup, where many homes, trees and vehicles were damaged. Flash 
 flooding also occurred in Roundup as nearby very heavy rain (over 3 
 inches at Horse Thief Raws) caused the Musselshell River to climb 
 rapidly above flood stage that night and on the early morning of 
 June 1st. Highway 12 was closed for a time due to floodwaters. The 
 same storm produced quarter size hail near Shawmut and north of 
 Ryegate before it intensified near Roundup. Later, golf ball size 
 hail fell near Melstone. Elsewhere, quarter size hail was reported 
 near Clyde Park, Busby, Hardin and Forsyth.
 
 June 1:  More thunderstorms with locally heavy rainfall and some 
 severe weather. A severe storm produced quarter size hail from near 
 Hardin through Forsyth to Angela. Hail accumulated 2 inches deep on 
 parts of Highway 59 near Angela. In Billings, an early morning 
 thunderstorm produced very heavy rain for about an hour, causing 
 street flooding around the city. A NWS employee reported 0.83 inches 
 of rain.
 
 June 4:  A severe thunderstorm produced quarter to golf ball size 
 hail near Roundup and Melstone.
 
 June 7:  More severe thunderstorms. In Rosebud, 65 mph wind gusts 
 and damage (downed cottonwood tree, damage to road signs). In 
 Forsyth, multiple large trees were downed or broken, resulting in 
 closed roads and power outages. Near Shirley, very heavy rain and 
 large hail (2.50 inch) impacted travel on I-94. Some vehicles were 
 trapped and water damaged fences. Hail accumulated on I-94. Wind 
 gusts in excess of 70 mph were reported near Otter and Willard. A 
 few other reports: 1 inch hail near Red Lodge and St. Xavier, golf 
 ball size hail north of Hardin, 1 inch hail at Custer, half dollar 
 size hail near Hysham, 65 mph wind gust near Crow Agency. Also, a 
 brief EF-0 tornado (path width 100 yards and length 1/2 mile) lasted 
 for less than 5 minutes between Busby and Lame Deer. The tornado 
 tossed a 20 foot diameter grain bin 250 yards, and there was some 
 tree damage.
 
 June 9:  A severe thunderstorm produced 1.5 inch hail just west of 
 Broadus.
 
 June 15-24:  A period of very wet weather. Billings, Miles City and 
 Baker each received over 3 inches of rain during these 10 days. 
 Roundup had 3.77 inches, Broadus 3.60 inches. The wet weather caused 
 more flooding on portions of the Musselshell River. Billings had 9 
 consecutive days with measurable rain from the 15th through the 23rd.
 
 June 15:  A severe thunderstorm produced quarter size hail near 
 Dayton and Ranchester.
 
 June 16:  A severe thunderstorm produced quarter size hail near 
 Joliet, and roof damage due to wind was reported near Boyd.
 
 June 18:  Heavy rain: over 3 1/2 inches near Melville, 2.10 inches 
 in 3 hours near Columbus, 2.02 inches at Hysham. A funnel cloud was 
 spotted southeast of Bridger on the MT/WY line.
 
 June 19:  Quarter size hail covered I-94 in the Hysham Hills, 
 causing difficult travel conditions. A funnel cloud was spotted near 
 Lodge Grass.
 
 June 21:  Quarter size hail was reported a few miles south of 
 Roundup, and along Highway 3 near Acton. Two inches of rain fell in 
 the Bull Mountains.
 
 June 24:  A funnel cloud was spotted near Plevna.
 
 June 28:  During the evening, a severe thunderstorm moved across 
 Carter County producing golf ball size hail, 70-80 mph straight line 
 wind gusts, and a EF-2 tornado (touching down 4 times) as it moved 
 toward the SD border. The tornado moved through rural areas causing 
 tree damage. The tornado was strongest as it moved south of Capitol, 
 causing a swath of snapped trees and minor structural damage. The 
 tornado strengthened to EF-3 when it moved into SD. Elsewhere, there 
 were many severe thunderstorms: a 68 mph peak wind gust at Baker, 
 golf ball to tennis ball size hail at Miles City (where there was 
 also flash flooding), golf ball size hail near Volborg, tennis ball 
 size hail near Broadus, quarter size hail at Big Timber, 65 mph wind 
 gust near Willard.
 
 July 2:  During the evening, severe thunderstorms produced large 
 hail and strong winds to parts of the region. Wind reports included: 
 64 mph gust at Baker, 61 mph gust at Hysham Hills, 60 mph gust at 
 Forsyth, snapped tree limbs near Hardin. Hail reports included: golf 
 ball size hail at Myers, ping pong ball size hail at Plevna, Forsyth 
 and near Miles City, and quarter size hail at Hardin, Busby and 
 Absarokee.
 
 July 3:  A severe thunderstorm produced ping pong ball size (1.50 
 inch) hail just southeast of Laurel. Later in the evening, another 
 storm produced 65 mph wind gusts at Ismay, and 69 mph near Baker. A 
 70 mph wind gust and tree damage was reported near Webster.
 
 July 7:  A severe thunderstorm produced quarter to half dollar size 
 hail at Biddle and west of Alzada.
 
 July 17:  Thunderstorms produced areas of very heavy rain and strong 
 winds in southeast MT. West of Alzada along the WY border, an 
 estimated 4-5 inches of rain caused flooding on Thompson and Deadman 
 Creeks, and stock ponds overflowed. Near Ridge, heavy rain caused a 
 private reservoir to overflow into nearby creeks. At Hammond, an 
 outbuilding was blown over and there was tree damage from strong 
 winds.
 
 July 21:  A severe thunderstorm produced quarter to half dollar size 
 hail near Hammond and Ridge. A thunderstorm wind gust of 68 mph was 
 measured at Molt.
 
 July 26:  A severe thunderstorm produced large hail and damaging 
 winds from near Reed Point and Columbus south through Bridger and 
 into WY. Reports included: up to golf ball size hail and tree/window 
 damage near Reed Point, Boyd and Bridger, fallen trees and power 
 lines in Clearmont.
 
 July 27:  Another day of severe weather: 2 inch hail near Columbus, 
 1.5 inch hail near Reed Point, 1 inch hail at Alzada, quarter size 
 hail and shredded trees near Dayton, quarter size hail and downed 
 cottonwood trees at Big Horn, a 69 mph peak wind gust at the 
 Sheridan airport. In Billings, a severe thunderstorm in the late 
 afternoon produced quarter to golf ball size hail, strong winds and 
 localized flash flooding. Hail caused some vehicle damage. A peak 
 wind gust of 67 mph was measured west of Billings. Street flooding 
 was widespread across the west end. The Billings NWS measured 1.11 
 inches of rain in about a half hour.
 
 July 28:  For the third straight day, severe weather impacted Reed 
 Point (half dollar size hail).
 
 August 2:  A "heat burst" occurred at Billings during the early 
 morning, a result of winds emerging from decaying shower activity 
 (mixing a very warm air mass). At just before 5 am, after being in 
 the low 70s, Billings reported 92 degrees with an RH of 11 percent 
 and wind gusts to 40 mph. A wind gust of 56 mph was reported at the 
 DOT station at the Yellowstone River bridge, and tree damage was 
 reported in the Heights. Also, a grass fire started just northwest 
 of the city (near Shorey Road), burning about 320 acres. Later in 
 the day, a severe thunderstorm produced 58-61 mph wind gusts near 
 Fishtail and Columbus.
 
 August 3:  A severe thunderstorm produced estimated 60 mph wind 
 gusts near Fort Smith, causing some branch and small tree damage. A 
 71 mph gust was reported 10 miles west of Molt. Other wind reports: 
 Lodge Grass 9E 67 mph, Miles City airport 67 mph, Rock Springs 64 
 mph, Sheridan 61 mph, Ekalaka 60 mph, Forsyth 59 mph, Baker 58 mph. 
 Strong winds snapped small tree limbs at Broadus.
 
 August 5:  Nearly stationary thunderstorms produced heavy rain and 
 caused flooding on US-191 north of Big Timber. A spotter 11 miles 
 north of Big Timber reported 4 1/2 inches of rain in just over an 
 hour, with small hail accumulating to 4 inches deep.
 
 August 11-12:  A couple of hot days. On the 11th, Sheridan (104) and 
 Livingston (103) set record highs, and Miles City reached 106. On 
 the 12th, Miles City (105) and Sheridan (104) set records, and Baker 
 reached 108 degrees. Billings did not set any records, but the 102 
 and 103 on the 11th and 12th, respectively, marked the first time 
 the airport reached 101 degrees or higher since 2012.
 
 August 14:  A severe thunderstorm produced 1.25 inch hail at Story, 
 and quarter size hail near Ucross in southern Sheridan County. There 
 was some accumulation of small hail on I-90 south of Sheridan.
 
 August 27:  A chilly day. Livingston (56) and Miles City (58) set 
 cold high temperature records. Higher elevations saw some minor snow 
 accumulation (Burgess Jct picked up 2 inches).
 
 September 7:  A microburst near Garland (Custer County) in the 
 evening caused trees to be uprooted and snapped a couple of power 
 poles, which started a grass fire.
 
 September 28: Accumulating wet snow impacted the eastern slopes of 
 the Bighorn Mountains. The town of Big Horn received 3 inches.
 
 September 30:  A cool weather system brought the first snow of the 
 season to much of the western half of region. An inch or two of wet 
 snow fell along and west of a Roundup to Billings to Pryor line. The 
 Billings airport received 1.4 inches, which was its first measurable 
 snow in September since 2000.
 
 October 13-14:  Snow fell along the foothills. Amounts included: 
 Story 12-14 inches, Luther 12 inches, Red Lodge area 8-12 inches, 
 Nye 8 inches, Big Horn 7 inches, Sheridan and Mcleod 6 inches, 
 Absarokee 5 inches.
 
 October 15:  Sheridan fell to 12 degrees, a record low for the date.
 
 November 5-6:  Snow fell over the west: Livingston/Columbus/McLeod 6 
 inches, Springdale 4 inches, Story 3 inches.
 
 November 16-17:  Snow fell over the west and south: Red Lodge 11 
 inches, Story 9 inches, Luther 7.5 inches, Big Horn 5 inches, Joliet 
 and Columbus 4 inches.
 
 November 23-24:  Mystic Lake received 23 inches of snow, with 8-12 
 inches in the Red Lodge area. A few other reports: Nye 7 inches, 
 Wilsall 6 inches, Story 5 inches, Big Timber 4 inches.
 
 November 30 - December 2:  Snow affected much of the region, with 
 heaviest amounts in the east. Amounts included: Ridge 8.5 inches, 
 Boyes 7 inches, Powderville 6 inches, Ashland 5 inches, Colstrip and 
 Mizpah 4 inches.
 
 December 11:  Strong gap winds. Livingston airport had a peak gust 
 of 80 mph.
 
 December 29:  A peak gust of 85 mph was observed at the Livingston 
 airport. This was the 4th highest wind gust on record, dating back 
 to 1973. The daily average wind speed of 44.2 mph was a record for 
 December.
 
 December 30-31:  Snow and colder temperatures impacted the region. 
 Snow amounts were greatest in the south, and included: Red Lodge 
 area 8-14 inches, Story 10 inches, Joliet 9 inches, Pryor 9 inches, 
 Big Horn 9 inches, Alzada 7.5 inches, Pine Creek 7 inches, Sheridan 
 6 inches, Billings area 3-5 inches (with 6-9 inches in the hills 
 south of the Yellowstone River). Baker dropped to -14 degrees.
 
 Have a great 2019 everyone!