Power outage reports rippled across Billings on Thursday as a winter storm moved into the region, disrupting school operations while high winds toppled semis, damaged structures, and triggered multiple road closures.
Where the power outage is hitting schools and what families are being told
Billings Public Schools said Medicine Crow Middle School and Bitterroot Elementary School lost power. Newman and Ponderosa elementary schools were listed as having partial power.
School families that parents with students at the affected schools may pick up their children, with a physical ID required for pickup. Students whose families cannot pick them up early will remain at school and can be picked up at the regular dismissal time.
Lockwood schools also announced early releases on Thursday: K-2 students would be bussed home at 12 pm, and students in grades 3-12 would be bussed home at 1 pm. Families were told they could pick up students earlier if they wanted. Lockwood schools also said the Boys and Girls Club would not be open.
Power Outage reports come as highways close and emergency crews face blow-overs
As the storm moved in, winds created dangerous travel conditions across the region. Interstate 90 between Livingston and Big Timber was closed, and a section of I-94 east of Hysham was also closed. Highway 191 between Harlowton and Eddies Corner was listed as closed as well.
The Park County Sheriff’s Office said deputies and Park County Rural Fire responded to a semi blown over near mile post 350 on westbound I-90. While crews were on scene, another semi blew over onto a deputy’s vehicle. The deputy was inside at the time and sustained minor injuries, with plans to be checked out at Livingston Health Care.
In central Montana, an intense windstorm on Thursday produced wind gusts topping 79 miles per hour in Great Falls. Near mile marker 350 along westbound I-90, a Park County Sheriff’s deputy narrowly escaped serious injuries when a semi truck was blown over on top of the deputy’s patrol vehicle while the deputy and Park County Rural Fire personnel were responding to a tipped semi in the vicinity. There were no reports of the truck driver being injured.
What damage is confirmed, and what conditions officials are watching next
Wind damage was confirmed in multiple communities. A building in Reed Point was damaged by winds.
In Broadview, safety concerns tied to high wind led to changes in school transportation Thursday afternoon: two bus routes were canceled, and two other routes were set to run using lower-profile vehicles, the school district said.
Elsewhere, Judith Basin County Sheriff’s Office dealt with several blow-overs of campers and semis near Windham and Stanford, an area where winds were gusting to nearly 80 mph.
damaging wind gusts were expected to continue for the next several hours, with a cold front forecast to push south later in the evening and put an end to the high winds. As conditions evolve, the immediate public impact remains visible in closed highways, wind damage, and the ongoing power outage disruptions affecting students and families.
