# Montana’s early winter storm disrupts travel on Homestake Pass

Local reports document a weekend crash and delays; forecast snowfall ranges should not be confused with measured totals.

By The Signal Edition | News / Weather
Published: 2026-10-13T17:06:09.577237Z
Updated: 2026-10-13T17:06:09.577237Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/montana-storm-travel-disruption-1n43h7k

## Summary
- A semi-truck crash closed westbound Homestake Pass lanes on October 11.
- KBZK reports the lanes have since reopened.
- The linked storm warnings expired Monday, October 12.

## Travel disruption

Montana’s first winter storm brought snow and a lengthy traffic disruption on Homestake Pass over the weekend. KBZK reported that Montana Highway Patrol closed westbound lanes on October 11 while emergency crews responded to an overturned semi-truck crash involving an injury. Motorists reported waiting for hours as crews cleared the scene. [1](https://www.kbzk.com/news/montanas-first-winter-storm-causes-accidents-delays-for-travelers)

The station’s account says road conditions remained difficult before noon on October 12, but the patrol subsequently reported the westbound lanes reopened. That update is a report of the reopening after the crash, rather than a guarantee about conditions for every later journey across the pass or elsewhere in Montana. [1](https://www.kbzk.com/news/montanas-first-winter-storm-causes-accidents-delays-for-travelers)

KBZK spoke with truck drivers who adjusted their trips to the weather. One said icy roads increased his travel time; another stopped overnight in Bozeman instead of continuing. Their accounts describe practical effects of the early-season storm, without establishing a statewide snowfall total or the full number of affected motorists. [1](https://www.kbzk.com/news/montanas-first-winter-storm-causes-accidents-delays-for-travelers)

## Forecasts and observed totals

NBC Montana’s forecast, updated October 11, highlighted travel impacts on Rogers, MacDonald, Homestake and Lost Trail passes and southwest Montana valley roads. It forecast 3 to 9 inches for the Butte and Homestake warning area, with 12 to 18 inches in higher mountain locations. Those figures were projected accumulations, not verified measurements. [2](https://nbcmontana.com/weather/forecasts/winter-storm-continues-to-impact-the-region-warnings-and-advisories-remain-in-effect)

The warning periods listed in that forecast ended Monday, October 12. Its broader outlook anticipated a hard freeze in valleys Monday through Wednesday mornings before warmer weather returned later in the week. The weekend bulletin therefore supplies background to the storm and its aftermath; it should not be read as a newly issued Tuesday warning. [2](https://nbcmontana.com/weather/forecasts/winter-storm-continues-to-impact-the-region-warnings-and-advisories-remain-in-effect)

## Reporting sources
1. [KBZK: Montana’s first winter storm causes accidents, delays for travelers](https://www.kbzk.com/news/montanas-first-winter-storm-causes-accidents-delays-for-travelers) (October 2026 (events October 11–12))
2. [NBC Montana: Winter storm continues to impact the region; Warnings and Advisories remain in effect](https://nbcmontana.com/weather/forecasts/winter-storm-continues-to-impact-the-region-warnings-and-advisories-remain-in-effect) (October 11, 2026)