A late-season winter storm is hammering the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains today, Thursday May 21, 2026, with enough snow to threaten the scheduled Memorial Day weekend opening of the US-212 Beartooth Highway. NWS Billings has an active Winter Storm Warning through 6 PM MDT for the high country straddling south-central Montana and northwest Wyoming.
Peak Driving Danger Window
The worst window runs through Thursday afternoon and into the early evening refreeze, with 8 to 15 inches of fresh snow and 30 mph north winds piling drifts onto US-212 between Cooke City and the Wyoming line, and onto the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY-296) climb toward Dead Indian Pass.
What to Expect
- Snow totals: 8 to 15 inches on north-facing slopes above 6,500 feet, roughly 10 inches at pass-level elevations
- Wind gusts: North winds to 30 mph, tapering through the evening
- Worst corridors: US-212 over Beartooth Pass, the Cooke City southern access via WY-296, and Yellowstone's Northeast Entrance approach
- Timing: Through 6 PM MDT today
The Weather Prediction Center had this corridor flagged at 40 to 50 percent probability for 4-plus inches days before NWS Billings upgraded to operational warning language. A cold upper-level trough is wringing moisture against the highest peaks of the Absaroka and Beartooth ranges, hence heavy mountain accumulation with modest valley impacts.
Road Conditions
The Beartooth Highway is still under seasonal closure. MDT and WYDOT plow crews have worked through 15-foot drifts since mid-April to ready the 64-mile corridor, and the Friday, May 22 scheduled opening is now in doubt. NWS Billings stated directly that several inches of snow are expected over Beartooth Pass, which may impact the opening of the highway.
Cooke City is the bellwether. East access via the Beartooth is closed; the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY-296) remains open but exposed to the same wind and snow. The only year-round route in is from the west through Yellowstone's Northeast Entrance. Check Montana 511 and the WYDOT road map before committing.
Winter Driving Tips
Three numbers matter more than vehicle type for spring mountain snow:
- Tread depth: At least 4/32 inch before climbing a pass at altitude
- Tire pressure: Cold air drops PSI 1 to 2 pounds per 10-degree temperature drop; check cold, adjust to door-jamb spec
- Stopping distance: Triple your following distance on snow; AWD helps you go, not stop
Look for the 3PMSF mountain-snowflake symbol on the sidewall, the only winter-specific certification the industry recognizes. M+S markings alone do not qualify. Autoblog's guide to best practices for driving in snow, ice, and rain covers technique, and our roundup of the best cars and SUVs for snow and winter driving covers hardware. At 10,947 feet on Beartooth Pass, a stuck vehicle is an exposure problem, not an inconvenience. Yellowstone NPS road status has the live picture for the Cooke City corridor.
Timing
The Winter Storm Warning runs through 6 PM MDT this evening, Thursday May 21, 2026. Snow tapers as the trough exits east, winds easing overnight. The forward-looking question is whether plow crews clear the new accumulation in time for the Friday, May 22 opening. A similar 2024 storm delayed the Beartooth opening by several days. We'll update this article as conditions evolve.
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