Winter storm causes multi-vehicle accidents, road closure on US 191 

EBS STAFF

U.S. Highway 191 closed late on the morning of March 15 from Four Corners to the intersection with Lone Mountain Trail in Big Sky because of multiple accidents, according to the Montana Department of Transportation and Sgt. Dan Haydon with the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities cleared the accidents and reopened the road by 2:23 p.m. on March 15. 

A winter storm warning for Gallatin County issued by the National Weather Service in Great Falls is in effect from 6 a.m. on March 14 to 6 a.m. on March 16.

The main incident that caused the closure was a wreck that occurred at 10:15 a.m. that involved six vehicles including a semi truck that was blocking both lanes of traffic, according to a release from the Sheriff’s Office. MDT closed the road at 11:23 a.m. so authorities could clear the wreck, causing northbound traffic to be backed up for 6 miles. The road was reopened at 2:23 p.m. and the Sheriff’s Office reported 16 total traffic incidents in the Big Sky area due to the weather between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. No injuries were reported. 

MDT reported multiple vehicles off the road on U.S. 191 south of Big Sky toward West Yellowstone that caused temporary lane closures and traffic delays, but the road remained open.

The storm dropped more than a foot of heavy snow in the southern Gallatin and Madison ranges and the Lionhead area around West Yellowstone, prompting the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center to issue an avalanche warning through 11 p.m. tonight. 

The storm is forecasted to move out of our area tonight, according to NWS.