An early season snowstorm dumped more than 11 inches of snow on Great Falls by midday, snapping tree branches, knocking out power for residents and creating dangerous conditions across the city.
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The National Weather Service recorded 11.1 inches of snow in Great Falls as of noon — making it the snowiest October the city has seen since 2020. Great Falls has already received more than a quarter of last winter's entire snowfall total of 41.7 inches, and the season hasn't even officially started.
The weight of the wet, heavy snow proved too much for trees across the city. Ashley Gandolfi woke up to the worst of it.
"My husband came and woke me up and said, 'The tree just fell on your car,'" Gandolfi said. "I jumped out of bed, ran to the window and looked out — and I was like, oh, man. He heard a noise, looked out the window, and watched it fall onto my car."
The timing made the damage sting a little more. Gandolfi said the family had discussed having the tree removed just days before.
"Earlier this week, we talked about maybe getting a tree service to come and cut it down anyway — or parts of it. And then this piece — well, now we have to hire someone to come and cut it down."
The family is waiting for a tree service to assess the damage and hasn't been able to check inside the car yet, concerned that more of the tree could shift and injure someone.
The scene on Gandolfi street is playing out across Great Falls.
Residents reported limbs down throughout the Second Street area, and some in Box Elder lost power for more than five hours. For one Great Falls family, the snow created a more urgent problem — the accumulation blocked their daughter's wheelchair ramp, cutting off access to her own home.
Gandolfi summed up what many residents are feeling.
"It's not a good way to start my Sunday," she said with a laugh. "Start my work week."
Cleanup and recovery efforts are underway across the city.
