Parts of the northern Rocky Mountains looked more like mid-winter than early fall as a storm dumped record amounts of wind-driven snow that caused hazardous travel conditions and scattered power outages.
Montana governor Steve Bullock declared an emergency, allowing the state to mobilize resources to help affected areas.
Winter storm warnings were posted for parts of western Montana, northern Idaho and north-east Washington. Snow also was forecast for areas in Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, Nevada and California.
The brunt of the storm hit Montana where up to 2ft of snow fell on Saturday in the mountains and a record 14in fell in Great Falls. The storm was expected to wind down late Sunday and early Monday.
Major interstates and highways remained open, but snow and ice covered many stretches of roadway in western Montana. The storm was expected to wind down early on Monday.