Alert archive / Idaho / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026
Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Spokane, WA
NWS Spokane, WA issued this flash flood warning at May 28, 2026, 7:01 PM PDT for Benewah County, Idaho. It was in force for 3 hr. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- May 28, 2026, 7:01 PM PDT (02:01 UTC)
- Expired
- May 28, 2026, 9:40 PM PDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Spokane, WA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Flood severity
- None
County Benewah County, ID
The radar
The Spokane radar (KOTX), 86 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:00 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 7:30 PM PDT | FLASH FLOOD | 3 Nw Sanders, ID | Public reported road impassable due to rushing water over Old Sanders Road between Sanders and Tensed. |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
Did it verify
Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this flash flood warning; the first came 29 minutes after it went out.
Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.
The nearest sounding before it
Spokane, WA (KOTX), launched 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 78 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1168 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -53 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2331 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 24 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -3 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 9 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- -0.2
The text
As transmitted.
428
WGUS56 KOTX 290201
FFWOTX
IDC009-290500-
/O.NEW.KOTX.FF.W.0002.260529T0201Z-260529T0500Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Spokane WA
701 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026
The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a
* Flash Flood Warning for...
Southwestern Benewah County in the panhandle of Idaho...
* Until 1000 PM PDT.
* At 701 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or
expected to begin shortly.
HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.
SOURCE...Radar.
IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban
areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as
other poor drainage and low-lying areas.
* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
Tensed and Sanders.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law
enforcement and request they pass this information to the National
Weather Service when you can do so safely.
&&
LAT...LON 4703 11684 4705 11684 4705 11685 4708 11690
4708 11693 4707 11694 4709 11698 4712 11697
4713 11700 4713 11704 4722 11704 4710 11671
4704 11672
FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
$$
JW1 follow-up statement
101
WGUS76 KOTX 290440
FFSOTX
Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Spokane WA
940 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026
IDC009-290450-
/O.CAN.KOTX.FF.W.0002.000000T0000Z-260529T0500Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Benewah ID-
940 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR SOUTHWESTERN BENEWAH
COUNTY...
The heavy rain has ended. Flooding is no longer expected to pose a
threat. Please continue to heed remaining road closures.
&&
LAT...LON 4703 11684 4705 11684 4705 11685 4708 11690
4708 11693 4707 11694 4709 11698 4712 11697
4713 11700 4713 11704 4722 11704 4710 11671
4704 11672
$$
ButlerWhat forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at May 28, 2:08 PM PDT, 4 hours 53 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Scattered severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening (Thursday). Some storms will be capable of producing damaging outflow winds, large hail, and heavy downpours. Some storms will continue into Friday over the northern mountains and Idaho Panhandle.
- Very warm this afternoon with minor to moderate HeatRisk. Heat related impacts possible to those that are sensitive to the heat especially to those without adequate cooling and/or hydration.
- Gusty winds through the Cascade gaps into the Wenatchee Area, Waterville Plateau, and Moses Lake Area Friday afternoon and evening with a 40-50% chance for gusts of greater than 40 mph.
Area forecast discussion, May 28, 2:08 PM PDT, 4 hours 53 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Spokane WA 208 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Scattered severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening (Thursday). Some storms will be capable of producing damaging outflow winds, large hail, and heavy downpours. Some storms will continue into Friday over the northern mountains and Idaho Panhandle. - Very warm this afternoon with minor to moderate HeatRisk. Heat related impacts possible to those that are sensitive to the heat especially to those without adequate cooling and/or hydration. - Gusty winds through the Cascade gaps into the Wenatchee Area, Waterville Plateau, and Moses Lake Area Friday afternoon and evening with a 40-50% chance for gusts of greater than 40 mph. && .SYNOPSIS... Warm and muggy conditions today will give way to thunderstorms in the late afternoon and evening. Some thunderstorms will be strong to severe and capable of producing damaging outflow winds, hail, and heavy downpours. Breezy to windy conditions on Friday especially through the Cascade gaps. The weekend will be drier and occasionally breezy. && .DISCUSSION... Rest of this afternoon through Friday: A vigorous shortwave is rounding a deep upper level low pressure system off to our south. The center of the low is situated over central California and the shortwave is currently pushing across northern Nevada. A highly diffluent flow pattern aloft and a strong vorticity maximum in the northeast quadrant of the this low pressure system will be the kicker that initiates convection across the Inland Northwest today. Strong to severe thunderstorms are already being observed in western Idaho to eastern Oregon. The potential for severe thunderstorms will initially favor the southern Idaho Panhandle into southeast Washington by 3-4 pm. Thunderstorms are then progged to develop north to northwest with time through the rest of the afternoon into the evening. Thunderstorms will initially favor supercell development with the potential for hail of 1.5-2.0 inches and along with damaging outflow winds. There is a non-zero chance for tornadoes with supercells over the southeast portion of the forecast area; a very low chance of 2-4 percent within a 25 mile radius, but not of the question this afternoon. Thunderstorms are then expected to organize along a line and transition to favoring damaging winds over producing large hail as this line progresses across the Columbia Basin into the Spokane- Coeur d'Alene Area. The amount of CAPE in the 1000-3000 J/kg range with 20-30 kts of 0-6 km bulk shear is enough for the potential of damaging wind gusts along the leading edge of the line of thunderstorms. As the cold pool gets established, we could see winds in the 60-70 mph range. This will not only bring the potential for down trees and power lines, but also bring the potential for blowing dust across the Columbia Basin, into the Palouse and northward along the Highway 2 corridor. Blowing dust may be enough to reduce visibility down to a mile or less and result in rapid changes to visibility. The line of thunderstorms is expected to push north of the Canadian border between midnight to 2AM. A shortwave pushing in off of the eastern Pacific will bring additional convection on Friday primarily across the northern mountains, but also across the southern Idaho Panhandle. We won't be nearly as unstable as today, but there is still the potential for a few stronger thunderstorms that brings small hail, gusty outflow winds, and brief heavy downpours. The shortwave will also tighten the westerly gradient with gusty winds of 35-45 mph through the Cascade gaps into the Wenatchee Area, Waterville Plateau, and into the western Columbia Basin. Friday night through Thursday: The disturbance that moves across on Friday looks to push much of the moisture and instability east of the region by Saturday. It also will bring temperatures down a bit with temperatures back down to near normal in the 60s to low 70s. Overall a much drier forecast for the weekend and occasionally breezy. Showers and isolated thunderstorms may hang on over the Idaho Panhandle into the Northeast Mountains through the weekend into Monday as the shortwave looks to stall over the northern Rocky Mountains and possibly form a closed low circulation. Temperatures warm back up above normal next week into the mid to upper 70s by Tuesday into Wednesday. Models are indicating a shortwave disturbance around the Wednesday into Thursday time frame that would bring the potential for breezy winds and also a threat for showers and thunderstorms particularly over Northeast Washington and into the Idaho Panhandle. /SVH && .AVIATION... 18Z TAFs: WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TODAY WITH A THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER INCLUDING DAMAGING WINDS, BLOWING DUST AND LARGE HAIL There is good model agreement that strong to severe thunderstorms will threaten all TAF sites picking initiating between 22-01Z moving northward across the eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle through 08Z. Main impacts with these thunderstorms will be for severe wind gusts up to 70+ kts, torrential rainfall, and hail. For hail, there is the potential for isolated storms to produce up to ping pong to baseball sized hail with KLWS and KPUW carrying the higher threat. Another potential impact will come from models supporting damaging winds developing at the leading edge of the thunderstorms, which will also have the potential to pick up significant blowing dust across the Columbia Basin (KEPH/KMWH) prior to heavy rain. It's possible some of this dust could briefly lower visibility at KGEG, KSFF, KCOE, and KPUW, but confidence in BLDU too low to include for these TAF sites. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: There is high confidence of impactful thunderstorms over all TAF sites from 22Z Thursday through 08Z Friday. Models support with moderate confidence of 50-60kt gusts with thunderstorms and localized 70kt wind gusts with severe thunderstorms. ----------------------- Confidence descriptors: Low - Less than a 30 percent chance Moderate - 30 to 70 percent chance High - Greater than a 70 percent chance For additional probabilistic information for NWS Spokane airports, please refer to the Aviation Dashboard on our webpage: https:/www.weather.gov/otx/avndashboard && .Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs... Spokane 54 74 47 65 45 67 / 70 10 20 0 10 20 Coeur d'Alene 57 74 49 62 46 62 / 70 10 20 0 30 30 Pullman 50 69 43 59 41 62 / 70 10 10 0 0 10 Lewiston 56 76 52 65 48 69 / 60 40 30 10 0 0 Colville 50 76 43 69 41 70 / 80 50 60 20 10 30 Sandpoint 54 75 48 63 44 61 / 60 30 30 10 40 60 Kellogg 56 75 48 61 45 60 / 70 10 10 20 40 40 Moses Lake 55 77 44 72 42 75 / 80 20 0 0 0 0 Wenatchee 62 73 49 70 48 75 / 70 40 10 0 0 0 Omak 59 76 48 73 48 75 / 80 80 30 10 0 0 && .OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WA...None. ID...None. &&
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 28, 6:15 PM PDT, 46 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Spokane WA
615 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0558 PM Hail Kamiah 46.23N 116.03W
05/28/2026 E1.00 Inch Lewis ID Public
Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).
&&
KDSpecial weather statement, May 28, 6:18 PM PDT, 43 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Spokane WA
618 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026
IDZ003-004-290200-
Central Panhandle Mountains ID-Idaho Palouse ID-
618 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Latah
and southwestern Benewah Counties through 700 PM PDT...
At 617 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 9
miles northeast of Potlatch, or 22 miles south of St. Maries, moving
west at 15 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and nickel size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Tensed and Sanders.
This includes U.S. Highway 95 in Idaho between mile markers 364 and
382.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until midnight PDT for
the Panhandle of Idaho.
&&
LAT...LON 4709 11661 4694 11668 4696 11700 4718 11692
TIME...MOT...LOC 0117Z 097DEG 12KT 4702 11674
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
ButlerSpecial weather statement, May 28, 6:24 PM PDT, 37 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Spokane WA
624 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026
IDZ004-290200-
Central Panhandle Mountains ID-
624 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of east central Latah
County through 700 PM PDT...
At 624 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Bovill, or 26 miles north of Orofino. This storm was nearly
stationary.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and nickel size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Deary, Bovill, and Helmer.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until midnight PDT for
the Panhandle of Idaho.
&&
LAT...LON 4686 11667 4695 11641 4692 11633 4671 11633
4668 11635
TIME...MOT...LOC 0124Z 037DEG 3KT 4687 11640
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
ButlerSpecial weather statement, May 28, 6:33 PM PDT, 28 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Spokane WA
633 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026
IDZ004-290200-
Central Panhandle Mountains ID-
633 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of west central
Shoshone and northeastern Benewah Counties through 700 PM PDT...
At 633 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 13
miles southwest of Wallace, moving northwest at 30 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and nickel size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Calder, Huckleberry Campground, and St. Joe.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until midnight PDT for
the Panhandle of Idaho.
&&
LAT...LON 4733 11595 4722 11601 4729 11637 4751 11622
TIME...MOT...LOC 0133Z 122DEG 27KT 4731 11607
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
ButlerSpecial weather statement, May 28, 6:50 PM PDT, 11 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Spokane WA
650 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026
WAZ035-290215-
Upper Columbia Basin WA-
650 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Adams
and southwestern Lincoln Counties through 715 PM PDT...
At 650 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 20
miles northwest of Ritzville, or 30 miles northeast of Moses Lake,
moving north at 10 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and nickel size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Odessa and Irby.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until midnight PDT for
eastern Washington.
&&
LAT...LON 4728 11859 4724 11878 4736 11892 4744 11860
TIME...MOT...LOC 0150Z 165DEG 7KT 4732 11871
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
ButlerSpecial weather statement, May 28, 6:55 PM PDT, 6 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Spokane WA
655 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026
IDZ002-003-WAZ033-036-290230-
Coeur d'Alene Area ID-Idaho Palouse ID-Spokane Area WA-
Washington Palouse WA-
655 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026
...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of northwestern Latah,
west central Benewah, southwestern Kootenai, northeastern Whitman and
southeastern Spokane Counties through 730 PM PDT...
At 655 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a cluster of strong
thunderstorms 12 miles west of Plummer, or 22 miles southeast of
Cheney, moving northwest at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Tekoa, Fairfield, Rockford, Spangle, Latah, Farmington, Tensed,
Waverly, and Valleyford.
This includes the following highways...
U.S. Highway 95 in Idaho between mile markers 382 and 390.
U.S. Highway 195 in Washington between mile markers 79 and 84.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until midnight PDT for
the Panhandle of Idaho...and eastern and northeastern Washington.
&&
LAT...LON 4720 11689 4703 11699 4748 11745 4759 11708
TIME...MOT...LOC 0155Z 157DEG 15KT 4733 11715
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
ButlerThe office that day
Everything else NWS Spokane, WA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 5:11 PM PDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OTX | Latah, Shoshone | 49 min |
| May 28, 5:12 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Lewis | 48 min |
| May 28, 5:19 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Kootenai | 41 min |
| May 28, 5:21 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Lewis | 39 min |
| May 28, 5:40 PM PDT | Areal Flood Advisory | OTX | Benewah, Latah, Shoshone | 3 hr |
| May 28, 5:40 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Benewah | 50 min |
| May 28, 5:43 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Benewah | 47 min |
| May 28, 5:49 PM PDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OTX | Lewis | 41 min |
| May 28, 6:04 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Latah | 41 min |
| May 28, 6:05 PM PDT | Flash Flood Warning | OTX | Shoshone | 2 hr |
| May 28, 6:07 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Kootenai | 38 min |
| May 28, 6:11 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Latah | 64 min |
| May 28, 6:18 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Benewah | 42 min |
| May 28, 6:24 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Latah | 36 min |
| May 28, 6:29 PM PDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OTX | Benewah, Latah | 31 min |
| May 28, 6:33 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Shoshone | 27 min |
| May 28, 6:44 PM PDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OTX | Benewah, Latah, Shoshone | 46 min |
| May 28, 6:52 PM PDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OTX | Shoshone | 38 min |
| May 28, 7:00 PM PDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OTX | Shoshone | 45 min |
| May 28, 7:14 PM PDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OTX | Shoshone | 47 min |
| May 28, 7:20 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Kootenai | 55 min |
| May 28, 7:29 PM PDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OTX | Benewah, Kootenai, Shoshone | 32 min |
| May 28, 7:41 PM PDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OTX | Bonner, Shoshone | 32 min |
| May 28, 8:14 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Kootenai | 31 min |
| May 28, 8:22 PM PDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OTX | Bonner | 26 min |
| May 28, 8:54 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Bonner | 36 min |
| May 28, 8:54 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Bonner | 51 min |
| May 28, 8:58 PM PDT | Flash Flood Warning | OTX | Bonner | 110 min |
| May 28, 9:04 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Boundary | 56 min |
| May 28, 9:31 PM PDT | Special Weather Statement | OTX | Boundary | 59 min |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Idaho, 2026Every flash flood warning in 2026
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.