Alert archive / Idaho / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026

Flash Flood Warning 5, NWS Spokane, WA

May 28, 2026Bonner County, Idaho

NWS Spokane, WA issued this flash flood warning at May 28, 2026, 8:58 PM PDT for Bonner County, Idaho. It was in force for 110 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 28, 2026, 8:58 PM PDT (03:58 UTC)
Expired
May 28, 2026, 10:48 PM PDT
In force
110 min
Issued by
NWS Spokane, WA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Bonner County, ID

The radar

The Spokane radar (KOTX), 96 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:01 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

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, 4.0 hours before the alert went out and 58 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Spokane, WA at 00:00Z on 2026-05-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1168 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Spokane, WA at 00:00Z on 2026-05-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -3 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
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

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

187 
WGUS56 KOTX 290358
FFWOTX
IDC017-290600-
/O.NEW.KOTX.FF.W.0005.260529T0358Z-260529T0600Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Spokane WA
858 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  South Central Bonner County in the panhandle of Idaho...

* Until 1100 PM PDT.

* At 858 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...
  Sandpoint, Ponderay, Kootenai, Dover and Cocolalla.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood 
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

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 4831 11671 4834 11649 4803 11647 4803 11663

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

JW
1 follow-up statement
297 
WGUS76 KOTX 290548
FFSOTX

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1048 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026

IDC017-290558-
/O.CAN.KOTX.FF.W.0005.000000T0000Z-260529T0600Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Bonner ID-
1048 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR SOUTH CENTRAL BONNER 
COUNTY...

Flood waters have receded. The heavy rain has ended. Flooding is no 
longer expected to pose a threat. Please continue to heed remaining 
road closures.

&&

LAT...LON 4831 11671 4834 11649 4803 11647 4803 11663

$$

Butler

What 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, 6 hours 50 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, 6 hours 50 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, 8:36 PM PDT, 22 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Spokane WA
836 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0710 PM     Hail             Odessa                  47.33N 118.69W
05/28/2026  E0.88 Inch       Lincoln            WA   Public

&&

KD
Special weather statement, May 28, 8:40 PM PDT, 18 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Spokane WA
840 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026

WAZ035-290415-
Upper Columbia Basin WA-
840 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of south central
Lincoln County through 915 PM PDT...

At 840 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 19
miles north of Ritzville, or 42 miles northeast of Moses Lake, moving
northwest at 25 mph.

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...
Lamona.

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 4735 11837 4731 11855 4754 11871 4760 11845
TIME...MOT...LOC 0340Z 155DEG 24KT 4740 11849

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

Butler
Local storm report, May 28, 8:52 PM PDT, 6 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Spokane WA
852 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0851 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     6 NNW Moses Lake        47.19N 119.32W
05/28/2026  M66 MPH          Grant              WA   ASOS

&&

AS
Special weather statement, May 28, 8:54 PM PDT, 4 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Spokane WA
854 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026

IDZ001-290430-
Northern Panhandle ID-
854 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of south central
Boundary and west central Bonner Counties through 930 PM PDT...

At 853 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Ponderay, or near Sandpoint, moving northwest at 30 mph.

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...
Sandpoint, Ponderay, Kootenai, Dover, Colburn, Schweitzer Mountain,
and Coolin.

This includes the following highways...
 U.S. Highway 95 in Idaho between mile markers 473 and 486.
 U.S. Highway 2 in Idaho between mile markers 23 and 28.

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 4834 11640 4822 11660 4848 11703 4866 11673
TIME...MOT...LOC 0353Z 138DEG 25KT 4834 11658

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

Butler
Special weather statement, May 28, 8:54 PM PDT, 4 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Spokane WA
854 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026

IDZ001-290445-
Northern Panhandle ID-
854 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of south central
Boundary and west central Bonner Counties through 945 PM PDT...

At 854 PM PDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Ponderay, or near Sandpoint, moving northwest at 30 mph.

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...
Sandpoint, Ponderay, Kootenai, Dover, Colburn, Schweitzer Mountain,
and Coolin.

This includes the following highways...
 U.S. Highway 95 in Idaho between mile markers 473 and 486.
 U.S. Highway 2 in Idaho between mile markers 23 and 28.

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 4834 11640 4822 11660 4848 11703 4866 11673
TIME...MOT...LOC 0354Z 138DEG 25KT 4834 11658

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

Butler
Local storm report, May 28, 8:57 PM PDT, 1 minute before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Spokane WA
857 PM PDT Thu May 28 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0840 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     5 ENE Moses Lake        47.15N 119.19W
05/28/2026                   Grant              WA   Trained Spotter

            Large Poplar Tree snapped.

&&

The office that day

Everything else NWS Spokane, WA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 28, 5:11 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOTXLatah, Shoshone49 min
May 28, 5:12 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXLewis48 min
May 28, 5:19 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXKootenai41 min
May 28, 5:21 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXLewis39 min
May 28, 5:40 PM PDTAreal Flood AdvisoryOTXBenewah, Latah, Shoshone3 hr
May 28, 5:40 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXBenewah50 min
May 28, 5:43 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXBenewah47 min
May 28, 5:49 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOTXLewis41 min
May 28, 6:04 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXLatah41 min
May 28, 6:05 PM PDTFlash Flood WarningOTXShoshone2 hr
May 28, 6:07 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXKootenai38 min
May 28, 6:11 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXLatah64 min
May 28, 6:18 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXBenewah42 min
May 28, 6:24 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXLatah36 min
May 28, 6:29 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOTXBenewah, Latah31 min
May 28, 6:33 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXShoshone27 min
May 28, 6:44 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOTXBenewah, Latah, Shoshone46 min
May 28, 6:52 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOTXShoshone38 min
May 28, 7:00 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOTXShoshone45 min
May 28, 7:01 PM PDTFlash Flood WarningOTXBenewah3 hr
May 28, 7:14 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOTXShoshone47 min
May 28, 7:20 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXKootenai55 min
May 28, 7:29 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOTXBenewah, Kootenai, Shoshone32 min
May 28, 7:41 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOTXBonner, Shoshone32 min
May 28, 8:14 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXKootenai31 min
May 28, 8:22 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOTXBonner26 min
May 28, 8:54 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXBonner36 min
May 28, 8:54 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXBonner51 min
May 28, 9:04 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXBoundary56 min
May 28, 9:31 PM PDTSpecial Weather StatementOTXBoundary59 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.