Idaho, 1997

Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 15 to 18, 1997

December 15 to 18, 1997 · NWS BOI · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

The central mountains and northern Idaho experienced heavy snow fall from the night of December 15th through December 17th. In the West Central Mountains 6 to 7 inches fell near Council, 6 inches at Bear and Midvale with 5 inches at Cascade.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BOI wrote it up.

The central mountains and northern Idaho experienced heavy snow fall from the night of December 15th through December 17th. In the West Central Mountains 6 to 7 inches fell near Council, 6 inches at Bear and Midvale with 5 inches at Cascade. This heavy, wet snow downed power lines and trees in this region. 7 to 10 inches fell at higher elevations of the West Central Mountains, the Boise Mountains and Clearwater Mountains. In northern Idaho, 5 inches fell near Sandpoint and Deary. Over the course of 3 days ending on the morning of December 18th, Lookout Pass in Shoshone county reported 33 inches of new snow.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Shoshone

When
December 15, 4:00 AM MST to December 18, 4:00 AM MST
Where
Shoshone forecast zone
Coordinates
47.265, -116.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, West Central Mountains

When
December 16, 4:00 AM MST to 3:00 PM MST
Where
West Central Mountains forecast zone
Coordinates
44.543, -116.300 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Boise Mountains/Camas Prairie

When
December 16, 4:00 AM MST to 3:00 PM MST
Where
Boise Mountains/Camas Prairie forecast zone
Coordinates
43.602, -115.335 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Panhandle

When
December 16, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Panhandle forecast zone
Coordinates
48.247, -116.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lewiston and the Palouse

When
December 16, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Lewiston and the Palouse forecast zone
Coordinates
47.017, -116.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Clearwater Mountains

When
December 16, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Clearwater Mountains forecast zone
Coordinates
46.674, -115.657 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Idaho in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, December 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5620057, 5620058, 5620062, 5620059, 5620060, 5620061.