Idaho, 1998

Flash Flood and Winter Storm in Idaho, December 1 to 29, 1998

December 1 to 29, 1998 · NWS OTX · 8 events in 5 counties and zones

4 heavy snow, 2 winter storm, 1 cold/wind chill, 1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 heavy snow, 2 winter storm, 1 cold/wind chill, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Boundary/Bonner/ X Nw Kootenai

When
December 1, 7:00 AM PST to December 2, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Boundary/Bonner/ X Nw Kootenai forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
48.247, -116.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

In addition to 4 - 8" of snow, winds of 50-60 mph were reported at the mountain passes.

Winter Storm, Shoshone/E Kootenai/E Benewah/E Latah

When
December 1, 7:00 AM PST to December 2, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Shoshone/E Kootenai/E Benewah/E Latah forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.265, -116.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Boundary/Bonner/ X Nw Kootenai

When
December 2, 9:00 AM PST to December 3, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Boundary/Bonner/ X Nw Kootenai forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
48.247, -116.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several reports of 8-18" of snow in a 12 hour period were received each day from Sandpoint to Lookout Pass, Coeur d'Alene area, Moscow to Potlatch and near Kellogg.

Heavy Snow, Sw & W Kootenai

When
December 8, 9:00 AM PST to December 11, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Sw & W Kootenai forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.675, -116.700 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several reports of 4 - 8" of snow in a 12 hour period were received around Coeur d'Alene.

Cold/Wind Chill, Boundary/Bonner/ X Nw Kootenai

When
December 22, 1:00 AM PST to 10:00 AM PST
Where
Boundary/Bonner/ X Nw Kootenai forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
48.247, -116.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures of -20 and -28 F were reported at the Lookout Pass and near Sandpoint.

Heavy Snow, W Benewah/W Latah

When
December 24, 10:00 AM PST to December 25, 8:00 PM PST
Where
W Benewah/W Latah forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.017, -116.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several reports of 4 - 8" of snow in a 12 hour period were received from Moscow and Potlatch.

Heavy Snow, Shoshone/E Kootenai/E Benewah/E Latah

When
December 26, 9:00 AM PST to December 28, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Shoshone/E Kootenai/E Benewah/E Latah forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.265, -116.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several reports of 7-18" of snow in a 12 hour period were received from St. Maries.

Flash Flood, Latah

When
December 27, 3:00 AM PST to December 29, 8:00 AM PST
Where
Latah County, Moscow
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
46.816, -116.712 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Minor flooding of small streams and creeks occurred due to snow melt and 2 - 4" of rain during this period.

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.
Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Idaho in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, December 1998

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5674444, 5674445, 5674440, 5674441, 5674446, 5674442, 5674443, 5674447.