Idaho, 1999

Flash Flooding and Winter Storm in Idaho, February 2 to 28, 1999

February 2 to 28, 1999 · NWS OTX · 11 events in 8 counties and zones

4 high wind, 3 heavy snow, 2 flash flood, 1 winter storm, 1 avalanche, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
5
Property damage
$4.3 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

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 high wind, 3 heavy snow, 2 flash flood, 1 winter storm, 1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Northern Panhandle

When
February 2, 6:00 AM PST to February 3, 6:00 AM PST
Where
Northern Panhandle forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
48.247, -116.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow of 6-15" each day was reported across portions of north Idaho. Some of the sites included: Sandpoint, Potlatch, St. Maries, Kellogg and Winchester. The heavy snow caused hazardous driving conditions and several accidents on area roadways.

High Wind, Coeur D'Alene Area

When
February 2, 11:00 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where
Coeur D'Alene Area forecast zone
Property damage
$1.0 million
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
47.675, -116.700 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong winds of 30-40 mph with gusts of 60-70 mph ripped through portions of north Idaho, causing countless trees to be blown down along with roof and building damage.

High Wind, Idaho Palouse

When
February 2, 11:00 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where
Idaho Palouse forecast zone
Property damage
$1.0 million
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
47.017, -116.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Central Panhandle Mountains

When
February 2, 11:00 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where
Central Panhandle Mountains forecast zone
Property damage
$500,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
47.265, -116.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lewiston Area

When
February 2, 11:00 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where
Lewiston Area forecast zone
Property damage
$500,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
46.327, -116.750 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Panhandle

When
February 6, 2:00 AM PST to February 7, 4:00 AM PST
Where
Northern Panhandle forecast zone
Injuries
5 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
48.247, -116.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A combination of heavy snow and gusty winds produced white-out conditions upon Schwietzer Mountain which lead to the disappearance of 5 skiers. They were found 24 hours later with minor injuries.

Heavy Snow, Idaho Palouse

When
February 7, 6:00 AM PST to February 8, 6:00 AM PST
Where
Idaho Palouse forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
47.017, -116.685 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Benewah

When
February 24, 12:30 AM PST to February 25, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Benewah County, Tensed
Property damage
$250,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
47.218, -116.659 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy rain caused Hangman Creek to flood.

Flash Flood, Latah

When
February 24, 1:00 AM PST to February 25, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Latah County, Troy
Property damage
$1.0 million
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
46.816, -116.712 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A combination of rapid snowmelt and heavy rain caused small streams to flood and roadways to pool with water especially across southern Latah County.

Avalanche, Central Panhandle Mountains

When
February 25, 9:00 PM PST to 11:30 PM PST
Where
Central Panhandle Mountains forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
47.265, -116.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An avalanche on Jackass Ridge buried roads in the area.

Heavy Snow, Lewis and Southern Nez Perce

When
February 27, 6:00 AM PST to February 28, 11:00 AM PST
Where
Lewis and Southern Nez Perce forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
46.282, -116.588 (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.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
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.
Avalanche
A mass of snow sliding down a mountainside that caused a death, an injury or damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Idaho in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, February 1999

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: 5683777, 5683781, 5683782, 5683783, 5683784, 5683780, 5683778, 5683786, 5683785, 5683787, 5683779.