Idaho, 2002

Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 15 to 16, 2002

December 15 to 16, 2002 · NWS PIH · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Heavy snow fell in the mountains of central Idaho. 6 inches fell in Hailey.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 PIH wrote it up.

Heavy snow fell in the mountains of central Idaho. 6 inches fell in Hailey. 12 to 14 inches fell in Ketchum and 18 to 20 inches in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. UP to a foot of snow was reported at SNOTEL sites above 8,000 feet.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Pocatello, ID wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 15, 3:00 AM MST, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 15, 3:00 AM MST, 4 hours before
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Event by event

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Big and Little Wood River Region

When
December 15, 7:00 AM MST to December 16, 4:00 PM MST
Where
Big and Little Wood River Region forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, Lost River / Pahsimeroi

When
December 15, 7:00 AM MST to December 16, 4:00 PM MST
Where
Lost River / Pahsimeroi forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, Sawtooth Mountains

When
December 15, 7:00 AM MST to December 16, 4:00 PM MST
Where
Sawtooth Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

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 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, December 2002

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: 5326527, 5326528, 5326529.