Idaho, 2002

Heavy Snow in Idaho, February 8, 2002

February 8, 2002 · NWS BOI · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A strong Pacific storm dropped 6 to 15 inches of snow across the West Central Mountains of Idaho. The Boise Mountains received 5 to 10 inches of snow.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
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 BOI wrote it up.

A strong Pacific storm dropped 6 to 15 inches of snow across the West Central Mountains of Idaho. The Boise Mountains received 5 to 10 inches of snow. The Camas Prairie and the Owyhee Mountains received about 3 inches of snow.

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 Boise, ID wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 7, 9:06 PM MST, 2 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 7, 9:06 PM MST, 2 hours 54 minutes before
SOUTHWEST IDAHO/SOUTHEAST OREGON AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE IDAHO
905 PM MST THU FEB  7 2002

VERY WINDY BEHIND COLD FRONT IN SE OREGON WITH 2 SPOTTERS IN HARNEY
CO AND A METAR IN ROME/SRN MALHEUR COUNTY/ REPORTING 30-40 MPH WINDS
GUSTING AROUND 45 MPH.  SFC LOW IS A BIT FURTHER N AND AS A RESULT
THE STRONG PRESSURE RISES CROSS FROM MAX OF +10MB/3HR ON THE CENTRAL
OREGON COAST OVER THE BOISE CWFA.  IN ADDITION SYSTEM IS BEING FED
BY THUNDERSTORMS (HEAT RELEASE ALF) OVER NRN CALIFORNIA AND THE ZERO
LIFTED INDEX CROSSING BOI 09-12Z OR 2-5AM WITH CDFNT PASSAGE.
SYSTEM A BIT MORE SPLIT WITH LOW TO THE N AND VORT, POSSIBLY
CONVECTIVELY INDUCED VORT, TO THE SOUTH.  SHOW AMOUNTS STILL OK WITH
MAYBE A LITTLE LESS NORTH AND WEST BUT A BIT MORE IN THE BOISE
MOUNTAINS.  WITH TIGHTER GRADIENT JUST S OF LOW THATS NOW FURTHER N
HAVE UPDATED SE OREGON WIND ADVY AND WILL TWEAK SW IDAHO ZONES FOR
LITTLE MORE WIND.  FOR TREASURE/MAGIC VALLEY BEST CHANCE OF PRECIP
IS SHORT-LIVED WITH CDFNT AFTER MIDNIGHT BUT WITH 50KTS AT
700MB/10K WEST CENTRAL AND BOISE MTNS SHOULD SEE GREAT OROGRAPHIC
ENHANCEMENT THROUGH EARLY AM IN SPITE OF ONLY SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN
NORMAL .4-.6 PRECIP WATER PLUME.

.BOI...HEAVY SNOW WARNING TONIGHT FOR WEST CENTRAL/BOI MTNS
       AND CAMAS PRAIRIE (ID ZNS 11/13/28) AND BAKER CNTY
       (ORE ZN 62)
       WIND ADVISORY TONIGHT (ORE ZNS 61/63)
       WIND ADVISORY TONIGHT-FRI MORNING CAMAS PRAIRIE/WESTERN
       MAGIC VALLEY/SOUTHERN TWIN FALLS CNTY/SOUTHWEST ID
       HIGHLANDS (ID ZNS 15/16/28/30).

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Boise Mountains

When
February 8, 12:00 AM MST to 8:00 AM MST
Where
Boise Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
43.602, -115.335 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, West Central Mountains

When
February 8, 12:00 AM MST to 8:00 AM MST
Where
West Central Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.543, -116.300 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Camas Prairie

When
February 8, 2:00 AM MST to 8:00 AM MST
Where
Camas Prairie forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
43.409, -115.137 (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 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, February 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: 5281255, 5281342, 5281343.