Winter Storm in Idaho, January 21, 2002

Name: Winter Storm in Idaho, January 21, 2002
Start: 2002-01-21T05:00
End: 2002-01-21T23:45
Location: Idaho

January 21, 2002 · NWS PIH · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A major winter storm brought heavy snow to the mountains of southeastern Idaho. 6 to 14 inches of snow were reported above 6000 feet.

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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.

A major winter storm brought heavy snow to the mountains of southeastern Idaho. 6 to 14 inches of snow were reported above 6000 feet. Strong winds accompanied the storm and created many road closures. Interstate 15 was closed from Idaho Falls to Roberts. US Highway 20 was closed from Rigby to Rexburg. Highway 33 was closed from Newdale to Tetonia. Highway 20 was closed from Carey to Arco. Road conditions were blamed for one death early on the morning of 1/21 on Highway 20 near Rigby.

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 Jan 21, 2:55 AM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 21, 2:55 AM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes before

SOUTHEAST IDAHO AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO/IDAHO FALLS ID
255 AM MST MON JAN 21 2002

SURFACE FRONT IN CENTRAL WASHINGTON AND OREGON THIS MORNING DROPPING
INTO CENTRAL MOUNTAINS LATE THIS AFTERNOON...THROUGH IDAHO FALLS ABOUT
01Z AND POCATELLO BY 02Z. MOUNTAINS SHOULD PICK UP SNOW CONTINUOUSLY
THROUGH THE DAY. HEAVIEST ACCUMULATION IN THE UPPER SNAKE AND EASTERN
HIGHLANDS WHERE 10 TO 14 INCHES POSSIBLE.  LIGHT SNOW OFF AND ON IN
THE UPPER AND LOWER SNAKE PLAIN MOST OF THE DAY BUT MOST ACCUMULATION
SHOULD COME AS FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING.  SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT MAINTAINS WINDS CLOSE TO ADVISORY
LEVEL MUCH OF THE DAY AND DECREASE LATE AFTERNOON.  JUST A SLIVER OF
WARM AIR WORKING ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF THE SNAKE RIVER.  BLACKFOOT
REACHED 35F THIS MORNING AND 30F REPORTED ALL THE WAY NORTH TO SUGAR
CITY SO COULD BE VERY SPOTTY FREEZING RAIN ON I15 NORTH OF BLACKFOOT.
WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES THINK SNOW CONVERSION WILL BE CLOSER TO 10 TO
1 RATIO AND WILL LOOK FOR 4 INCHES ON THE BENCH AREAS AND EAST FOOT
HILLS. COMBINATION OF SEVERAL BORDER LINE CRITERIA...SO WILL GO WITH
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY.

FORECAST AREA STAYS IN UNSETTLED NORTHWEST FLOW WITH MINOR DISTURBANCE
COMING THROUGH MID DAY TUESDAY AND A STRONGER DISTURBANCE WEDNESDAY
MORNING.  FLAT RIDGE MAY PROVIDE BRIEF BREAK ON THURSDAY...AT LEAST ON
THE SOUTHERN FRINGE OF STATE.  OTHERWISE JET DROPS SOUTH WITH NEXT
TROUGH PUTTING US RIGHT BACK UNDER THE PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE
WEEKEND. SURVICK

.KSFX WSR-88D...OPERATIONAL...VCP 21.

BYI 39/20/27 673

.PIH...A WINTER STORM WARNING AND ADVISORY HAVE BEEN ISSUED.
PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WEATHER BULLETINS FOR DETAILS.

PIH SJ 037/019 026/013 022 08693

Event by event

7 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Big and Little Wood River Region

When: January 21, 5:00 AM MST to 11:45 PM MST
Where: Big and Little Wood River Region forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Storm, Caribou Highlands

When: January 21, 5:00 AM MST to 11:45 PM MST
Where: Caribou Highlands forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Storm, Lost River / Pahsimeroi

When: January 21, 5:00 AM MST to 11:45 PM MST
Where: Lost River / Pahsimeroi forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Storm, Sawtooth Mountains

When: January 21, 5:00 AM MST to 11:45 PM MST
Where: Sawtooth Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Storm, South Central Highlands

When: January 21, 5:00 AM MST to 11:45 PM MST
Where: South Central Highlands forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Storm, Upper Snake Highlands

When: January 21, 5:00 AM MST to 11:45 PM MST
Where: Upper Snake Highlands forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Storm, Upper Snake River Plain

When: January 21, 5:00 AM MST to 11:45 PM MST
Where: Upper Snake River Plain forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Winter Storm, Big and Little Wood River Region	2002-01-21	34	Male	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Direct

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Idaho in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Idaho, January 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: 5278042, 5278043, 5278044, 5278045, 5278046, 5278047, 5278048.