Idaho, 2002

Heat in Idaho, July 10 to 15, 2002

July 10 to 15, 2002 · NWS PIH · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

A heat wave encompassed all of southeastern Idaho from July 10th through the 15th. Several records were set.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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 heat wave encompassed all of southeastern Idaho from July 10th through the 15th. Several records were set. Pocatello set an all time record of consecutive days over 100 degrees with 4 from the 11th through the 14th and also set daily high temperature records from the 11th through the 13th. Peak temperatures through the period were the following: 108 at Shoshone and Minidoka; 107 at Massacre Rocks State Park; 105 at Malad and Malta; 104 at Idaho Falls, Richfield and Pocatello City; 103 at Rockland, Grace, McCammon and Pocatello Airport; 102 at Hamer, Howe, Lava Hot Springs, Arbon, Blackfoot, and Picabo; 101 at Soda Springs, Craters of the Moon, and Arco; 100 at Swan Valley and Rexburg; and 98 at Ketchum and Stanley.

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 Jul 10, 9:05 AM MST, 2 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 10, 9:05 AM MST, 2 hours 55 minutes before
SOUTHEAST IDAHO AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO/IDAHO FALLS ID
1005 AM MDT WED JUL 10 2002

STRONG UPPER ANTICYCLONE IS IN PLACE OVER THE GREAT BASIN AND WILL
ALLOW TEMPS TO CLIMB TO NEAR 100 OVER THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE
FORECAST AREA THROUGH SATURDAY.  DESPITE NEGATIVE 24 HOURS
TEMPERATURES DIFFERENCES IN SOME LOCATIONS THIS MORNING...MAX TEMPS
WILL NEAR THE FORECAST.  NGM MOS STILL HAS THE HIGHEST MAX TEMPS.
RECORD HIGHS WILL BE EXCEEDED ON THURSDAY AND POSSIBLY FRIDAY.  NO
CHANGES TO THE CURRENT FORECAST.

AREA RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES THIS WEEK
      7/10  7/11  7/12  7/13
KPIH  101    98   101   102
KIDA   98    95    98    98
KBYI  102    98   101   100

BRONG

.KSFX...OPERATIONAL...VCP 32.

BYI 99/59/101 0000

.PIH...NONE.

PIH UU 098/057 100/059 100 10000

Event by event

9 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Big and Little Wood River Region

When
July 10, 12:00 PM MST to July 15, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Big and Little Wood River Region forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heat, Caribou Highlands

When
July 10, 12:00 PM MST to July 15, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Caribou Highlands forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heat, Eastern Magic Valley

When
July 10, 12:00 PM MST to July 15, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Eastern Magic Valley forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heat, Lost River / Pahsimeroi

When
July 10, 12:00 PM MST to July 15, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Lost River / Pahsimeroi forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heat, Lower Snake River Plain

When
July 10, 12:00 PM MST to July 15, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Lower Snake River Plain forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heat, Sawtooth Mountains

When
July 10, 12:00 PM MST to July 15, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Sawtooth Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heat, South Central Highlands

When
July 10, 12:00 PM MST to July 15, 9:00 PM MST
Where
South Central Highlands forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heat, Upper Snake Highlands

When
July 10, 12:00 PM MST to July 15, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Snake Highlands forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heat, Upper Snake River Plain

When
July 10, 12:00 PM MST to July 15, 9:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Snake River Plain forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

What these are

Heat
Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

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, July 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: 5307487, 5307488, 5307489, 5307490, 5307491, 5307492, 5307493, 5307494, 5307495.