Damaging Winds in Idaho, July 13, 2002

Name: Damaging Winds in Idaho, July 13, 2002
Start: 2002-07-13T23:15
End: 2002-07-13T23:45
Location: Idaho

July 13, 2002 · NWS BOI · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A line of thunderstorms moved eastward through Boise, Elmore and Valley counties. Numerous trees and power lines were brought down by winds.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: 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 line of thunderstorms moved eastward through Boise, Elmore and Valley counties. Numerous trees and power lines were brought down by winds. In Boise County a tree was blown down onto a house in Crouch.

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 Jul 13, 9:15 PM MST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 13, 9:15 PM MST, 2 hours before

SOUTHWEST IDAHO/SOUTHEAST OREGON AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE IDAHO
1015 PM MDT SAT JUL 13 2002

GUSTY WINDS 20 TO 40 MPH AND LIGHTNING, WITH LOCALIZED BLOWING DUST,
MAIN THREAT WITH THUNDERSTORMS  STIL TONIGHT THO DEEPER MOISTURE IN
NV BROUGHT WETTING RAINS FURTHER SOUTH.  TRANSITION TO LIGHT RAINER
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED 1 TO AROUND 3 AM...BUT TIL THEN
SOME GUSTY WINDS WITH WAVES OF TS TNGT.  TEMPS MILD TONIGHT BUT A
COOL FRONT IS EXPECTED INTO SE OREGON OVERNIGHT AS A WEAK WAVE
PUSHES THROUGH THE PACIFIC NW.  AS TS HAVENT MOISTENED UP QUITE YET
WILL EXTEND RED FLAG WARNING THRU 1 AM PDT WEST AND 3 AM EAST FOR
FIRE WEATHER ZONES.

NOWCAST IN EFFECT THRU 1110 PM SOUTH AND 1 AM TREASURE VLY.  TS
WINDS.

TS HAVE MOISTENED UP DRAMATICALLY IN THE SW PART 1.15 INCHES/5 HOURS
AT FRENCH GLEN.

.BOI...RED FLAG WARNING EXPIRES FOR VALE, EXTENDED TIL 1/2AM FOR
BURNS BLM AND BOISE BLM. ZONES 636/7 AND 408.

The radar

The Boise radar (KCBX), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:14 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Boise

When: July 13, 11:15 PM MST to 11:45 PM MST
Where: Boise County, Countywide
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.933, -115.633

Thunderstorm Wind, Elmore

When: July 13, 11:15 PM MST to 11:45 PM MST
Where: Elmore County, Countywide
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.467, -115.550

Thunderstorm Wind, Valley

When: July 13, 11:20 PM MST to 11:45 PM MST
Where: Valley County, Countywide
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: MARINER
Coordinates: 44.733, -115.450

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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, 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: 5309826, 5309827, 5309828.