Idaho, 2002

Damaging Winds in Idaho, July 25, 2002

July 25, 2002 · NWS BOI · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Thunderstorm winds brought down trees and power lines which left over 5000 homes and businesses without power. Winds also kicked up dust which reduced visibility to near zero on Interstate 84 near Blacks Creek Road.

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
4
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

Thunderstorm winds brought down trees and power lines which left over 5000 homes and businesses without power. Winds also kicked up dust which reduced visibility to near zero on Interstate 84 near Blacks Creek Road. This resulted in a 12 car pileup in which four persons were injured. Wind gusts were measured at 62 mph at KTVB TV in Meridian and at 69 mph at Dead Indian RAWS in western Washington County.

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 25, 8:05 AM MST, 7 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 25, 8:05 AM MST, 7 hours 40 minutes before
SOUTHWEST IDAHO/SOUTHEAST OREGON AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE IDAHO
905 AM MDT THU JUL 25 2002

NO UPDATES.  MORNING THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHWEST HIGHLANDS,
MAGIC VALLEY AND CAMAS PRAIRIE WILL DECREASE THROUGHOUT THE DAY
TODAY THEN REGENERATE THIS EVENING.  THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE BAKER CO
AND WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WILL CONTINUE TODAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH SWINGS THROUGH THE CWFA THEN DECREASE THIS EVENING BEHIND THE
TROUGH.  BOISE SOUNDING THIS MORNING IS DRIER THAN YESTERDAY AT 0.60
PRECIP WATER...LI -3 WITH A CONVECTIVE TEMP OF 98 F ON A FORECAST
HIGH OF 94 F.  CAPE OF 550 J/KG AND SHEAR 40 KTS FOR ISOLATED PULSE
STORMS.  D.HUSTON

.BOI...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FAR SOUTHEAST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST IDAHO
FOR DRY LIGHTNING AND LOW RH THURSDAY.  SEE RFWBOI/WWUS85 KBOI FOR
DETAILS. AREA MAY NEED TO BE RE-ASSESSED FOR THE POTENTIAL OF SIG
RAIN WITH SOME OF THESE STORMS.  NOT ALL DRY

The radar

The Boise radar (KCBX), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:44 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Payette

When
July 25, 3:45 PM MST to 4:00 PM MST
Where
Payette County, Payette
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.083, -116.933

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When
July 25, 3:50 PM MST to 4:10 PM MST
Where
Washington County, 14 mi W of Weiser
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
44.250, -117.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Canyon

When
July 25, 4:00 PM MST to 4:15 PM MST
Where
Canyon County, Nampa
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.583, -116.567

Thunderstorm Wind, Gem

When
July 25, 4:10 PM MST to 4:25 PM MST
Where
Gem County, Emmett
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.867, -116.500

Thunderstorm Wind, Ada

When
July 25, 4:15 PM MST to 4:45 PM MST
Where
Ada County, Meridian
Measured
54 kt (62 mph)
Injuries
4 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates
43.617, -116.383

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

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: 5309845, 5309846, 5309847, 5309848, 5309849.