High Wind in Idaho, May 20, 2002

Name: High Wind in Idaho, May 20, 2002
Start: 2002-05-20T11:30
End: 2002-05-20T17:00
Location: Idaho

May 20, 2002 · NWS MSO · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A strong low pressure system and jet stream created high winds across Lemhi County with RAWS stations reporting gusts over 50 mph and a peak of 73 mph at Kriley Creek.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 MSO wrote it up.

A strong low pressure system and jet stream created high winds across Lemhi County with RAWS stations reporting gusts over 50 mph and a peak of 73 mph at Kriley Creek.

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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 20, 8:25 AM MST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 8:25 AM MST, 3 hours 5 minutes before

WESTERN MONTANA AND NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
925 AM MDT MON MAY 20 2002

.SHORT TERM...NO UPDATES TO ZFP OR SFP. UPPER LOW OFF THE CALIFORNIA
COAST IS EVER SO SLOWLY MOVING ONSHORE THIS MORNING. DECENT OMEGA
BLOCK PATTERN OVER ENTIRE CONUS AT THIS TIME...WHICH MAY SLOW THINGS
DOWN A TAD. HOWEVER...DO HAVE A GOOD JET ROUNDING THE UPPER LOW OFF
THE COAST WHICH SHOULD HELP PROGRESS THINGS OVER THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST TODAY. THERMAL TROF HAS BEGUN TO RETREAT TO THE EAST...AS
WINDS HAVE TURNED NORTHWEST IN MISSOULA THIS MORNING. MID LEVEL
SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL KEEP THINGS UNSTABLE TODAY ALLOWING FOR ONE MORE
DAY OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER MONTANA. WITH FALLING HEIGHTS...MAY SEE
THUNDERSTORMS A BIT EARLIER THAN THE LAST TWO DAYS. CURRENT ZONES
HAVE AFTERNOON TIMING AND THIS SEEMS REASONABLE.

ON ANOTHER NOTE...RIVER LEVELS ARE RISING IN THE ST. REGIS AREA.
WITH UPPER TROF AFFECTING THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY...BRINGING
DECENT RAIN...WILL ISSUE A FLOOD WATCH. WILL ALSO PUT OUT A RIVER
STATEMENT FOR DECENT RISES OVER THE WEEKEND FROM VERY WARM
TEMPERATURES AND EXPECTED PRECIPITATION THIS WEEK. MEAD

.LONG TERM...PREVIOUS FORECAST LOOKS GOOD...AND WILL ADJUST ONLY
SLIGHTLY.  AREA STILL UNDER CYCLONIC NORTHWEST FLOW IN THE WAKE OF
THE EXITING UPPER TROUGH THURSDAY.  NOT MUCH MOISTURE AVAILABLE IN
OUR WESTERN ZONES...AND WILL LESSON PRECIP CHANCES A BIT.  BRIEF
RIDGING IS EXPECTED FRIDAY FOR DRIER WEATHER.  WITH LESS CLOUD
COVER AND PLENTY OF INSOLATION THIS TIME OF YEAR...WILL SHOW A
LITTLE MORE WARMING FRIDAY THAN ON PREVIOUS FORECAST.  WESTERLY FLOW
WITH EMBEDDED SHORTWAVES MOVES OVER THE CWA SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...
SO WILL MAINTAIN SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS WITH TEMPS APPROACHING
NORMAL.             WHITMORE

.MSO...FLOOD WATCH FOR THE ST. REGIS RIVER AT ST. REGIS THROUGH
       TUESDAY.

...7-DAY SPOT TEMPS AND POPS...
LIB EWE /078 045/060 042/057 3736534
     EBEB 040/061 040/066 042/067 042/069 044/ 34210011110
FCA EWE /079 047/061 042/052 3735644
     EBEB 038/058 038/065 039/066 039/068 041/ 34210011110
POL EWE /076 049/060 045/055 3735644
     EBEB 042/057 042/064 044/066 044/068 046/ 34210011110
MSO EWE /080 048/061 042/055 3735643
     EBEB 039/058 038/066 040/067 042/068 044/ 34210011110
HMM EWE /081 048/062 042/056 3735643
     EBEB 040/060 039/067 041/068 043/070 045/ 34210011110
BTM BWE /078 042/055 036/049 3725653
     EBEB 032/053 033/061 035/062 038/064 040/ 34310011110
ORO WWE /071 050/064 046/062 3766432
     EBEB 045/067 047/070 048/071 050/073 052/ 34210011110
GRV WWE /068 046/060 041/057 3766432
     EBEB 040/064 042/066 043/068 045/070 047/ 34210011110
SMN BWE /081 046/060 040/058 3725643
     EBBB 037/060 039/066 040/067 042/069 044/ 34210011110

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Eastern Lemhi County

When: May 20, 11:30 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Eastern Lemhi County forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.943, -113.933 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Western Lemhi County

When: May 20, 11:40 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Western Lemhi County forecast zone
Measured: 43 kt (49 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.943, -113.933 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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, May 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: 5295554, 5295555.