Idaho, 2002

Heavy Snow in Idaho, May 5, 2002

May 5, 2002 · NWS OTX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A late season snowstorm fell on the mountains of the Idaho panhandle, generally from 4000 feet and above. 5".

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.

  • 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
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 OTX wrote it up.

A late season snowstorm fell on the mountains of the Idaho panhandle, generally from 4000 feet and above. Snowfall totals include: Lookout SNOTEL...11", Humboldt Gulch SNOTEL...10", Sunset SNOTEL...9", Mosquito Ridge SNOTEL...9", Lost Lake SNOTEL...9", Mica Creek SNOTEL...9", Bear Mountain SNOTEL...8+", Schweitzer Bowl SNOTEL...7", Hidden Lake SNOTEL...6", Bunchgrass Meadows SNOTEL...9", and Moscow Mountain SNOTEL...5".

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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 4, 7:30 PM PST, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 4, 7:30 PM PST, 4 hours 30 minutes before
EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTH IDAHO AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WASHINGTON
830 PM PDT SAT MAY 04 2002

SKIES WERE MOSTLY CLEAR OVER EASTERN WASHINGTON AND THE IDAHO
PANHANDLE THROUGH THE EVENING. SATELLITE PICTURE SHOWERS SOME CLOUDS
OVER BRITISH COLUMBIA MOVING SOUTHWARD. IF SKIES REMAIN ON THE CLEAR
SIDE TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE LOWER 30S. HOWEVER EXPECT SOME
INCREASED CLOUDS AFTER MIDNIGHT FROM A MINOR WAVE DROPPING DOWN OVER
SOUTHWESTERN CANADA. THIS SHOULD KEEP OUR LOWS UP INTO THE MID 30S.
LATEST ETA PROG KEEPS THE PRECIPITATION OVER THE WEST SIDE AND OVER
BRITISH COLUMBIA WITH EASTERN WASHINGTON AND THE PANHANDLE IN A RAIN
SHADOW UNTIL MORE INTO SUNDAY AFTERNOON. BEST CHANCE OF SHOWERS WILL
BE AFTER 18Z SUNDAY BUT WOULD NOT RULE OUT A SLIGHT CHANCE IN THE
MORNING.  COLD LOW WHICH HAS BEEN IN THE DISCUSSION FOR DAYS IS
CENTERED OVER NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON BY MONDAY MORNING. THE LOW
WILL THEN CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST AND BY TUESDAY MORNING WILL SEE SOME
VERY COOL TEMPERATURES FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...LOWS IN THE UPPER 20S
TO MID 30S OVER EASTERN WASHINGTON AND THE IDAHO PANHANDLE. LIKELY
POPS OVER THE NORTHERN WASHINGTON MOUNTAINS AND THE IDAHO PANHANDLE
MOUNTAINS STILL LOOK GOOD INTO THE MONDAY TIME FRAME. FORECAST LOOK
OK THROUGH THE SHORT TERM SO NO UPDATES.

...THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRODUCT CONCERNING WARNINGS AND FORECASTS
IS VALID ONLY AT THE TIME OF ISSUANCE. THE LATEST WARNING AND
FORECAST INFORMATION WILL BE FOUND IN THE APPROPRIATE PRODUCTS...

GEG 036/053/035/050/032/051 353422
COE 037/050/034/048/031/050 454522
PUW 038/052/035/050/032/049 343422
LWS 043/062/041/055/037/053 243533
CQV 038/056/034/054/030/055 676652
SPT 038/049/034/047/030/050 676752
WWP 035/045/032/043/027/046 676754
EAT 041/058/039/054/037/058 332222
MWH 041/060/039/056/035/057 332222

.OTX...NONE.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Boundary/Bonner/ X Nw Kootenai

When
May 5, 12:00 AM PST to 11:59 PM PST
Where
Boundary/Bonner/ X Nw Kootenai forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
48.247, -116.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Shoshone/E Kootenai/E Benewah/E Latah

When
May 5, 12:00 AM PST to 11:59 PM PST
Where
Shoshone/E Kootenai/E Benewah/E Latah forecast zone
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
47.265, -116.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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, 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: 5299479, 5299480.