Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 7 to 8, 2004

Name: Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 7 to 8, 2004
Start: 2004-12-07T01:00
End: 2004-12-08T09:00
Location: Idaho

December 7 to 8, 2004 · NWS OTX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A large winter storm system moved through north Idaho during the 7th and 8th of December. In the central panhandle mountains six inches of snow was recorded at St.

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 large winter storm system moved through north Idaho during the 7th and 8th of December. In the central panhandle mountains six inches of snow was recorded at St. Maries and Deary while 4 inches fell at Pinehurst and Kingston. In the northern panhandle mountains, Spirit Lake reported 5 inches of snow and nine inches fell near Naples. On Schweitzer Mountain 14 inches of snow fell from this storm.

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 Dec 6, 9:00 PM PST, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 6, 9:00 PM PST, 4 hours before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 6, 4:07 PM PST, 8 hours 53 minutes before

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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, Central Panhandle Mountains

When: December 7, 1:00 AM PST to 9:00 AM PST
Where: Central Panhandle Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 47.265, -116.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Panhandle

When: December 7, 4:00 AM PST to December 8, 9:00 AM PST
Where: Northern Panhandle forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 48.247, -116.588 (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

Every storm in Idaho in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Idaho, December 2004

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: 5429308, 5429309.