A vigorous winter storm brought strong winds as well as heavy snow to portions of north central Idaho. 5 inches 5 mi north of Elk River.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS MSO wrote it up.
A vigorous winter storm brought strong winds as well as heavy snow to portions of north central Idaho. Snowfall amounts ranged from 10.5 inches 20 mi west of Lolo hot springs, to 15.5 inches 5 mi north of Elk River. Winds also blew with gusts as strong as 53 mph observed at Grangeville.
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 Dec 8, 2:53 AM MST, 4 hours 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT 253 AM MST WED DEC 8 2004 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY...THE REMNANTS OF A WESTERN PACIFIC TYPHOON ARE SLAMMING INTO THE WASHINGTON COAST EARLY THIS MORNING BRINGING WITH IT ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND STRONG WINDS ALOFT. THIS SYSTEM WILL MOVE INLAND TODAY SPREADING WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION AND LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS...ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS AND THE CAMAS PRAIRIE OF NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO. STRONG ISENTROPIC AND OROGRAPHIC LIFT WILL RESULT IN ABUNDANT PRECIPITATION IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO AND NORTHWEST MONTANA TO GLACIER PARK. WINTER STORM WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THESE AREAS FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT. LOW LEVEL WARM AIR WILL BE DRAWN INTO THE AREA TODAY POSSIBLY CHANGING THE SNOW TO RAIN BELOW 4500 IN NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO AND BELOW 3500 FEET IN NORTHWEST MONTANA AND FROM FLATHEAD LAKE SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON. THUS...SNOW ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS IN THESE REGIONS. AS THE SURFACE LOW MOVES INTO EASTERN MONTANA LATER THIS AFTERNOON... A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST. CONDITIONS WILL BECOME MORE UNSTABLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS COLDER AIR ALOFT MOVES INTO THE REGION. WITH A SHARP PRESSURE RISE AND STRONG WINDS ALOFT...LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS MAY MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE BEHIND THE FRONT THIS EVENING. THE ONE REGION WHERE GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED AHEAD OF THE FRONT AS WELL IS THE CAMAS PRAIRIE REGION OF NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO. WILL BE ISSUING A WIND ADVISORY FOR THIS REGION...ALTHOUGH THE ORIENTATION OF THE FLOW IS NOT OPTIMAL. THIS MAY KEEP THE STRONGEST WINDS FROM DEVELOPING UNTIL AFTER THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH LATER TODAY. IT APPEARS THAT CONDITIONS WILL BECOME FAVORABLE FOR WEST TO EAST ORIENTED SNOW BANDS BEHIND THE FRONT FOR ADDITIONAL MAINLY MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL. TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER VALLEYS MAY BE SLOW TO COOL... KEEPING THE POTENTIAL FOR SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS DOWN ALTHOUGH LOCAL ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE VALLEYS. ON THURSDAY SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH AS CONDITIONS STABILIZE ALOFT AS WARMER AIR MOVES IN ALOFT AHEAD OF A STRONG WARM FRONT THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THURSDAY NIGHT. PRECIPITATION AHEAD OF THE WARM FRONT WILL BEGIN TO MOVE INTO NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO LATE IN THE DAY. && .LONG TERM...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY... A COUPLE MAIN CONCERNS... POSSIBLE FREEZING RAIN IN THE NORTWEST MONTANA VALLEYS THURSDAY NIGHT AND HYDROLOGY/FLOODING CONCERNS IN NORTHWEST MONTANA FRIDAY THROUGH MIDDAY SATURDAY. DISCUSSION BELOW WILL EXPLAIN FURTHER. VERY WET PATTERN WILL PERSIST OVER PARTS OF WESTERN MONTANA THROUGH SATURDAY. TIMING WILL BE THE KEY FOR THURSDAY NIGHTS WEATHER IN THE NORTH. MUCH WARMER AIR WITH THE NEXT SYSTEM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY COULD SET UP A POSSIBLE FREEZING RAIN SCENARIO IN THE VALLEYS OF NORTHERN MONTANA...IF THE RIGHT SITUATION SETS UP. IT IS DEPENDENT ON SEVERAL THINGS. HOW MUCH COLD AIR GETS TRAPPED IN THE VALLEYS...TIMING OF WARM OVERRUNING AIR OVER THESE COLD VALLEYS. RIGHT NOW IT APPEARS THAT THE MODELS HAVE SLOWED A BIT IN THE REAL BIG WARM UP OVER THE REGION. THUS VALLEYS MAY HAVE A TOUGH TIME MIXING OUT THURSDAY NIGHT AND THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME FREEZING RAIN. THIS IS 48 HOURS OUT SO HOPEFULLY FUTURE MODELS WILL GIVE BETTER GUIDANCE AND CONFIDENCE. FRIDAY THROUGH MIDDAY SATURDAY...AS NOTED ABOVE MUCH WARMER AIR WILL INCREASE SNOW LEVELS TO 7000-8000 FEET ACROSS THE REGION...THUS ONLY THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS WILL SEE SNOW. THUS THE MAIN PROBLEM OF FOR THIS PERIOD WILL BE HYDROLOGY/FLOODING CONCERNS. WARM PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO FALL OVER AREAS WHICH WILL HAVE RECEIVED RECENT ABUNDANT SNOWFALL. RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD EASILY REACH 1-2 INCHES IN THE NORTHWEST MONTANA MOUNTAINS OF THE KOOTENAI/CABINET AND THE LOWER CLARK FORK REGIONS. SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...COLD FRONT MAKES ITS WAY THROUGH THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. SNOW LEVELS RETURN TO THE VALLEY FLOORS IN MONTANA...BUT PRECIPITATION WILL HAVE BEEN PUSHED TO THE SOUTH. MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS SOLUTION. SNOW IS POSSIBLE ALONG AND BEHIND THE FRONT...POST FRONTAL SNOW BANDING...IN WESTERN MONTANA. SUNDAY A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM DIVES SOUTH FROM ALBERTA CANADA. ARCTIC AIR WILL PUSH ITS WAY ACROSS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WELL INTO NORTHWEST MONTANA. TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL SET UP... PRODUCING INCREASING COLD NORTHEAST TO EAST WINDS. MONDAY AND TUESDAY ANOTHER WET PACIFIC SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION AND PRODUCE ADDITIONAL MOUNTAIN SNOWS. && .MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MT...WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 3500 FEET WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING MTZ001... ...SNOW ADVISORY BELOW 3500 FEET WEDNESDAY MTZ001... ...WINTER STORM WARNING WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING MTZ002-043... ...WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 4000 FEET WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING MTZ004-006... ...SNOW ADVISORY BELOW 4000 FEET WEDNESDAY MTZ004... ID...WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 4000 FEET WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING IDZ005-006... ...SNOW ADVISORY BELOW 4000 FEET WEDNESDAY IDZ005-006... ...WIND ADVISORY WEDNESDAY IDZ007-008... && SHORT TERM/PETRESCU LONG TERM/NESTER weather.gov/missoula
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT 445 AM MST (345 AM PST) WED DEC 8 2004 IDZ005-006-MTZ004-006-043-082300- NORTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS-SOUTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS- LOWER CLARK FORK REGION-BITTERROOT/SAPPHIRE MOUNTAINS- BLACKFOOT REGION- 445 AM MST (345 AM PST) WED DEC 8 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO AND PARTS OF WESTERN MONTANA .DAY ONE... TODAY A POTENT WEATHER SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE HEAVY SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING. SEE WINTER STORM WARNING... GTFWSWMSO...FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON...A WARM FRONT WILL INCREASE SNOW LEVELS TO 7000 TO 8000 FEET. THIS WARM FRONT WILL CONTAIN ABUNDANT MOISTURE...MAINLY IN THE FORM OF RAIN. RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD BE IN THE ORDER OF 1 TO 2 INCHES...MAINLY IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE LOWER CLARK FORK REGION AND THE NORTHERN CLEARWATERS IN IDAHO. THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN COULD POSE FLOODING CONCERNS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ001-002-082300- KOOTENAI/CABINET REGION-WEST GLACIER REGION- 445 AM MST WED DEC 8 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF WESTERN MONTANA .DAY ONE... TODAY A POTENT WEATHER SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE HEAVY SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING. SEE WINTER STORM WARNING... GTFWSWMSO...FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY LIGHT FREEZING RAIN IS POSSIBLE IN THE LOWER VALLEYS THURSDAY NIGHT. A WARM FRONT WILL INCREASE SNOW LEVELS TO 7000 TO 8000 FEET FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WARM FRONT WILL CONTAIN ABUNDANT MOISTURE...MAINLY IN THE FORM OF RAIN. RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD BE IN THE ORDER OF 1 TO 2 INCHES MAINLY IN THE KOOTENAI CABINET MOUNTAINS. THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN COULD POSE FLOODING CONCERNS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. IDZ007-008-082300- OROFINO/GRANGEVILLE REGION-LOWER HELLS CANYON/SALMON RIVER- 345 AM PST WED DEC 8 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO .DAY ONE... TODAY STRONG WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL EFFECT CANYONS AND PRAIRIES IN NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO. SEE WIND ADVISORY...GTFNPWMSO...FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MTZ003-082300- FLATHEAD/MISSION VALLEYS- 445 AM MST WED DEC 8 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF WESTERN MONTANA .DAY ONE... TODAY OCCASIONAL SNOW WILL FALL THIS MORNING THEN MIX WITH RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON. SNOW COULD ACCUMULATE 1 TO 3 INCHES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY LIGHT FREEZING RAIN IS POSSIBLE IN THE LOWER VALLEYS THURSDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. NESTER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, December 2004
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: 5430384, 5430385, 5430386, 5430387.