Idaho, 2005

Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 30 to 31, 2005

December 30 to 31, 2005 · NWS PIH · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A Pacific storm brought heavy snow the last two days of the year to the mountains of southeastern Idaho. Mackay reported 12 inches, Pomerelle Ski Resort 18 inches, 20 inches 23 miles northwest of Ketchum, 20 inches 20 miles northeast of Hailey, 14 inches 16 miles southeast fo Soda Springs, 22 inches 10 miles east of Preston, 26 inches 10 miles southeast of Lava Hot Springs, 27 inches 16 miles…

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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 PIH wrote it up.

A Pacific storm brought heavy snow the last two days of the year to the mountains of southeastern Idaho. Mackay reported 12 inches, Pomerelle Ski Resort 18 inches, 20 inches 23 miles northwest of Ketchum, 20 inches 20 miles northeast of Hailey, 14 inches 16 miles southeast fo Soda Springs, 22 inches 10 miles east of Preston, 26 inches 10 miles southeast of Lava Hot Springs, 27 inches 16 miles northwest of Preston, 20 inches 18 miles southeast of Burley, 11 inches 10 miles northeast of Spencer, and 15 inches 30 miles southwest of Burley.

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 Pocatello, ID wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 29, 2:55 PM MST, 20 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 29, 2:55 PM MST, 20 hours 5 minutes before
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Event by event

6 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Big and Little Wood River Region

When
December 30, 11:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:00 PM MST
Where
Big and Little Wood River Region forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, Caribou Highlands

When
December 30, 11:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:00 PM MST
Where
Caribou Highlands forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, E Branklin/Bear Lake

When
December 30, 11:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:00 PM MST
Where
E Branklin/Bear Lake forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, Sawtooth Mountains

When
December 30, 11:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:00 PM MST
Where
Sawtooth Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, Upper Snake Highlands

When
December 30, 11:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Snake Highlands forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, South Central Highlands

When
December 30, 11:00 AM MST to December 31, 11:00 PM MST
Where
South Central Highlands forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

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 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, December 2005

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5483329, 5483330, 5483331, 5483332, 5483333, 5483334.