Winter Storm, Big and Little Wood River Region
- When
- January 7, 3:00 PM MST to January 9, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Big and Little Wood River Region forecast zone
- Property damage
- $9,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
Winter Storm in Idaho, January 7 to 9, 2005
A powerful winter storm rolled in off the Pacific and brought significant snow and winds to all of southeast Idaho beginning on the afternoon of the 7th and continuing into the morning of the 9th. Heavy snow fell overnight on the 7th and morning of the 8th in the central mountains and Upper Snake River Highlands.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $9,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 9
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 powerful winter storm rolled in off the Pacific and brought significant snow and winds to all of southeast Idaho beginning on the afternoon of the 7th and continuing into the morning of the 9th. Heavy snow fell overnight on the 7th and morning of the 8th in the central mountains and Upper Snake River Highlands. Very strong winds occurred overnight in the Southern Highlands and Snake River Plain with sustained winds of 40 to 50 mph with gusts of 60 to 70 mph common causing blowing and drifting snow. The winds caused $3000 worth of damage to a TJ Maxx sign in Pocatello plus $6000 additional damage to buildings and roofs. Heavier snow amounts through the morning of the 8th were 14 inches at Island Park, 20 inches at Ketchum, 12 inches at Galena, 18 inches at Arco, 10 inches at Mackay, 12 inches at Moore, 16 inches at Hailey, 12 inches at Macks Inn, 12 inches at Ashton, 12 inches at Driggs, 12 inches at Pomerelle Ski Area. Several roads were closed on the 8th including Highway 32 from Ashton to Tetonia, US20 from Idaho Falls to Arco, and interstate 15 from mile post 167 to 196. Heavy snow continued to spread southeast through the day on the 8th with amounts of 8 to 12 inches across the Snake River Plain including Burley, American Falls, Pocatello, Fort Hall, and Idaho Falls. 14 to 18 inches fell in the Caribou and Southern Highlands including Oakley, Soda Springs, and Grace. The official snowfall of 8.3 inches on the 8th at the Pocatello airport was a calendar day record for the month of January in the city. Heaviest snowfall totals from the two day event at SNOTEL sites above 7000 feet were 32 inches at Vienna Mine, 28 inches at Lost Wood Divide, 28 inches at Galena Summit, 34 inches at Dollarhide, 26 inches at Slug Creek, 36 inches at Sedgewick Peak, 32 inches at Bear Canyon, and 32 inches at Crab Creek.
Event by event
9 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Caribou Highlands
- When
- January 7, 3:00 PM MST to January 9, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Caribou Highlands forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
Winter Storm, Eastern Magic Valley
- When
- January 7, 3:00 PM MST to January 9, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Eastern Magic Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
Winter Storm, Lost River / Pahsimeroi
- When
- January 7, 3:00 PM MST to January 9, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Lost River / Pahsimeroi forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
Winter Storm, Lower Snake River Plain
- When
- January 7, 3:00 PM MST to January 9, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Lower Snake River Plain forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
Winter Storm, Sawtooth Mountains
- When
- January 7, 3:00 PM MST to January 9, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Sawtooth Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
Winter Storm, South Central Highlands
- When
- January 7, 3:00 PM MST to January 9, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- South Central Highlands forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
Winter Storm, Upper Snake Highlands
- When
- January 7, 3:00 PM MST to January 9, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Upper Snake Highlands forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
Winter Storm, Upper Snake River Plain
- When
- January 7, 3:00 PM MST to January 9, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Upper Snake River Plain forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flooding and Winter Storm in California, January 7 to 11, 2005
- Avalanche and Flooding in Utah, January 7 to 12, 2005
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, January 7, 2005
- Heavy Rain in California, January 7 to 11, 2005
- Winter Storm and Flood in California, January 7 to 10, 2005
- Flooding in Kentucky, January 7 to 29, 2005
- Strong Wind in California, January 7, 2005
- High Wind and Strong Wind in California, January 7, 2005
- Winter Storm in California, January 7 to 8, 2005
- Heavy Snow in Washington, January 7, 2005
- Winter Storm in Ohio, January 7 to 8, 2005
- Strong Wind in California, January 7, 2005
More
Every storm in Idaho in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, January 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5434351, 5434352, 5434353, 5434354, 5434355, 5434356, 5434357, 5434358, 5434359.