A large pacific storm system moved through northern Idaho and brought heavy snow to the mountains. All mountain locations above 3000 feet received 12 to 15 inches of new snow.
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.
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 OTX wrote it up.
A large pacific storm system moved through northern Idaho and brought heavy snow to the mountains. All mountain locations above 3000 feet received 12 to 15 inches of new snow.
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 Mar 16, 10:43 AM PST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1043 AM PST WED MAR 16 2005
.SYNOPSIS...A STRONG LOW PRESSURE CENTER WILL BRING A VARIETY OF
WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THE INLAND NORTHWEST TODAY. STRONG WINDS...SNOW
AND RAIN SHOWERS WITH A ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ANTICIPATED OVER
MUCH OF THE REGION. A SECOND LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE
REGION ON FRIDAY AND CONTINUE THE UNSETTLED WEATHER INTO THE
WEEKEND.
DISCUSSION...
UPDATED THE FORECAST TO REMOVE MORNING WORDING AND ADJUST WEATHER FOR
THE REST OF TODAY. SURFACE LOW IS OVER NW WA WITH A COLD FRONT
SLICING ACROSS WRN WA ATTM. PRESSURE GRADIENTS ARE TIGHTENING ACROSS
THE CASCADES...THE LOWER BASIN AND SE WA WHERE GUSTS HAVE REACHED
25-35 MPH IN THE LOW LANDS AND UP TOWARD 45 MPH IN THE MOUNTAINS.
CURRENT WIND ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE. ADD SLIGHT CHC OF THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS THE NRN CASCADES AND NE WA MTN FOR THIS AFTERNOON BASED ON
THE PROJECTED PATH OF THE SURFACE LOW AND COLD POOL ALOFT. RFOX.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SPOKANE 52 30 46 27 43 29 / 20 70 10 10 10 20
COEUR DALENE 51 30 48 24 45 27 / 20 70 10 10 20 20
PULLMAN 55 31 42 27 39 30 / 20 50 10 10 10 10
LEWISTON 58 35 50 32 47 35 / 10 70 20 10 10 10
COLVILLE 49 26 48 22 45 26 / 40 60 10 10 20 30
SANDPOINT 45 30 42 25 39 27 / 40 70 10 20 20 30
WALLACE 41 29 41 26 38 24 / 50 80 70 30 30 40
MOSES LAKE 60 32 55 29 52 34 / 10 10 10 10 10 10
WENATCHEE 60 35 54 32 51 31 / 10 10 10 10 10 10
OMAK 57 30 47 28 44 28 / 20 20 10 10 10 10
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM UNTIL 8 PM PST WEDNESDAY FOR
THE FOLLOWING ZONES...COEUR DALENE AREA...IDAHO PALOUSE...
LEWIS AND SOUTHERN NEZ PERCE COUNTIES...AND LEWISTON AREA.
SNOW ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM WEDNESDAY UNTIL 7 AM PST
THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES...AND LEWIS AND SOUTHERN
NEZ PERCE COUNTIES.
WA...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM UNTIL 8 PM PST WEDNESDAY FOR
THE FOLLOWING ZONES...LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES...
MOSES LAKE AREA...NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS...SPOKANE
AREA...UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN...WASHINGTON PALOUSE...
WATERVILLE PLATEAU...AND WENATCHEE AREA.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA 415 AM PST WED MAR 16 2005 IDZ002-003-026-027-WAZ031>036-041-044-171400- COEUR DALENE AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE-LEWISTON AREA- LEWIS AND SOUTHERN NEZ PERCE COUNTIES-NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS- LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES-WASHINGTON PALOUSE- MOSES LAKE AREA-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN-SPOKANE AREA-WENATCHEE AREA- WATERVILLE PLATEAU- 415 AM PST WED MAR 16 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE AREAS LISTED ABOVE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A STORM SYSTEM WILL DROP DOWN FROM THE NORTH TODAY AND TONIGHT BRINGING VERY WINDY CONDITIONS TO THE EXPOSED LOCATIONS IN EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTHERN IDAHO. THIS WIND WILL LIKELY PRODUCE BLOWING DUST THAT WILL RESTRICT VISIBILITIES AT TIMES. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE DAY TODAY AND THIS EVENING. PLEASE REFER TO THE ADVISORY FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS. ALSO...SNOWFALL WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE CAMAS PRAIRIE TONIGHT BEFORE THE SYSTEM QUICKLY MOVES SOUTH AND EAST OF THE REGION THURSDAY. A SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE ADVISORY FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. IDZ001-004-WAZ037-038-042-043-171400- NORTHERN PANHANDLE-CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS-NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS- OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS-EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES-OKANOGAN VALLEY- 415 AM PST WED MAR 16 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE AREAS LISTED ABOVE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A STORM SYSTEM WILL DROP DOWN FROM THE NORTH TODAY AND TONIGHT BRINGING WINDY CONDITIONS TO THE EXPOSED LOCATIONS IN EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTHERN IDAHO. ALSO...SNOWFALL WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN IDAHO. THE SYSTEM WILL QUICKLY MOVE SOUTH AND EAST OF US LATER TONIGHT AND DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, March 2005
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: 5440146, 5440147.