Winter Storm in Idaho, March 8 to 9, 2006

Name: Winter Storm in Idaho, March 8 to 9, 2006
Start: 2006-03-08T13:00
End: 2006-03-09T03:00
Location: Idaho

March 8 to 9, 2006 · NWS OTX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

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 moist Pacific weather system with gusty winds occurred through north central Idaho. Snowfall amounts from this system included 11 inches at Lookout Pass, and 9 inches at Schweitzer and Silver Mountain. Several hundred customers on the east and west side of Priest Lake lost power due to downed power lines.

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 Mar 8, 10:55 AM PST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 8, 10:55 AM PST, 2 hours 5 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1055 AM PST WED MAR 8 2006

.SYNOPSIS...
A VERY ACTIVE WEATHER REGIME WILL MENACE THE INLAND NORTHWEST TODAY
AND TONIGHT FEATURING HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW...VALLEY RAIN AND SNOW...
AND VERY WINDY CONDITIONS TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING. COOLER AND
UNSETTLED CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
ONLY MINOR UPDATES TO TODAYS FORECAST...MAINLY TO DO WITH TIMING OF
PRECIPITATION...QPF AND MAX TEMPERATURES. OTHERWISE THE WELL
ADVERTISED PACIFIC STROM IS MAKING ITS WAY ACROSS THE CASCADES AT
THE TIME. HIGHLIGHTS FOR A MIXTURE OF SNOW AND WIND REMAIN IN EFFECT
AND WILL BE REFRESHED. SEE NO REASON TO MAKE ANY ADDITIONAL CHANGES
TO THE FORECAST IN THE SHORT TERM. /TOBIN

&&

.AVIATION...CLOUD SHIELD ASSOCIATED WITH NEXT FRONTAL PASSAGE HAS
BROUGHT STABLE STRATIFORM MID AND LOWER DECK CEILINGS AND SPREAD
THEM FROM WEST TO EAST. SOME OF THE RESULTING CEILINGS LOW ENUF TO
REACH THE MVFR CAT FOR SOME SITES. PCPN LIKELY TO START AS RA/SN
MIX WITH LITTLE ACCUMULATION OF SNOW...CHANGING OVER TO SNOW AFTER
02Z. ONCE FROPA OCCURS EARLY THIS EVENING...STRONG W/SW
WINDS OF 22-34KT WITH GUSTS TO 40 KTS WILL BE COMMON FOR ALL
TERMINALS THROUGH 12Z.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SPOKANE        41  28  37  24  39  25 /  80 100  20  10  20  20
COEUR DALENE  41  29  37  25  39  24 /  90 100  20  20  20  20
PULLMAN        44  30  38  27  40  27 /  70  90  20  10  20  20
LEWISTON       48  34  44  31  46  31 /  70  70  20  10  20  20
COLVILLE       38  27  37  25  39  23 / 100 100  20  10  20  20
SANDPOINT      39  29  36  25  38  23 /  90 100  60  40  20  20
KELLOGG        43  29  39  26  41  25 /  90 100  80  50  30  20
MOSES LAKE     45  30  46  29  47  28 /  60  50  10  10  20  10
WENATCHEE      45  28  44  28  45  29 /  80  60  10  10  20  10
OMAK           38  25  44  25  46  23 / 100  90  10  10  20  10

&&

.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON WEDNESDAY TO 4 AM THURSDAY FOR
       NORTHERN PANHANDLE.
     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 2 PM WEDNESDAY TO 10 AM THURSDAY FOR
       CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS.
     WIND ADVISORY FROM 6 PM WEDNESDAY TO NOON THURSDAY FOR COEUR
       DALENE AREA...IDAHO PALOUSE...LEWISTON AREA.
WA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM NOON WEDNESDAY TO 4 AM THURSDAY
       FOR NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS.
     WIND ADVISORY FROM 6 PM WEDNESDAY TO NOON THURSDAY FOR LOWER
       GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES...WASHINGTON PALOUSE...UPPER
       COLUMBIA BASIN...SPOKANE AREA...WATERVILLE PLATEAU.
     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON WEDNESDAY TO 4 AM THURSDAY FOR
       NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS.
     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 AM WEDNESDAY TO 4 AM THURSDAY FOR
       EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 8, 11:47 AM PST, 1 hour 13 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1147 AM PST WED MAR 8 2006

IDZ001>004-026-WAZ031>033-035>038-042-044-091400-
NORTHERN PANHANDLE-COEUR DALENE AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE-
CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS-LEWISTON AREA-
NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS-LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES-
WASHINGTON PALOUSE-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN-SPOKANE AREA-
NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS-OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS-
EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES-WATERVILLE PLATEAU-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SANDPOINT...RATHDRUM...BONNERS FERRY...
PRIEST RIVER...COEUR DALENE...POST FALLS...HAYDEN...MOSCOW...
ST. MARIES...KELLOGG...PINEHURST...OSBURN...WALLACE...MULLAN...
LEWISTON...ANATONE...PEOLA...CLARKSTON...PULLMAN...RITZVILLE...
COULEE DAM...ODESSA...ELECTRIC CITY...WILBUR...GRAND COULEE...
COULEE CITY...SPOKANE...COLVILLE...DEER PARK...CHEWELAH...
NEWPORT...KETTLE FALLS...REPUBLIC...INCHELIUM...LEAVENWORTH...
MAZAMA...TWISP...WINTHROP...WATERVILLE...MANSFIELD
1147 AM PST WED MAR 8 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH
IDAHO...NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO...CENTRAL WASHINGTON...EAST CENTRAL
WASHINGTON...NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON...NORTHEAST WASHINGTON AND
SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.

THE FOLLOWING WATCHES WARNINGS OR ADVISORIES ARE CURRENTLY IN EFFECT
   WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM PST THURSDAY FOR
     NORTH IDAHO PANHANDLE...NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS...OKANOGAN
     HIGHLANDS...EAST SLOPES NORTH CASCADES
   WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THURSDAY FOR
     CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS
   WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 12 PM PST
     THURSDAY FOR COEUR D ALENE AREA...IDAHO PALOUSE...LEWISTON
     AREA...LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES...WASHINGTON
     PALOUSE...UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN...SPOKANE AREA...WATERVILLE
     PLATEAU
   WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM PST THURSDAY FOR
     NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS

PLEASE SEE THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
   SEAWSWOTX  /WWUS46 KOTX/
   SEANPWOTX  /WWUS76 KOTX/

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA TODAY. THIS
STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW ABOVE 3000 FEET
ELEVATION. IN ADDITION TO SNOW...STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY
THIS STORM. PLEASE SEE THE APPLICABLE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
PRODUCTS FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE AREA ON THURSDAY.
OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

IDZ027-WAZ034-041-043-091400-
LEWIS AND SOUTHERN NEZ PERCE COUNTIES-MOSES LAKE AREA-
WENATCHEE AREA-OKANOGAN VALLEY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...KAMIAH...CRAIGMONT...NEZPERCE...
WINCHESTER...MOSES LAKE...EPHRATA...OTHELLO...QUINCY...
WENATCHEE...OMAK...OKANOGAN...BREWSTER...BRIDGEPORT...OROVILLE
1147 AM PST WED MAR 8 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
IDAHO...EAST CENTRAL WASHINGTON AND NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA TODAY. STRONG
WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THIS STORM THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT
TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE AREA ON THURSDAY. OTHERWISE NO
HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Northern Panhandle

When: March 8, 1:00 PM PST to March 9, 1:00 AM PST
Where: Northern Panhandle forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 48.247, -116.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Central Panhandle Mountains

When: March 8, 2:00 PM PST to March 9, 3:00 AM PST
Where: Central Panhandle Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 47.265, -116.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

Every storm in Idaho in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in Idaho, March 2006

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: 5493881, 5493882.