Idaho, 2008

Heavy Snow in Idaho, December 12 to 14, 2008

December 12 to 14, 2008 · NWS PIH · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A strong cold front moved through southeast Idaho during the evening and morning of the 12th and 13th and brought with it heavy snow and strong winds. Heavy snow fell in high elevations, with strong winds causing power outages to 15,000 people in Bingham County on the morning of the 13th.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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 strong cold front moved through southeast Idaho during the evening and morning of the 12th and 13th and brought with it heavy snow and strong winds. Heavy snow fell in high elevations, with strong winds causing power outages to 15,000 people in Bingham County on the morning of the 13th. Although heavy snow did not fall in the Snake River Plain, 30 to 40 minor accidents occurred on icy roadways.

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 12, 2:11 PM MST, 5 hours 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 12, 2:11 PM MST, 5 hours 49 minutes before
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Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Upper Snake Highlands

When
December 12, 8:00 PM MST to December 14, 1:30 PM MST
Where
Upper Snake Highlands forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Eleven inches of snow fell at the Crab Creek SNOTEL with 21 inches at the White Elephant SNOTEL. The town of Island Park received 12 inches according to spotters.

Heavy Snow, Wasatch Mountains/Iadho Portion

When
December 12, 9:00 PM MST to December 14, 3:00 PM MST
Where
Wasatch Mountains/Iadho Portion forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Heavy snow fell in the Wasatch. 11 inches was recorded at Slug Creek with 20 inches at Franklin Basin and 14 inches at Emigrant Summit.

Heavy Snow, South Central Highlands

When
December 12, 10:00 PM MST to December 14, 8:00 PM MST
Where
South Central Highlands forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Twelve inches of snow was reported at the Oxford Spring SNOTEL site. Twelve inches was also reported in Malad City.

Heavy Snow, Caribou Highlands

When
December 12, 10:00 PM MST to December 14, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Caribou Highlands forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Twelve inches of snow fell at Pine Creek Pass. Ten inches fell at Sedgwick Peak and ten inches fell at Somsen Ranch.

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 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, December 2008

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: 145055, 145067, 145062, 145080.