Idaho, 2008

Extreme Cold in Idaho, December 14, 2008

December 14, 2008 · NWS OTX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Cold north to northeast winds behind an earlier arctic front passage resulted in wind chill readings near or below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit from Sandpoint to Coeur D'Alene. Approximately 1,200 customers lost power in Northern Idaho, which was contributed to the cold temperatures.

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.

Cold north to northeast winds behind an earlier arctic front passage resulted in wind chill readings near or below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit from Sandpoint to Coeur D'Alene. Approximately 1,200 customers lost power in Northern Idaho, which was contributed to the cold temperatures. There were also about 80 reports of frozen pipes.

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 Dec 13, 3:48 PM PST, 8 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 13, 3:48 PM PST, 8 hours 12 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Panhandle

When
December 14, 12:00 AM PST to 11:00 AM PST
Where
Northern Panhandle forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
48.247, -116.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Coeur D'Alene Area

When
December 14, 4:00 AM PST to 11:00 AM PST
Where
Coeur D'Alene Area forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
47.675, -116.700 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 143068, 143070.