Heavy snow and strong winds occurred in the mountains of Idaho. Strong winds and drifting closed highway 32 from Ashton to Tetonia in the Upper Snake Highlands and highway 47 was closed from Ashton to Bear Gulch.
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 PIH wrote it up.
Heavy snow and strong winds occurred in the mountains of Idaho. Strong winds and drifting closed highway 32 from Ashton to Tetonia in the Upper Snake Highlands and highway 47 was closed from Ashton to Bear Gulch. Sugar Salem and Fremont County schools were closed on the 19th. One to two feet of snow fell in the central mountains and Upper Snake River Highlands.
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 18, 9:57 AM MST, 3 hours 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 957 AM MST THU DEC 18 2008 .UPDATE...WILL MAKE NO UPDATES THIS MORNING TO CURRENT GRID/HEADLINE PACKAGE. ANOTHER STRONG WINTER STORM IS WINDING UP NEAR VANCOUVER ISLAND OFF BC CANADA COAST PER WV SAT IMAGERY. PRECIP ALRAEDY FALLING IN NORTHEAST OREGON AND EXPECT LATE AFTERNOON TIMING TO HOLD FOR CENTRAL IDAHO MOUNTAINS. WILL KEEP CURRENT HEADLINES IN PLACE...AND LIKELY UPGRADE WATCHES ALONG SOUTHERN AND EASTERN HIGHLANDS TO WARNING WITH AFTERNOON PACKAGE. SIMILAR TO LAST STORM...EXPECT WINDS TO PROVIDE GREATEST IMPACT. DMH && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 246 AM MST THU DEC 18 2008/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY ANOTHER WINTER STORM SET TO IMPACT SOUTHEAST IDAHO THE NEXT TWO DAYS. UPPER LOW OFF THE WASHINGTON COAST SET TO MOVE EAST THROUGH FRIDAY AND SPREAD SNOW INTO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS BY EARLY AFTERNOON AND OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE STATE OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. A WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THE EASTERN MAGIC VALLEY AND SNAKE RIVER PLAIN. A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS. STRONG WINDS IN THE 20 TO 30 MPH RANGE ARE EXPECTED WITH THE SYSTEM AHEAD OF AND BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WHICH WILL PASS THROUGH THE REGION FRIDAY MORNING. SNOW WILL MOVE IN AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND CONTINUE BEHIND THE FRONT IN THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN. THE WINDS WILL CAUSE EXTENSIVE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH SNOW AMOUNTS IN THE MOUNTAINS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES EXPECTED WITH 2 TO 4 IN THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN AND EASTERN MAGIC VALLEY. SNOW SHOULD END WEST TO EAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. EXPECT THE HEAVIEST SNOWS OVERNIGHT IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND FRIDAY MORNING IN THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN AND SOUTHERN AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS. EXTREMELY COLD AIR WILL FILTER IN BEHIND THE COLD FRONT FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT WITH SOME OF THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE SEASON EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. EXPECT ONLY LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS SATURDAY WITH VERY LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS. GK LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. GFS/EUROPEAN BOTH SHOW ANOTHER STRONG SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION ONCE AGAIN TO THE AREA. HAVE INCREASED SNOW CHANCES CONSIDERABLY FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST GIVEN THE MODEL AGREEMENT AND WIDESPREAD COVERAGE OF THE SNOW. EXPECT A SHORT LULL TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY AS THE UPPER FLOW TRANSITIONS TO SOUTHWESTERLY. BOTH GFS AND EUROPEAN BRING IN ANOTHER PERSISTENT ROUND OF MOISTURE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH...MODELS SHOW TEMPS WARMING CONSIDERABLY. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT PORTIONS OF THE AREA COULD GET ABOVE FREEZING AND COULD HAVE RAIN ON TOP OF THE EXISTING SNOW. AVIATION...EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS TODAY WITH DETERIORATING CONDITIONS TONIGHT AS A STORM SYSTEM ARRIVES OUT OF THE NORTHWEST. EXPECT WIDESPREAD SNOW AFTER 06Z WITH IFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE ALONG WITH WINDY CONDITIONS. && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM MST FRIDAY FOR IDZ017-020-021. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR IDZ019-023>025. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR IDZ022. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 AM MST FRIDAY FOR IDZ018-031. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 640 AM MST THU DEC 18 2008 IDZ017>025-031-032-191400- EASTERN MAGIC VALLEY-SAWTOOTH MOUNTAINS-UPPER SNAKE HIGHLANDS- UPPER SNAKE RIVER PLAIN-LOWER SNAKE RIVER PLAIN- SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-CARIBOU HIGHLANDS- CACHE VALLEY/IDAHO PORTION-WASATCH MOUNTAINS/IDAHO PORTION- BIG AND LITTLE WOOD RIVER REGION-LOST RIVER/PAHSIMEROI- 640 AM MST THU DEC 18 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG PACIFIC STORM WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST IDAHO LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOW WILL BEGIN IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS LATE THIS MORNING AND SPREAD EAST TONIGHT. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE EASTERN MAGIC VALLEY AND SNAKE RIVER PLAIN FOR TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. WINTER STORM WATCHES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS. UP TO A FOOT OF SNOW IS EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH UP TO 4 INCHES IN THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SNOW WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING IN THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND GRADUALLY TAPER OFF WEST TO EAST DURING THE DAY AND EARLY EVENING. ANOTHER MAJOR STORM WILL LIKELY AFFECT THE REGION SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY SNOW ONCE AGAIN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WE ASK TRAINED SPOTTERS AND CITIZENS TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. THESE CONDITIONS MAY INCLUDE HAIL...TORNADOES...STRONG WIND...DUST STORMS...SNOWFALL... EXTREME COLD TEMPERATURES...FREEZING RAIN OR HEAVY RAIN...DENSE FOG...AND FLOODING OR ICE JAMS. INFORMATION ABOUT THESE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS SHOULD BE CALLED INTO YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN POCATELLO USING THE 1-800 SEVERE WEATHER HOTLINE...OR 208-233-0834.
2 heavy snow, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snow fell in the Wood River Region. Galena Summit and Dollarhide SNOTELs reported 9 inches. The Lost Wood Divide SNOTEL reported 12 inches. Trined spotters in Hailey reported 9 inches.
Heavy snow fell above 7,000 feet in the Sawtooth Mountains. 15 inches fell at Bear Canyon, 12 inches at Stinckney Mill, 20 inches at Smiley Mountain and 12 inches at Mill Creek.
Snow and strong winds closed schools and roads in the Upper Snake Highlands. The Sugar-Salem and Fremont school districts closed on the 19th. Highway 32 was closed from Ashton to Tetonia on the 19th as was Highway 47 from Ashton to Bear Gulch. 18 inches of snow fell at the Black Bear SNOTEL with 15 inches at the White Elephant SNOTEL.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, December 2008
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: 145190, 145162, 145187.