An intense winter storm brought high winds and heavy mountain snow to parts of Southwest Idaho and Southeast Oregon from January fourth through fifth. Wind gusts to ninety six miles per hour and six to eight inches of snow were reported in the mountains.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 BOI wrote it up.
An intense winter storm brought high winds and heavy mountain snow to parts of Southwest Idaho and Southeast Oregon from January fourth through fifth. Wind gusts to ninety six miles per hour and six to eight inches of snow were reported in the mountains. Gusts to sixty four miles per hour including wind damage to trees and power lines were reported in the Treasure and Magic Valleys of Southwest Idaho.
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 Boise, ID wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 4, 3:22 AM MST, 2 hours 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE ID
322 AM MST FRI JAN 4 2008
.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY...STRONG SERIES OF STORMS
STILL PROGGED TO COME INTO THE PAC NW AND DOMINATE OUR WEATHER
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. FIRST WEAK COLD FRONT IS BY US...WITH A MUCH
STRONGER SYSTEM POISED TO BRING US STRONG WINDS AND INCREASING
HIGH ELEVATION SNOWFALL DURING THE DAY TODAY. THE HEAVY HIGH
ELEVATION SNOWS WILL LAST WELL INTO SATURDAY. THE HEADLINES WILL
BE CONTINUED WITHOUT CHANGE. LATEST MODELS INDICATE SOME
DIFFERENCES IN TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF QPF...AND HAVE MADE SOME
ADJUSTMENTS TO THESE GRIDS. HOWEVER...THESE ADJUSTMENTS ARE NOT
SUFFICIENT TO WARRANT A CHANGE IN THE WINTER STORM WARNING.
THE NEXT FRONT SHOULD MOVE THROUGH SE OREGON LATE THIS AFTERNOON...
AND THROUGH SOUTHWEST IDAHO THIS EVENING. HAVE MASSAGED POPS TO
INDICATE A BETTER CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW IN SE OREGON BEFORE
00Z...WITH THE BEST CHANCE IN SW IDAHO AFTER 00Z. SNOW LEVELS WILL
RISE SHARPLY IN THE STRONG WARM AIR ADVECTION PATTERN AHEAD OF THE
NEXT SYSTEM. SNOW LEVELS SHOULD BRIEFLY RISE ABOVE 5000 TO 6000
FEET EARLY FRIDAY EVENING...BEFORE PLUMMETING DOWN TO GROUND LEVEL
BY SATURDAY AT SUNRISE. THAT MEANS SATURDAYS CONVECTIVE SNOW
SHOWERS WILL REACH THE GROUND EVEN IN THE VALLEYS. SOME OF THESE
COULD BE VIGOROUS WITH VERY COLD TEMPERATURES ALOFT HELPING TO
CREATE SIGNIFICANT INSTABILITY.
.LONG TERM...SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...THE PROGRESSIVE WET
PATTERN CONTINUES WITH RELATIVELY MILD TEMPERATURES...I.E. NEAR
NORMAL. THE WETTEST DAYS WILL BE SUNDAY AND TUESDAY...BOTH RESULTING
FROM WARM OVERRUNNING AHEAD OF EASTWARD MIGRATING SHORTWAVE TROUGHS.
MODELS STILL SHOW FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT AND CONTINUITY THROUGH
MONDAY. AFTER THAT THE ECMWF FALLS OUT OF PHASE WITH THE U.S.
MODELS...WANTING FASTER TIMING OF FEATURES. HOWEVER THAT PROBABLY
WONT MAKE MUCH DIFFERENCE IN SENSIBLE WEATHER. ONLY MINOR
ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE TO TEMPERATURES AND POPS.
&&
.AVIATION...CONDITIONS WILL BE MAINLY VFR IN THE SNAKE RIVER VALLEY
WITH WIDELY SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS. STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENTS FOR
SOUTHEAST SURFACE WINDS PLUS WARM AIR ADVECTION WILL CONTINUE THE
DOWNSLOPING OFF THE OWYHEES TODAY RESULTING IN MOST PRECIPITATION
AND LOWEST AVIATION CONDITIONS OVER THE MOUNTAINS. FOR THE MOUNTAINS
TODAY EXPECT WIDESPREAD IFR/LIFR IN SNOW ALONG WITH TERRAIN
OBSCURATION. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
TONIGHT WITH MVFR CEILINGS AND RAIN SPREADING INTO THE LOWER VALLEYS.
SURFACE WINDS WILL BE STRONG SOUTHEAST TODAY DECREASING TONIGHT.
WINDS ALOFT WILL BE STRONG SOUTHWEST.
&&
.BOI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MST THIS EVENING
FOR IDZ012-IDZ014.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MST THIS
EVENING FOR IDZ015-IDZ029.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MST SATURDAY FOR IDZ011-IDZ013-
IDZ028.
OR...WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MST THIS EVENING
FOR ORZ064.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 AM MST /7 AM PST/ THIS MORNING TO 8 PM
MST /7 PM PST/ THIS EVENING FOR ORZ061-ORZ062-ORZ063.
&&
WEATHER.GOV/BOISE
SHORT TERM...SP
LONG TERM....JT
AVIATION.....JTHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE ID 448 PM MST THU JAN 3 2008 IDZ015-029-ORZ061>063-050000- SOUTHWEST HIGHLANDS-OWYHEE MOUNTAINS-HARNEY COUNTY-BAKER COUNTY- MALHEUR COUNTY- 448 PM MST THU JAN 3 2008 /348 PM PST THU JAN 3 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST IDAHO...NORTHEAST OREGON AND SOUTHEAST OREGON. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BOISE HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM MST /7 AM PST/ TO 8 PM MST /7 PM PST/ FRIDAY. THE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST OREGON INCLUDING THE SOUTHWEST HIGHLANDS AND OWYHEE MOUNTAINS OF IDAHO. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS. IDZ012-014-ORZ064-050000- LOWER TREASURE VALLEY ID-UPPER TREASURE VALLEY- LOWER TREASURE VALLEY OR- 448 PM MST THU JAN 3 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST IDAHO AND SOUTHEAST OREGON. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BOISE HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM TO 8 PM MST FRIDAY. THE ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE TREASURE VALLEY OF IDAHO AND OREGON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS. IDZ011-013-028-050000- WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-BOISE MOUNTAINS-CAMAS PRAIRIE- 448 PM MST THU JAN 3 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST IDAHO AND WEST CENTRAL IDAHO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BOISE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM FRIDAY TO 6 PM MST SATURDAY FOR THE WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND BOISE MOUNTAINS. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS. IDZ016-030-050000- WESTERN MAGIC VALLEY-SOUTHERN TWIN FALLS COUNTY- 448 PM MST THU JAN 3 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL IDAHO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind, 1 winter storm, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter near Garden Valley reported six and one half inches of new snow while Bogus Basin Ski Resort reported sustained winds of fifty six gusting to seventy five MPH. Many sites found it difficult to measure the true snowfall during the event due to blowing and drifting.
Idaho Power reported power lines down near Caldwell, Greenleaf and Notus leaving thousands of customers without electricity. Local fire departments reported trees and power lines down in the area.
Pole Creek RAWS station at an elevation of 5660 feet recorded wind gusts to sixty six MPH.
A retired NWS employee reported six inches of new snow in McCall and trained spotters and ski resorts around the area reported seven to eight inches.
Twin Falls ASOS recorded sustained winds of forty five gusting to sixty four MPH.
Trail Gulch RAWS station at an elevation of 5700 feet recorded wind gusts to sixty eight MPH.
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, January 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: 77595, 77596, 77600, 77602, 77598, 77599.