Another in a series of storms spread moderate to heavy snow across Southeast Oregon and Southwest Idaho. Strong, gusty winds also accompanied this storm.
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.
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.
Another in a series of storms spread moderate to heavy snow across Southeast Oregon and Southwest Idaho. Strong, gusty winds also accompanied this storm.
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 29, 3:40 AM MST, 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE ID
340 AM MST TUE JAN 29 2008
.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...LITTLE CHANGE TO PREVIOUS
THINKING WITH REGARD TO STRENGTH AND TIMING OF THE SNOW EVENT TODAY
THROUGH THIS EVENING. WATER VAPOR AND TPW SATELLITE IMAGERY CONFIRMS
MOISTURE PLUME ASSOCIATED WITH APPROACHING PACIFIC TROUGH HAS MOVED
INLAND. DEEP MOISTURE AND LIFT ALONG WITH FAVORABLE LOW LEVEL
CONVERGENCE/UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE COUPLET WILL SUPPORT ABOUT A
12-18 HOUR PERIOD OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW TODAY THROUGH EARLY
THIS EVENING. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW DOWN TO THE
LOWEST ELEVATIONS AND HAVE THUS REMOVED REFERENCES TO POSSIBLE
RAIN/SNOW MIX IN THE LOWER VALLEYS. QPF AMOUNTS WERE A LITTLE TOO
LOW IN HARNEY AND MALHEUR COUNTIES TODAY AND BY RAISING THEM
SLIGHTLY SNOW AMOUNTS WILL SUPPORT A SNOW ADVISORY. THE REST OF THE
ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS WILL REMAIN PRACTICALLY THE SAME WITH REGARD
TO TIMING BUT WILL WORD THE SNOW AMOUNTS A BIT HIGHER IN THE
VALLEYS. NAM12 CONTINUES TO SHOW A STRIP OF LITTLE TO NO QPF ALONG
THE SNAKE RIVER ALONG THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE TREASURE VALLEY
INFERRING A RAIN SHADOW EFFECT...BUT STILL EXPECTING MOST OF THE
AREA BETWEEN MOUNTAIN HOME AND ONTARIO TO RECEIVE 2-4 INCHES OF
SNOW BEFORE ENDING THIS EVENING. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15-25 MPH IN
PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST OREGON WILL GENERATE LOCAL BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW AS WELL. A COLD FRONT WILL RACE THROUGH THE AREA THIS
EVENING WHICH WILL END THE STEADIER SNOWS...BUT SNOW SHOWERS WILL
LINGER LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY FAVORING THE HIGH COUNTRY.
.LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...NEXT SYSTEM ARRIVES
WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT ON
TIMING WITH THIS STORM SO HAVE INCREASED POPS SIGNIFICANTLY FOR
THURSDAY. LOOKS LIKE THIS STORM STARTS AS WARM ADVECTION EVENT WITH
PRECIP FOCUSED IN THE MOUNTAINS AND GOOD OROGRAPHIC LIFT FROM STRONG
MID-LEVEL WESTERLY WINDS /50 KTS AT 700 MB/. AS UPPER TROUGH DROPS
INTO CWA THURSDAY AFTERNOON...ATMOSPHERE DESTABILIZES BRINGING
BETTER CHANCE OF PRECIP TO THE VALLEYS THURSDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING.
NEXT SYSTEM DROPS INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ON SATURDAY WITH
ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW. MODELS STILL SHOW THIS FEATURE SPLITTING
APART AS IT MOVES INLAND...WHICH COULD CUT DOWN ON QPF AMOUNTS FOR
THE FORECAST AREA.
&&
.AVIATION...WIDESPREAD IFR CONDITIONS IN SNOW AND LOW CEILINGS
DEVELOPING FROM ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHWEST IDAHO AND SOUTHEAST OREGON
TODAY. EXPECT IFR CONDITIONS INTO THE TREASURE VALLEY AROUND 18Z
THIS MORNING AND INTO THE MAGIC VALLEY AFTER 20Z. GUSTY
EAST-SOUTHEAST SURFACE WINDS WILL DEVELOP THIS MORNING WITH STRONG
WESTERLY WINDS ALOFT /30-50 KTS UP TO 10K FEET MSL/. CONDITIONS
IMPROVE THIS EVENING AFTER 03Z IN SOUTHEAST OREGON AND AFTER 06Z IN
SOUTHWEST IDAHO.
&&
.BOI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR IDZ012-IDZ014-
IDZ015-IDZ016-IDZ029-IDZ030.
HEAVY SNOW WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR IDZ011-
IDZ013-IDZ028.
OR...SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM MST /10 PM PST/ THIS EVENING FOR
ORZ061-ORZ062-ORZ063-ORZ064.
&&
WEATHER.GOV/BOISE
SHORT TERM...BW
LONG TERM....DG
AVIATION.....DGHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE ID 824 AM MST MON JAN 28 2008 IDZ028-290000- CAMAS PRAIRIE- 824 AM MST MON JAN 28 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST THIS MORNING. SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH LATE MORNING. ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. WEST WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH AT TIMES WILL CREATE AREAS OF REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. SOME ROADS REMAIN CLOSED IN THE WARNING AREA FROM BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT SNOW EVENT IS ON THE WAY FOR TUESDAY. AS SOON AS THIS CURRENT SYSTEM WINDS DOWN...WE WILL LIKELY POST WARNINGS OR ADVISORIES FOR THIS NEXT SYSTEM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGH ESTABLISHED REPORTING PROCEDURES. IDZ016-290000- WESTERN MAGIC VALLEY- 824 AM MST MON JAN 28 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SNOW ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST THIS MORNING. SNOW WILL INCREASE BEHIND A COLD FRONT THIS MORNING. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. SOUTH WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH WILL SHIFT TO THE WEST BEHIND THE FRONT. ROADS WILL BECOME SLICK AND SNOW COVERED. THE GUSTY WINDS AND FALLING SNOW WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT SNOW EVENT IS ON THE WAY FOR TUESDAY. AS SOON AS THIS CURRENT SYSTEM WINDS DOWN...WE WILL LIKELY POST WARNINGS OR ADVISORIES FOR THIS NEXT SYSTEM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGH ESTABLISHED REPORTING PROCEDURES. IDZ030-290000- SOUTHERN TWIN FALLS COUNTY- 824 AM MST MON JAN 28 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST THIS MORNING. SNOW WILL DEVELOP BEHIND A COLD FRONT THIS MORNING. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. SOUTH WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH WILL SHIFT TO THE WEST BY MID- MORNING. THE GUSTY WINDS WILL CREATE AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT SNOW EVENT IS ON THE WAY FOR TUESDAY. AS SOON AS THIS CURRENT SYSTEM WINDS DOWN...WE WILL LIKELY POST WARNINGS OR ADVISORIES FOR THIS NEXT SYSTEM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGH ESTABLISHED REPORTING PROCEDURES. IDZ011>015-029-ORZ061>064-290000- WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-LOWER TREASURE VALLEY ID-BOISE MOUNTAINS- UPPER TREASURE VALLEY-SOUTHWEST HIGHLANDS-OWYHEE MOUNTAINS- HARNEY COUNTY-BAKER COUNTY-MALHEUR COUNTY- LOWER TREASURE VALLEY OR- 824 AM MST MON JAN 28 2008 /724 AM PST MON JAN 28 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST IDAHO...WEST CENTRAL IDAHO...NORTHEAST OREGON AND SOUTHEAST OREGON. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT SNOW EVENT IS ON THE WAY FOR TUESDAY. AS SOON AS THIS CURRENT SYSTEM WINDS DOWN...WE WILL LIKELY POST WARNINGS OR ADVISORIES FOR THIS NEXT SYSTEM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
A cooperative observer at Halfway reported ten inches of new snow and trained spotter near Sumpter reported eight inches. SNOTEL sites in the area recorded from ten to fifteen inches.
A Federal employee and a cooperative observer in Burns reported five and four inches of new snow respectively. A trained spotter around Burns also reported seven and one half inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, 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: 77866, 77860.