Twelve inches of snow fall at the Slug Creek SNOTEL and 16 inches fell at the Franklin Basin SNOTEL.
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.
Twelve inches of snow fall at the Slug Creek SNOTEL and 16 inches fell at the Franklin Basin SNOTEL.
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 Mar 8, 1:00 PM MST, 5 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 200 PM MDT SUN MAR 8 2009 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWING BROAD UPPER TROUGH OVER PAC NW STATES THIS AFTERNOON WITH A STRONG UPPER JET ARCHING THROUGH THE BASE OF THE TROUGH AND ACROSS SRN IDAHO. A JET SEGMENT APPEARS TO BE INDUCING A LINE OF SNOW THAT EXTENDS FROM AMERICAN FALLS NE THROUGH DRIGGS. NUMERICAL MODELS ARE INDICATING THAT THIS LINE OF SHOWERS WILL LIKELY DIMINISH AS THE JET SEGMENT LIFTS FURTHER NE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THE NEXT UPSTREAM VORT FEATURE AND ASSOCIATED JET CURLS INTO NRN CALIFORNIA. AS THIS FEATURE MIGRATES EAST INTO NW NEVADA OVERNIGHT THE FOCUS FOR SNOWFALL WILL SHIFT INTO THE SE HIGHLANDS WHERE A STALLED SURFACE BOUNDARY IS PROGGED TO INTERACT WITH THE ADVANCING JET. THE GFS/NAM BOTH INDICATE PERIODS OF SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL POTENTIAL FOR ZONES 23 AND 25 THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...THUS A WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THE THREATENED AREA. IN ADDITION TO THE FOCUS FOR HEAVY SNOWFALL OVER THE SE HIGHLANDS...THE NAM IS NOW INDICATING THE POTENTIAL FOR A SNAKE PLAIN CONVERGENCE EVENT STARTING IN THE UPPER SNAKE PLAIN MONDAY EVENING AND THEN MIGRATING INTO THE POCATELLO AREA OVERNIGHT AS THE SURFACE WINDS TRANSITION FROM WEST TO NORTH WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS. BY TUESDAY...A DIRTY/MOIST NW FLOW WILL PREDOMINATE WITH THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN EXPERIENCING A DRIER FLOW REGIME WHILE THE ERN HIGHLANDS SUFFER FROM UPSLOPE FLOW AND SCATTERED TO LIKELY MENTION OF PRECIPITATION. BY TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY...THE FLOW BECOMES PROGRESSIVELY DRIER WITH A CONCOMITANT DROP IN THE POTENTIAL FOR PRECIPITATION. HUSTON .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE CONTINUES TO BE FORECAST BY ECMWF WHILE GFS SOLUTION IS DEFINITELY MORE PROGRESSIVE LOOKING. HOWEVER...POP FORECASTS FROM THE GFS/LR GUIDANCE INDICATES NEAR ZERO POP FOR MOST DAYS. THERE IS ALSO QUITE A BIT OF FORECAST SOLUTION SPREAD IN THE GFS STILL. HAVE PRETTY MUCH STAYED WITH THE FOREIGN MODEL...WHICH TENDS TO DO BETTER WITH THE SPRINGTIME CLOSED LOW IN THE PACIFIC SCENARIO ANYWAY. PLUS THE LOW POP AND WARM TEMPERATURES ON THE GFS GUIDANCE IN SPITE OF THE OVERALL MODEL SOLUTION SHOULD MEAN WARM AND DRY. BOTH ALSO FINALLY BREAK THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE DOWN IN THE LAST 24 HOURS OR SO...THUS INCREASING POP AND CLOUD COVER WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS COOLING FOR SUN...MUCH WARMER OVERNIGHT LOWS SAT NIGHT AND MON NIGHT. NO SIGNIFICANT WIND SEEN DURING THE PERIOD. AT THE HEIGHT OF THE HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATION...STARTED PUTTING IN SOME NIGHT FOG...BUT WE ARE NOW ON THE CLIMATIC FRINGE FOR WIDESPREAD OR DENSE FOG SO HAVE LEFT IT PATCHY. MESSICK && .AVIATION...ONE WAVE STILL HAMPERING OPERATIONS AT KIDA AND KPIH AS A TRAIN OF SNOW SHOWERS HAVE BEEN MOVING THROUGH THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN GENERALLY ALONG THE SNAKE RIVER ITSELF. HOWEVER THERE IS AN UPSTREAM GAP THAT SHOULD MOVE THROUGH DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON. MORE SHOWERS EXPECTED DURING THE EVENING TONIGHT WITH A SECOND WEAK TROUGH...BUT SHOULD BE OVER BY MIDNIGHT OR SO. SOME AIRDROMES MAY EVEN SCATTER OUT. HOWEVER...THE UPPER LEVEL LOW BRINGING THE SHORTWAVES THROUGH EASTERN IDAHO IS NOT LIFTING ANYWHERE ANYTIME SOON. INCREASING CLOUDINESS WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS STARTING IN THE MID TO LATE MORNING AT KBYI AND SPREADING EASTWARD TO KPIH AND KIDA DURING THE AFTERNOON...LIKELY PRODUCING SOME IFR CONDITIONS DURING THAT TIME. MESSICK && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR ZONES 23 AND 25. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 424 AM MDT SUN MAR 8 2009 IDZ017>025-031-032-091030- 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- 424 AM MDT SUN MAR 8 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ALOFT SETTLES ACROSS EASTERN IDAHO. A COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA...HELPING TO KICK UP THE WINDS WITH SPEEDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SNAKE PLAIN AND SOUTHERN/EASTERN MOUNTAINS. DURING THE DAYTIME HOURS... 1 TO 3 INCHES IS FORECAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND UPPER SNAKE HIGHLANDS...WITH LIGHTER AMOUNTS FOR THE RES OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO SLOW DOWN NEAR THE UTAH BORDER TONIGHT. AS THIS HAPPENS...AN AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN HIGHLANDS. THIS IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO MONDAY AS THE FRONT SLOWLY DROPS INTO UTAH. A WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR TONIGHT AND MONDAY FOR THE CARIBOU HIGHLANDS AND IDAHO WASATCH. 24 HOUR SNOWFALL TOTALS ARE CURRENTLY FORECAST FOR UP TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 7000 FEET WITH UP TO 7 INCHES AT LOWER ELEVATIONS. ELSEWHERE FOR TONIGHT...SNOWFALL TOTALS WILL BE LIGHT EXCEPT FOR THE UPPER SNAKE HIGHLANDS WHERE ANOTHER 1 TO 3 INCHES IS ANTICIPATED. WINDS WILL SUBSIDE AFTER SUNSET. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE CARIBOU HIGHLANDS AND IDAHO WASATCH THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON. 24 HOUR SNOWFALL TOTALS ARE UP TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 7000 FEET WITH UP TO 7 INCHES AT LOWER ELEVATIONS. SNOW CONTINUES OFF AND ON THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. WINDS WILL PICK UP AGAIN MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY AND A SURFACE TROF WORKS EAST ACROSS THE AREA. .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.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO
623 PM MDT SUN MAR 08 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0515 PM SNOW AMERICAN FALLS 42.78N 112.85W
03/08/2009 E1.5 INCH POWER ID TRAINED SPOTTER
1 HOUR SNOW AMOUNT, STILL SNOWING.
0550 PM SNOW E POCATELLO 42.88N 112.47W
03/08/2009 E3.5 INCH BANNOCK ID NWS EMPLOYEE
1 HOUR SNOW AMOUNT, STILL SNOWING.
0605 PM SNOW E POCATELLO 42.88N 112.47W
03/08/2009 E3.5 INCH BANNOCK ID TRAINED SPOTTER
1 HR AND 15 MIN SNOW FALL, STILL SNOWING.
0610 PM SNOW AMERICAN FALLS 42.78N 112.85W
03/08/2009 E3.5 INCH POWER ID TRAINED SPOTTER
AFTERNOON SNOWFALL, NO LONGER SNOWING.
&&
TWYATT1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Twelve inches of snow fall at the Slug Creek SNOTEL and 16 inches fell at the Franklin Basin SNOTEL.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, March 2009
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: 162136.