Ten to 30 inches of snow fell in the central mountains of Idaho on October 4th and 5th. The heavy autumn snow caused schools to close in Bellevue with power outages.
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.
Ten to 30 inches of snow fell in the central mountains of Idaho on October 4th and 5th. The heavy autumn snow caused schools to close in Bellevue with power outages.
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 Oct 3, 1:30 PM MST, 11 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 230 PM MDT SAT OCT 3 2009 .DISCUSSION...UPPER LOW OVER PACIFIC NW COAST CONTINUES TO DIVE SOUTHWARD THIS AFTERNOON. MODELS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT THIS LOW WILL DROP SOUTH INTO NORTHERN CALIF AROUND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND THEN BEGIN TO GRADUALLY MOVE EAST INTO NRN NEVADA THROUGH THE DAY TOMORROW. FROM THERE THE UPPER LOW MOVES SLOWLY TO THE ENE INTO NRN UTAH SUNDAY NIGHT AND INTO WRN WYOMING BY MONDAY AM. THIS TRACK PLACES SE IDAHO IN A VERY FAVORABLE POSITION FOR PRECIPITATION BEGINNING TONIGHT IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND ENTIRE CWA FOR SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT AROUND 6500 FEET AND THEN DROP TO ALL VALLEY FLOORS SUNDAY NIGHT...THUS MOUNTAIN AREAS WILL INITIALLY RECEIVE SNOW TONIGHT WITH VALLEYS GETTING RAIN OR A RAIN/SNOW MIX FOR SUNDAY. COLDER AIRMASS BEGINS TO TAKE OVER SUNDAY NIGHT WITH MOST AREAS TO RECEIVE SNOW. HAVE CONTINUED THE WINTER WX ADVISORY FOR THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS WITH SNOW AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 9 INCHES BETWEEN TONIGHT AND MONDAY AM. HAVE ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR MOST REMAINING AREAS SUNDAY NIGHT WITH EXPECTED ACCUMULATIONS IN THE SNAKE PLAIN OF UP TO AN INCH AND 1 TO 4 INCHES IN REMAINING MOUNTAIN ZONES BY MONDAY AM. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST...MODELS INDICATING THE LARGE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST INTO THE NRN PLAINS AND RIDGING WILL BUILD IN OVER THE PACIFIC NW FOR TUESDAY. THIS WILL BE SHORT LIVED AS AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM DEVELOPS AND DROPS SOUTH OUT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA INTO PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST IDAHO FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. THIS BRINGS ANOTHER ROUND OF COLDER AIR AND THREAT OF PRECIPITATION. YET ANOTHER SYSTEM DROPS OUT OF CANADA INTO SE IDAHO ON FRIDAY FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF UNSETTLED WEATHER. DSH && .AVIATION...CEILING EXPECTED TO CLEAR SOME...THEN DETERIORATE AGAIN LATE OVERNIGHT WITH PRECIPITATION DEVELOPING DURING THE MORNING HOURS. WITH NORTHEASTERLY FLOW AT LOW LEVELS...EXPECT CEILING TO STAY VFR AT KIDA AND KSUN THE BEST. KPIH MAY HAVE MORE PROBLEMS WITH UPSLOPE AGAINST THE RANGES TO THE SOUTH. RAIN SHOULD BE BEST ON SUN AFTERNOON. MESSICK && .FIRE WEATHER...A MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AND SNOW EVENT IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON SUNDAY. HIGH HUMIDITY AND COLD TEMPERATURES WITH SOME MODERATE WIND. STORM LINGERS INTO MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...THEN CLEARING WITH A SWITCH TO NORTHERLY FLOW FOR SEVERAL DAYS AFTERWARD. THIS DIRECTION OF AIRFLOW WILL KEEP COLD AIR REPLENISHED AND SUPPRESS AFTERNOON HIGHS BELOW NORMAL. AN OUTBREAK OF ARCTIC AIR WILL OCCUR ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE DIVIDE AND MAY INTRUDE INTO PARTS OF THE SALMON-CHALLIS NATIONAL FOREST...MAKING FOR EXTREME COLD FOR THE EXTREME NORTH PARTS OF THE FIRE WEATHER DISTRICT. MESSICK && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 AM MDT MONDAY FOR IDZ018-022-031-032. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM 6PM MDT SUNDAY NIGHT TO 6 AM MDT MONDAY FOR IDZ017-019-020-021-023-025. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 447 AM MDT SAT OCT 3 2009 IDZ017>025-031-032-041100- 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- 447 AM MDT SAT OCT 3 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT RAIN AND SNOW WILL DEVELOP LATER TODAY ACROSS EASTERN IDAHO. THE BEST CHANCES WILL BE ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...UPPER SNAKE HIGHLANDS AND SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS. MOST OF THE SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL OCCUR AT OR ABOVE 6000 FEET. SOME SNOW IS POSSIBLE FOR LOWER ELEVATIONS...BUT LITTLE IF ANY ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS ABOVE AND THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH 6AM MONDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY RAIN AND SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO MONDAY ACROSS EASTERN IDAHO. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL MOSTLY OCCUR ABOVE 6000 FEET THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON...BEFORE DROPPING TO THE VALLEY FLOORS SUNDAY NIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL AGAIN RISE ON MONDAY AS TEMPERATURES WARM DURING THE DAY. THE FIRST EXCEPTION WILL BE THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS WHERE HIGHER ACCUMULATIONS WILL OCCUR AT OR ABOVE 5500 FEET. THE OTHER EXCEPTION WILL BE THE PORTIONS OF THE SNAKE PLAIN. IT APPEARS THE BENCHES WILL SEE SOME ACCUMULATION ON SUNDAY PICKING UP LATER IN THE DAY. FOR THE VALLEY FLOORS...IT BECOMES MORE TRICKY AS THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE LOW IS STILL UNCERTAIN. RIGHT NOW...IT APPEARS THE HEAVIER BAND(S) OF PRECIPITATION WILL ALLOW FOR RAIN TO MIX WITH OR CHANGE TO SNOW AT LOWER ELEVATIONS BUT MAY NOT STICK UNTIL LATE IN THE DAY. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MODERATE ACCUMULATIONS FOR THE NORTHERN END OF THE MAGIC VALLEY THROUGH CRATERS OF THE MOON. CURRENT FORECAST TOTALS FOR SNOWFALL ARE AS FOLLOWS THROUGH 6AM MONDAY: SNAKE PLAIN: UP TO 4 INCHES WITH UP TO 6 ON THE BENCHES AND FOR THE NORTHERN END OF THE MAGIC VALLEY AND CRATERS OF THE MOON CENTRAL MOUNTAINS: 5 TO 10 INCHES ABOVE 6000 FEET...OVER 1 FOOT ABOVE 9000 FEET AND UP TO 5 INCHES FOR THE LOWER VALLEYS SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS: 5 TO 10 INCHES ABOVE 5500 FEET...OVER 1 FOOT ON THE HIGHER PEAKS AND UP TO 5 INCHES FOR THE LOWER VALLEYS AL OTHER MOUNTAINOUS AREAS: 2 TO 8 INCHES ABOVE 6000 FEET WITH LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS ON THE VALLEY FLOORS FOR MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...ADDITIONAL LIGHT TO MODERATE AMOUNTS OF RAIN AND SNOW ARE POSSIBLE AS THE LOW BEGINS TO WEAKEN AND MOVE TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF IDAHO. .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. Local standard time, as filed.
Sixteen inches of snow fell on Bald Mountain with 15 inches at Dollarhide Summit and 10 inches on Galena Summit. 10 to 15 inches of snow fell in the towns of Carey and Hailey. The heavy wet snow caused power outages in Bellevue and Hailey with Bellevue schools closed.
Twelve inches of snow fell at Bear Canyon SNOTEL and 29 inches fell at Smiley Mountain.
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, October 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: 199885, 199884.