An active westerly flow aloft dominated the weather pattern from Wednesday into Friday. Waves of energy coupled with a strong jet stream oriented across the region produced a favorable setting for heavy snowfalls.
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 MSO wrote it up.
An active westerly flow aloft dominated the weather pattern from Wednesday into Friday. Waves of energy coupled with a strong jet stream oriented across the region produced a favorable setting for heavy snowfalls.
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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 9, 3:04 AM PST, 56 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
A spotter at Dixie Idaho reported 6 inches of snow overnight, ending at 8am pst on December 10.
The SNOTEL at Lolo pass reported 9 inches of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, December 2010
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 272911, 272913.