Idaho, 2010

Dust Storm and High Wind in Idaho, September 5, 2010

September 5, 2010 · NWS PIH · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Non-convective winds of 40 to 50 mph with gusts to 60 mph caused some damage along with dust storms in the Snake River Plain.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$3,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PIH wrote it up.

Non-convective winds of 40 to 50 mph with gusts to 60 mph caused some damage along with dust storms in the Snake River Plain.

What forecasters said that day

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 Sep 5, 3:55 AM MST, 6 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 5, 3:55 AM MST, 6 hours 5 minutes before
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Event by event

2 high wind, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Dust Storm, Upper Snake River Plain

When
September 5, 10:00 AM MST to 2:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Snake River Plain forecast zone
Reported by
NWS Employee

Visibility reported to be less than 1/4 mile on interstate 15 from milepost 135 to 155 south of Hamer.

High Wind, Upper Snake River Plain

When
September 5, 10:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Snake River Plain forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
County Official

Thirty foot trees were uprooted and blown over taking down an anchor-wire to a large antenna. This occurred 1 mile east southeast of Rexburg. A small airplane was blown off the runway of the Idaho Falls Regional Airport then flipped while it was being towed.

High Wind, Lower Snake River Plain

When
September 5, 11:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where
Lower Snake River Plain forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$500
Reported by
Public

Large tree blown down by high wind on Stanford Avenue in Pocatello.

What these are

Dust Storm
Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Idaho in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, September 2010

Sources

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: 261097, 261099, 261100.