Strong winds affected the Upper Snake River Plain mainly in the INL complex on April 2nd.
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.
Strong winds affected the Upper Snake River Plain mainly in the INL complex on April 2nd.
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 Apr 2, 7:42 AM MST, 4 hours 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 842 AM MDT SAT APR 2 2011 .UPDATE...NO UPDATES PLANNED FOR TODAY. VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE MOVING THROUGH COASTAL PACNW STATES PER WV IMAGERY WITH SURFACE COLD FRONT JUST ENTERING IDAHO NEAR ONTARIO PER SFC OBSERVATIONS. MID LEVEL MOISTURE AHEAD OF TROUGH AXIS PRODUCING GOOD CLOUD SHIELD WHICH IS HELPING TO LIMIT TEMPERATURES SOMEWHAT ACROSS THE REGION. THIS IN TURN MAY HELP TO LIMIT CONVECTION AHEAD OF THE MAIN FRONT. MODELS ARE NOT AS BULLISH WITH LIFTED INDICES AHEAD OF MAIN FRONT. HOWEVER GIVEN THE DYNAMICS OF THE SYSTEM WILL LEAVE SLIGHT CHANCE THUNDER IN FOR MOST AREAS ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON ASSOCIATED WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE. WINDS STILL MAIN CONCERN WITH CONTINUED INDICATIONS OF AT LEAST ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS IN THE CURRENT HEADLINED AREA. EXPECT ADVISORY WILL SUFFICE THOUGH STRENGTH OF UPPER JET AND MID LEVEL SUPPORT STILL MAY NECESSITATE UPGRADING TO A WARNING LATER THIS AFTERNOON ESPECIALLY FOR UPPER SNAKE VALLEY...AND POSSIBILY AN EXTENSION PAST 9PM FOR THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR WIND INCREASES ACROSS THE AREA. DMH && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 302 AM MDT SAT APR 2 2011/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH MONDAY. AN ACTIVE WEEKEND SHAPING UP FOR EASTERN IDAHO...ESPECIALLY THROUGH THIS EVENING. A RATHER POTENT STORM WILL MOVE INTO THE STATE TODAY...BRINGING WITH IT A DECENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. WE WILL ALSO PRETTY STRONG WINDS DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON AND LASTING INTO THE EVENING AT LEAST. WINDS OF 20-40 MPH SUSTAINED ARE LIKELY OVER MUCH OF THE AREA...WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH AT TIMES. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ACROSS THE SNAKE PLAIN AND INTO THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS WHERE WE HAVE A WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING. EVEN STRONGER WINDS...POSSIBLY IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH MORE INTENSE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THESE AREAS. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING A TEMPORARY BUT DRASTIC CHANGE IN WEATHER CONDITIONS VERSUS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. WE WILL SEE SNOW LEVELS STARTING OUT AROUND 7500-8500 FT DROPPING TO THE VALLEY FLOORS BY TONIGHT. HIGHS TODAY WILL BE IN THE 50S AND 60S IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS...WITH WESTERN AREAS LIKELY SEEING HIGHS EARLIER IN THE DAY AS MUCH COLDER AIR WILL MOVE IN QUICKLY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. IT APPEARS THIS COLD FRONT WILL BE INTO WYOMING AND UTAH BY 6PM. BY TONIGHT...MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE IN THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS WITH LINGERING SHOWERS IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AS WELL. THE SNAKE PLAIN WILL HAVE DRIED OUT FOR THE MOST PART EXCEPT FOR PERHAPS ALONG THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN FRINGES WHERE UPSLOPE MAY HELP KICK OFF A FEW SHOWERS. WINDS SHOULD DIE DOWN SOME BUT NOT COMPLETELY ACROSS THE AREA WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15-30 MPH ESPECIALLY ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SNAKE PLAIN AND SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS. GUSTY NORTHWEST DRAINAGE WINDS ARE LIKELY COMING OUT OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND NEAR SPENCER AND ISLAND PARK. LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE IN THE 20S AND LOW 30S FOR MANY FOLKS...WITH SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. ALTHOUGH GROWING SEASON HAS NOT OFFICIALLY STARTED...PLANTS AND VEGETATION HAS STARTED TO GROW ALREADY. THESE TEMPERATURES COULD EASILY CAUSE ISSUES IN REGARDS TO THIS. SUNDAY WILL BE MUCH COLDER WITH HIGHS IN THE 30S AND 40S DOWN LOWER...WITH 20S IN THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS. THE HIGHEST CHANCES OF MAINLY SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE IN THE EASTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN MOUNTAINS...WITH SOME SHOWERS ELSEWHERE MAINLY IN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS. SURFACE WINDS WILL BE MORE NORTHWESTERLY AREAWIDE WITH SUSTAINED WIND OF 15-20 MPH IN MANY AREAS. THE FAR SOUTHERN END OF THE SNAKE PLAIN INTO THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS WILL SEE WINDS OF 20-30 MPH SUSTAINED...WHICH IS TYPICAL IN THIS TYPE OF PATTERN. FOR THOSE CONCERNED WITH SNOW POTENTIAL IN THE MOUNTAINS...MOST HIGHER ELEVATIONS WILL ONLY SEE AN INCH OR TWO...BUT SOME AREAS IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND ALSO TOWARD YELLOWSTONE COULD SEE 4-6 INCHES FOR A 2 DAY TOTAL. MUCH DRIER WEATHER RETURNS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY WITH JUST A FEW SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTH. IT WILL BE ANOTHER COLD START WITH LOWS IN 20S AND LOW 30S AND SINGLE DIGITS/TEENS IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS. HOWEVER...IT WILL WARM UP RAPIDLY WITH REBOUNDING INTO THE 40S AND 50S FOR VALLEY LOCATIONS AND MID/UPPER 30S IN THE MOUNTAINS. KEYES LONG TERM...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. SOME CONSENSUS BETWEEN THE ECM AND GFS MODELS IS DEVELOPING WITH A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC NEAR 150W AND DOWN STREAM LOW PRESSURE TOUGH DIGGING INTO THE WEST COAST. A VIGOROUS SURFACE COLD FRONT CROSSES SOUTHEAST IDAHO DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. THEREFORE HAVE INCREASED THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION AND LOWERED THE DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES STARTING TUESDAY WITH THE COOLER BELOW NORMAL TREND CONTINUING INTO THURSDAY. THE TUESDAY COLD FRONT TAPS SOME SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE AND MODEL QPF AMOUNTS FOR THE UPPER ELEVATIONS OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN HIGHLANDS ARE ABOUT.3 TO .5 INCH. WILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR RAIN ON LOWER ELEVATION SNOW PACK...PARTICULARLY AROUND ASHTON WHERE THERE MAY STILL BE SUBSTANTIAL SNOW IN PLACES. BY FRIDAY THE GFS BEGINS TO ACCELERATE THE THE SPEED OF THE TROUGH TO THE EAST CREATING SOME PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MODELS. RS AVIATION...A SURFACE LOW DEVELOPS A LITTLE WEST OF KTWF 12Z SATURDAY MORNING AND THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONT PROGRESSES THROUGH KPIH BY 15Z. STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 45 KTS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN MOST ALL OF THE UPPER AND LOWER SNAKE PLAIN BY 18Z AND CONTINUE THROUGH MIDNIGHT OR LATER. AIRMASS WILL BE UNSTABLE WITH POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS 18-24Z. SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT DECREASES ON SUNDAY BUT WINDS CONTINUE BREEZY IN THE 15-20 KT RANGE. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING AS THE UPPER TROUGH TAKES THAT LONG TO MOVE EAST OF THE AREA. SNOW LEVELS DROP TO VALLEY FLOORS AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND COVER TO ABOUT 4500 FEET MSL SUNDAY AFTERNOON. RS HYDROLOGY...WARMER TEMPERATURES HAVE CAUSED QUITE A BIT OF SNOWMELT RECENTLY. THERE ARE ALSO STILL MANY AREAS INCLUDING HIGHER VALLEYS THAT HAVE PLENTY OF SNOW ON THE GROUND. WE ARE ALSO SEEING SOME RISES ON SMALLER CREEKS AND RIVERS IN EASTERN IDAHO. WITH TODAYS SYSTEM...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL TO ADD TO THIS PROBLEM DUE TO LOCALLY MODERATE AMOUNTS OF PRECIPITATION. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE FOR LOCALIZED SHEET FLOODING IN LOWER ELEVATIONS WHERE SUBSTANTIAL SNOWPACK EXISTS. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK FOR INFORMATION ON THE MOST LIKELY AREAS OF CONCERN. COLDER TEMPERATURES WILL TEMPER THE SITUATION IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS OR SO. KEYES && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING IDZ017-020>022. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 338 AM MDT SAT APR 2 2011 IDZ017>025-031-032-030945- 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- 338 AM MDT SAT APR 2 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A POTENT STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TODAY TO EASTERN IDAHO. STRONG WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WIND DEVELOP TODAY AND LAST INTO THE EVENING...WITH 20-40MPH SUSTAINED AND GUSTS APPROACHING 50 MPH AT TIMES. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE SNAKE PLAIN AND SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS FOR THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. WITH STRONGER STORMS...GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 55MPH ARE POSSIBLE. COLDER AIR MOVES IN BEHIND A COLD FRONT...WITH LOWS TONIGHT DROPPING INTO THE 20S AND LOW 30S FOR LOWER ELEVATIONS AND SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS IN THE MOUNTAINS. WIDESPREAD SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED IN THE EASTERN/SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS WITH LESSER COVERAGE ACROSS THE REST OF EASTERN IDAHO. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY BREEZY AND COLDER CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST ON SUNDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 30S AND 40S DOWN LOW...AND STAYING BELOW FREEZING IN HIGHEST ELEVATIONS. SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS. UNSETTLED WEATHER RETURNS BY MIDWEEK WITH PERIODIC RAIN AND SNOW BEGINNING TUESDAY. HIGHS WILL BE BACK INTO THE 40S AND 50S FOR VALLEY LOCATIONS AND 30S IN THE MOUNTAINS. .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.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Forty to 45 mph sustained winds occurred from 12 noon MDT time through 720 pm MDT at the Hamer and Rover sites.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, April 2011
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: 295895.