Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph tore off a metal roof and the flying debris caused damage to the McCammon District Library and a transformer on a power pole knocking out electricity to 20 residents.
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.
Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph tore off a metal roof and the flying debris caused damage to the McCammon District Library and a transformer on a power pole knocking out electricity to 20 residents.
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 Dec 29, 5:46 AM MST, 1 hour 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 546 AM MST THU DEC 29 2011 .UPDATE...IT APPEARS BASED ON CURRENT WINDS OFF THE VALLEY FLOORS AND THE POTENTIAL OF MIXING THESE WINDS DOWN TO THE SURFACE...WE WILL SEE WINDS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SNAKE PLAIN AND SOUTH OF BURLEY IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH SUSTAINED. WE ARE ISSUING A WIND ADVISORY THROUGH 3PM BASED ON THIS INFORMATION. KEYES && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 318 AM MST THU DEC 29 2011/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. STORM NUMBER ONE FOR THIS WEEK WILL SLOWLY WIND DOWN TODAY...BUT NOT BEFORE SOME OF THE MOUNTAIN RANGES GET HIT PRETTY HARD WITH SNOW (AND EVEN SOME RAIN MIXED IN). SNOW LEVELS THIS MORNING ARE STARTING OUT IN THE 6500-8000FT RANGE AND WILL SLOWLY DROP DURING THE DAY...BUT NOT VERY MUCH. PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS ARE STILL FACING STORM TOTALS OF 10-20 INCHES IN NOT HIGHER. A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN PLACE THROUGH THE DAY...WITH ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6500FT SEEING THE FULL BRUNT. FARTHER SOUTH...THE MOUNTAINS AROUND BEAR LAKE ARE STILL FORECAST TO SEE 5-10 INCHES TOTAL BY THIS AFTERNOON. FOR EVERYONE ELSE...EXPECT A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW WITH THE LOWEST VALLEYS SEEING ALL RAIN. STRONG WINDS ARE ADDING TO THE PROBLEM IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS BY CREATING BLOWING AND DRIFTING CONDITIONS...EVEN WITH A PRETTY WET SNOWFALL OCCURRING. FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS...IT WILL ALSO BE VERY BREEZY TODAY. WINDS WILL BE VERY CLOSE TO THE 30MPH THRESHOLD FOR A WIND ADVISORY ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SNAKE PLAIN THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON. THE BREAK BEFORE STORM NUMBER TWO WILL BE LESS THAN 12 HOURS. THE FIRST SURGE OF MOISTURE HITS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AROUND MIDNIGHT...WITH WAVES OF RAIN AND SNOW CONTINUING INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. SNOW LEVELS BRIEFLY DROP MAINLY DUE TO BEING IN BETWEEN STORMS...BUT SURGE RIGHT BACK TO 6000-7500FT ON FRIDAY. THEY WILL CRASH TO THE VALLEY FLOORS LATE FRIDAY NIGHT BUT MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION...EXCEPT IN THE FAR EASTERN PART OF THE STATE WILL BE QUICKLY DECREASING. THE SAME AREAS BEING HIT BY THIS STORM WILL FEEL THE FULL FORCE OF THE SECOND ONE. THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE UPPER SNAKE AND CARIBOU HIGHLANDS WILL LIKELY SEE ANOTHER 10-16 INCHES ABOVE 6500-7000FT. FOR THE OTHER MOUNTAINS RANGES...THE WIND FLOW AND WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL LIMITED SNOWFALL TO GENERALLY IN THE 2-6 INCH RANGE. FOR LOWER ELEVATIONS EXPECT MOSTLY RAIN. IT WILL BE WINDY ONCE AGAIN SO MORE BLOWING AND DRIFTING IS LIKELY IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE WINTER STORM WATCH FOR LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY ACROSS PART OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS SHOULD BE UPGRADED TO A WARNING LATER TODAY. WINDS ARE FORECAST TO BE EVEN STRONGER BY FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY...WITH ALL INDICATORS POINTING TOWARD AT LEAST A POTENTIAL WIND ADVISORY EVENT. LATER SHIFTS WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE SITUATION. KEYES LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. PRECIPITATION SHOULD COME TO AN END ON SATURDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE REGION. MUCH OF THE EXTENDED WILL REMAIN DRY AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AMPLIFIES OVER THE AREA. EXPECT WARMER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES DURING THIS TIME. VALLE AVIATION...MOIST ZONAL FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO BRING CLOUDS AND SHOWERS TO THE REGION. CEILINGS SHOULD REMAIN VFR IN THE SNAKE PLAIN...POSSIBLY MVFR UNDER SHOWERS NEAR KSUN. GUSTY WINDS WILL OCCUR TODAY. VALLE && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 3 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON IDZ017-020>022. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON IDZ018-019-023-031. WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT IDZ018-019-023-031. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON IDZ025. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 549 AM MST THU DEC 29 2011 IDZ018-019-023-031-301300- SAWTOOTH MOUNTAINS-UPPER SNAKE HIGHLANDS-CARIBOU HIGHLANDS- BIG AND LITTLE WOOD RIVER REGION- 549 AM MST THU DEC 29 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINTER STORM NUMBER ONE WILL BE WINDING DOWN LATER TODAY...WITH STORM NUMBER TWO ARRIVING AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. STORM TOTALS FOR ABOVE 6500FT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE 10-20 INCHES AND LOCALLY HIGHER. THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AREAS ABOVE 6500FT REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH 5PM. A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE SAME AREAS BEGINS AFTER MIDNIGHT...AND SHOULD BE UPGRADED TO A WARNING LATER TODAY. STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY RAIN AND SNOW CONTINUES IN EARNEST THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE IN THE 6000-7500FT RANGE (BEFORE CRASHING FRIDAY NIGHT) WITH AREAS ABOVE 6500FT SEEING ANOTHER 10-16 INCHES BY EARLY SATURDAY. STRONG WINDS WILL PRODUCE MORE ISSUES RELATED TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. BELOW 6500FT...A MIX IS EXPECTED WITH LOW ACCUMULATIONS OF WET SNOW WITH THE LOWEST VALLEYS SEEING ALL RAIN. DRIER WEATHER BEGINS LATER SATURDAY. .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. IDZ022-024-025-032-301300- SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-CACHE VALLEY/IDAHO PORTION- WASATCH MOUNTAINS/IDAHO PORTION-LOST RIVER/PAHSIMEROI- 549 AM MST THU DEC 29 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINTER STORM NUMBER ONE WILL BE WINDING DOWN LATER TODAY...WITH STORM NUMBER TWO ARRIVING AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. IN THE MOUNTAINS AROUND BEAR LAKE...5-10 INCHES IS EXPECTED BY AFTERNOON WHICH IS WHERE A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 5PM. OTHER MOUNTAIN RANGES WILL BE LIMITED WITH STORM TOTALS OF 2-6 INCHES BY AFTERNOON. STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE POCKETS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH BOTH STORMS. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30-35 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS ARE LIKELY IN THE AREAS OF THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS ADJACENT TO THE SNAKE PLAIN. A WIND ADVISORY IS EFFECT NOW UNTIL 3PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY RAIN AND SNOW CONTINUES IN EARNEST THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE IN THE 6000-7500FT RANGE UNTIL LATER FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN THEY WILL CRASH TO VALLEY FLOORS. DUE TO WARMER TEMPERATURES AND THE WIND FLOW...SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE LIMITED TO 2-7 INCHES ABOVE 6500FT. BELOW THAT...A MIX IS EXPECTED. STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE POCKETS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS MAY SEE A STRONG WIND EVENT FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. SUSTAINED WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH GUSTS NEAR 45 MPH. THE POTENTIAL WILL BE CONTINUALLY EVALUATED. DRIER WEATHER ARRIVES FOR THE LAST PART OF THE WEEKEND. .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. IDZ017-020-021-301300- EASTERN MAGIC VALLEY-UPPER SNAKE RIVER PLAIN- LOWER SNAKE RIVER PLAIN- 549 AM MST THU DEC 29 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT POCKETS OF RAIN WILL CONTINUE TODAY...SLOWLY DECREASING THIS AFTERNOON. WIDESPREAD SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30-35 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS ARE NOW EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SNAKE PLAIN. A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED THROUGH 3PM TODAY. RECORD TO NEAR RECORD HIGHS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY AT BURLEY...POCATELLO AND IDAHO FALLS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY PERIODS OF RAIN WILL CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN...ESPECIALLY FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. THE POTENTIAL FOR A STRONG WIND EVENT EXISTS WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30-40MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS WILL CONTINUED TO BE EVALUATED ON LATER SHIFTS. ANOTHER DAY OF RECORD TO NEAR RECORD HIGHS IS EXPECTED FOR BURLEY...POCATELLO AND IDAHO FALLS. DRIER WEATHER ARRIVES FOR LAST PART OF THE WEEKEND. .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.
Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph tore off a metal roof and the flying debris caused damage to the McCammon District Library and a transformer on a power pole knocking out electricity to 20 residents.
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, December 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: 357266.