A late December Pacific storm system brought heavy snow to high elevations of the southeast Idaho mountains. Vienna Mine received the most with 23 inches.
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.
A late December Pacific storm system brought heavy snow to high elevations of the southeast Idaho mountains. Vienna Mine received the most with 23 inches. Amounts over 10 inches were restricted to elevations exceeding 7,000 feet.
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, 9:05 PM MST, 2 hours 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 905 PM MST THU DEC 29 2011 .UPDATE...SAT IMAGERY INDICATES WET WESTERLY FLOW STILL MOVING INTO EASTERN IDAHO. BRIEF RELATIVE BREAK BETWEEN SYSTEMS BUT RADAR MOSAIC SHOWS PLENTIFUL PRECIPITATION WORKING ACROSS WESTERN IDAHO INTO THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE STATE. VERY LITTLE INDICATION OF THIS PRECIP REACHING THE GROUND PER SURFACE OBS. EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA DEFINITELY NOT SEEING ANY SNOWFALL AS OF YET EVEN WITH WEAK RADAR RETURNS AND SOME COLD ENHANCEMENT ON IR IMAGERY. HAVE WEAKENED POPS CONSIDERABLY IN SNAKE PLAIN AND AREAS EAST THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING. BETTER CHANCE OF PRECIP EXISTS ACROSS THE REGION AFTER MIDNIGHT AS PRECIP CURRENTLY IN WESTERN IDAHO CONTINUES TO PROGRESS EAST. ONLY OTHER CHANGE HAS BEEN TO DECREASE OVERNIGHT LOWS AS CURRENT TEMPS FLIRTING WITH FORECAST TEMPS. COULD SEE A DROP OF A FEW MORE DEGREES BEFORE PRECIP DEVELOPS. REMAINDER OF FORECAST IN GOOD SHAPE AND WILL LEAVE WINTER STORM WARNING HEADLINE IN PLACE AS IS. DMH && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 200 PM MST THU DEC 29 2011/ SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. THE LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY WAS SHOWING MODEST CLEARING ACROSS SE IDAHO AS THE LATEST PAC STORM SYSTEM WAS PROGRESSING RAPIDLY EAST INTO THE DAKOTAS. STRONG WINDS CONTINUED TO BLOW ACROSS THE REGION EARLY THIS AFTERNOON BUT ARE EXPECTED TO DROP BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THUS WE WILL BE LOOKING TO DROP THE ADVISORY WITH THE AFTERNOON PACKAGE IF WINDS COOPERATE. FURTHER UPSTREAM...SATELLITE IMAGERY WAS SHOWING A SECOND PAC STORM SYSTEM ADVANCING TOWARD THE NW COAST. THE MODELS REMAIN STEADFAST IN DRIVING THE LEADING EDGE OF THE PRECIPITATION SHIELD INTO SE IDAHO AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH STRONG UPSLOPE PRECIPITATION CONTINUING THROUGH FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT. SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN AT OR ABOVE 6500 FEET MSL THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING WITH HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED ONCE AGAIN AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 7000 FEET MSL FOR ZONES 18/31 IN THE CNTRL MOUNTAINS AND 19/23 IN THE ERN HIGHLANDS. LESSER AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED IN THE PAHSIMEROI MOUNTAINS (ZONE 32) AND THE IDAHO PORTION OF THE WASATCH MOUNTAINS (ZONE 25). WIND SPEEDS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AS A STRONG FRONTAL BOUNDARY BEGINS TO TAKE SHAPE ACROSS THE REGION. 700MB (10K) WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 50-60KTS FRIDAY NIGHT WITH A STRONG SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT DEVELOPING OVER THE REGION. THE GFS STATISTICAL GUIDANCE IS INDICATING HIGH WIND CRITERIA DEVELOPING WITHIN THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN BY SATURDAY MORNING...WHILE THE NAM GUIDANCE FALLS SHORT. WE DO NOT GET TOO MANY NIGHTTIME HIGH WIND EVENTS...THUS HAVE MAINTAINED PREVIOUS FORECAST WINDS WHICH WERE PROVIDING FOR A SOLID WIND ADVISORY EVENT. UPPER WAVE PASSES RAPIDLY EAST SATURDAY WITH DECREASING MOISTURE ACROSS THE REGION THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ALONG THE PAC COAST. HUSTON LONG TERM...SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT THURSDAY NIGHT. DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT THE FRI/SAT STORM EXITS AS QUICKLY AS BOTH GFS AND ECMWF PROG IT...HAVE LEFT SOME RESIDUAL POPS IN FOR SAT NIGHT. BOTH PRODUCT SUITES HAVE A STRONG RIDGE FOR SUN/SUN NIGHT. HAVE REDUCED CLOUD COVER FOR THOSE PERIODS. A SHORTWAVE THAT FLATTENS OUT THE RIDGE SOME FOR MON AND MON NIGHT MEANS SOME CLOUDS...MAINLY IN THE NORTH. SOME HIGH ELEVATION SNOW WITH THOSE CLOUDS IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...BUT NOT MUCH ELSE EXPECTED FROM IT. RIDGE RETURNS...BUT BY FRI THERE IS A POSSIBLE TROUGH. ECMWF HAS A NEW WRINKLE FOR TUE NIGHT WITH A MASSIVE STORM...BUT THE HEAVY PRECIPITATION IS MOVING THROUGH A RATHER STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AND SO MAKES NO SENSE. AND IT ONLY SHOWS UP FOR THE TUE NIGHT PERIOD. THUS BELIEVE THAT IS SOME SORT OF ERROR. MESSICK AVIATION...MODERATE TO STRONG WIND WILL DIMINISH DURING THE EARLY EVENING...THEN CEILINGS DEVELOP DURING THE EVENING. AFTER MIDNIGHT...EXPECT WIDESPREAD IFR DUE TO CEILING THAT WILL SEE LITTLE RELIEF...PERHAPS TO MARGINAL VFR BY FRI AFTERNOON. STRONG WIND RETURNS DURING THE AFTERNOON AS WELL. MESSICK && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 5 AM MST SATURDAY IDZ018-019-023-031. &&
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.
5 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Snow amounts were 13 inches at Dollarhide, 15 inches at Galena, 13 inches at Galena Summit, 13 inches at Lost Wood Divide, and 23 inches at Vienna Mine.
Bear Canyon received 10 inches of snow with 13 inches recorded at both Smiley Mountain and Mill Creek Summit.
Twenty inches of snow fell at the Black Bear SNOTEL with 16 inches at White Elephant.
Nine inches of snow fell at the Howell Canyon SNOTEL site.
The Slug Creek Divide SNOTEL site recorded 12 inches of snow.
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: 357277, 357273, 357274, 357275, 357276.