Heavy rainfall caused the Payette River to spill over it's banks in parts of Southwest Idaho on the 26th through the 28th.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 BOI wrote it up.
Heavy rainfall caused the Payette River to spill over it's banks in parts of Southwest Idaho on the 26th through the 28th.
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 Boise, ID wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 26, 7:48 PM MST, 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE ID 848 PM MDT THU APR 26 2012 .DISCUSSION...MAIN RAIN EVENT HAS ENDED IN OREGON AND MOST OF WRN IDAHO...STILL GOING IN CENTRAL IDAHO BUT WINDING DOWN THIS EVENING. ONLY SCATTERED LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS LEFT BEHIND IN OUR CWA AS UPPER TROUGH COMES IN. RIVERS STILL RISING DUE TO SNOWMELT AND PCPN LAG BUT THE RISES ARE MATCHING FORECASTS CLOSELY. WE WILL CONTINUE FLOOD WARNING FOR PAYETTE RIVER AT EMMETT TONIGHT AND FRIDAY AND AT PAYETTE ON FRIDAY...SEE HYDROLOGY SEGMENT BELOW. WX-WISE...PARTIAL CLEARING AND COOLER TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT THEN SLOWLY WARMING AS UPPER TROUGH MOVES AWAY. WEEKEND SHOULD BE DRY IN SRN AREAS... ONLY A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS IN NRN AREAS. LATEST GFS AND ECM THREATEN MORE PCPN NEXT TUESDAY...NOT YET IN OUR FORECASTS UNTIL WE SEE MORE MODEL CONSISTENCY. && .AVIATION...LOCAL MVFR IN THE WEST CENTRAL AND BOISE MTNS TONIGHT AS RAIN SHOWERS CHANGE TO SNOW. SE OREGON AND LOWER SW IDAHO VALLEYS ARE VFR OVERNIGHT. TOO MUCH CLOUD COVER AND WIND FOR FOG TONIGHT. VFR CONDITIONS ON FRIDAY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WESTERLY WINDS SURFACE AND ALOFT WITH SPEEDS TO 30 KTS AT 10K FEET MSL. AFTER SURFACE WINDS DIMINISH THIS EVENING THEY/LL INCREASE AGAIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON WITH SPEEDS TO 25 KTS IN OPEN VALLEYS. && .HYDROLOGY...THE WEST CENTRAL AND BOISE MOUNTAINS CONTINUE TO BE THE MAIN AREAS OF CONCERN FOR RUNOFF AND FLOOD POTENTIAL. ALTHOUGH SNOWMELT RATES HAVE SLOWED DOWN WITH THE COOLER TEMPERATURES... DIRECT RUNOFF FROM THE RAINFALL ALONE WILL CAUSE ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT RISES ON WATERWAYS. RAIN ON THE SNOWPACK AND WIND WILL AID IN ADDITIONAL MELTING OF THE SNOW AND ADD TO THE RUNOFF COMPONENT. IN SUMMARY...LOTS OF RUNOFF STILL TO COME OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS WITH THE LARGER MAINSTEM RIVERS LAGGING IN RESPONSE. THE PAYETTE RIVER IS NOW EXPECTED TO REACH FLOOD STAGE BEGINNING TONIGHT AROUND EMMETT...AND LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON OR EARLY FRIDAY EVENING AROUND PAYETTE. SMALLER TRIBUTARIES OF THE PAYETTE RIVER WILL ALSO BE RUNNING VERY HIGH. THE WEISER RIVER HAS NOT SHOWN A BIG RESPONSE TO THE RAINFALL YET. WE DO EXPECT TO SEE A SHARP RISE ON THE WEISER LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT BUT DO NOT EXPECT IT TO REACH FLOOD STAGE. DRIER AND COOLER CONDTIONS FRIDAY...AND NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WILL ALLOW FLOWS ON THE PAYETTE TO RECEDE BELOW FLOOD LEVELS OVER THE WEEKEND. LOCAL RUNOFF INTO THE BOISE RIVER FROM PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE THE BOISE RIVER AT THE GLENWOOD BRIDGE RIVER GAGE TO BRIEFLY SPIKE UP TO FLOOD FLOW OF 7000 CFS. HOWEVER...THESE SPIKES WILL BE SHORT LIVED WITH LITTLE ADDITIONAL IMPACT FROM WHAT WE HAVE BEEN SEEING ALONG THE BOISE RIVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...BANDS OF HEAVY RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE OVER SOUTHWESTERN IDAHO THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. THE STEADY RAIN HAS ENDED IN EASTERN OREGON AND BECOME MORE SHOWERY BEHIND THE FRONT. IN IDAHO...THE THREAT OF FLOODING CONTINUES...ESPECIALLY IN THE PAYETTE RIVER BASIN WHERE FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT. SEE THE HYDROLOGY DISCUSSION BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS. THE RAIN WILL DIMINISH IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AFTER SUNSET IN SOUTHWEST IDAHO LEAVING SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS IN THE VALLEYS AND SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS. MUCH COLDER AIR WILL MOVE IN BEHIND THE FRONT LOWERING SNOW LEVELS IN THE MOUNTAINS TO AROUND 4500 FEET AFTER MIDNIGHT. BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE AREA ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH SHOWERS LINGERING IN THE MOUNTAINS. LONG TERM...SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...MODELS REMAIN IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH MOST OF THE EXTENDED. EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO BE NEAR NORMAL SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS PRIMARILY IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...AS MOISTURE WRAPS AROUND AN UPPER LOW OVER MONTANA. ZONAL FLOW RETURNS BY MONDAY...AND WILL PERSIST THROUGH MID-WEEK. THERE LOOK TO BE EMBEDDED SHORTWAVE IMPULSES IN THIS FAST UPPER FLOW THAT WILL ALLOW FOR A CHANCE OF SHOWERS BOTH MONDAY AND TUESDAY. DECREASING CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION ARE EXPECTED BY WEDNESDAY...AS UPPER HEIGHTS BEGIN TO BUILD IN RESPONSE TO A LOW DIGGING SOUTH INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA. THIS LOW MAY PUSH INTO THE AREA LATE IN THE WEEK...HOWEVER UNCERTAINTY IS HIGH AS MODEL CONSENSUS DEGRADES BY THURSDAY. && .BOI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ID...NONE. OR...NONE. && WEATHER.GOV/BOISE DISCUSSION...LC AVIATION.....DG HYDROLOGY....TL PREV SHORT TERM...JB PREV LONG TERM....BB/DD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE ID 340 PM MDT THU APR 26 2012 IDZ011>016-028>030-033-ORZ061>064-272145- WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-LOWER TREASURE VALLEY ID-BOISE MOUNTAINS- UPPER TREASURE VALLEY-SOUTHWEST HIGHLANDS-WESTERN MAGIC VALLEY- CAMAS PRAIRIE-OWYHEE MOUNTAINS-SOUTHERN TWIN FALLS COUNTY- UPPER WEISER RIVER-HARNEY COUNTY-BAKER COUNTY-MALHEUR COUNTY- LOWER TREASURE VALLEY OR- 340 PM MDT THU APR 26 2012 /240 PM PDT THU APR 26 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL IDAHO...SOUTHWEST IDAHO...WEST CENTRAL IDAHO...NORTHEAST OREGON AND SOUTHEAST OREGON. .DAY ONE...REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION...GRADUALLY DECREASING TONIGHT. ADDITIONAL PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN IN THE WEST CENTRAL AND BOISE MOUNTAINS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE RIVERS...CREEKS...AND STREAMS TO SWELL. THE PAYETTE RIVER FROM AROUND EMMETT...DOWNSTREAM TO PAYETTE IS EXPECTED TO REACH FLOOD STAGE TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY RIVERS...CREEKS...AND STREAMS WILL CONTINUE TO RUN HIGH FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THE PAYETTE RIVER IS EXPECTED TO BE AT FLOOD LEVEL FRIDAY AND SATURDAY FROM EMMETT TO PAYETTE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. HOWEVER...REPORTS OF FLOODING WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE ID 511 PM MDT THU APR 26 2012 IDZ012>014-270000- ADA ID-CANYON ID-PAYETTE ID-BOISE ID-OWYHEE ID-ELMORE ID-GEM ID- 511 PM MDT THU APR 26 2012 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BOISE HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... ADA COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IDAHO... EASTERN CANYON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IDAHO... WEST CENTRAL ELMORE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IDAHO... SOUTHWESTERN GEM COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IDAHO... NORTH CENTRAL OWYHEE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IDAHO... SOUTH CENTRAL PAYETTE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IDAHO... AND SOUTHWESTERN BOISE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL IDAHO... UNTIL 600 PM MDT. AT 505 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM MIDDLETON TO SWAN FALLS...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... NAMPA AROUND 510 PM MDT... INITIAL POINT...STAR AND KUNA AROUND 515 PM MDT... FIREBIRD SPEEDWAY AND MERIDIAN AROUND 520 PM MDT... EAGLE AROUND 525 PM MDT... GARDEN CITY AND BOISE AROUND 530 PM MDT... BLACKS CREEK RESERVOIR AND HIDDEN SPRINGS AROUND 535 PM MDT. LAT...LON 4396 11592 4335 11574 4323 11655 4383 11673 TIME...MOT...LOC 2310Z 258DEG 31KT 4376 11657 4326 11638 DG
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A National Weather Service employee surveyed the Payette River near Emmett and observed the river was out of bank and flooding areas on the north side of the city.
A National Weather Service employee surveyed the Payette River near Payette and observed the river was out of bank and flooding fields and homes along State Highway 52.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, April 2012
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: 380155, 380163.