Fifteen to twenty automobile accidents occurred in the Pocatello area as freezing rain began in the early morning hours on the 10th and continued through morning rush hour.
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.
Fifteen to twenty automobile accidents occurred in the Pocatello area as freezing rain began in the early morning hours on the 10th and continued through morning rush hour.
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 10, 3:21 AM MST, 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 321 AM MST MON DEC 10 2012 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A DISTURBANCE IS CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS EASTERN IDAHO. THIS IS PRODUCING LIGHT SNOW ACROSS MOST AREAS...EXCEPT ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE ARCO DESERT AND MAGIC VALLEY DUE TO STRONG DOWNSLOPE IN NORTHWEST FLOW. WE ARE ALSO SEEING LIGHT FREEZING RAIN/DRIZZLE ALONG THE 15 AND 86 CORRIDORS AT THIS HOUR...AS A LAYER OF WARM AIR EXISTS RIGHT OFF THE SURFACE. THIS PARTICULAR IMPACT SHOULD NOT LAST LONG DUE WILL BE ENOUGH TO AFFECT MORNING DRIVERS. WE ARE ALSO SEEING GUSTY WINDS THIS MORNING WITH 15-30 MPH GUSTS IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS...WITH 40+ MPH GUSTS AT RIDGETOP. THERE IS LIKELY SOME BLOWING SNOW DUE TO WHO FLUFFY THE SNOW IS THIS MORNING...HOWEVER THIS SHOULD BE MORE LOCALIZED. FOR THE REST OF TODAY...AS THE SYSTEM SCOOTS SOUTH AND EAST THE FOCUS FOR PRECIPITATION SHIFTS TO THE EASTERN HIGHLANDS BY AFTERNOON. WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE BREEZY CONDITIONS...WHICH WILL LIKELY KEEP LOCALIZED BLOWING SNOW GOING ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ACROSS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE MAGIC VALLEY AND LOWER SNAKE PLAIN...AS WELL AS CLOSER TO RIDGETOP LEVEL. THESE AREAS WILL SEE WINDS OF 20-30 MPH SUSTAINED WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WE WILL HIGH PRESSURE BRIEFLY BUILD INTO IDAHO TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. IT WILL NOT BE A DRY RIDGE PER SE...AS THERE WILL BE ENOUGH MOISTURE FOR SOME LIGHT MOUNTAIN SNOW ESPECIALLY ACROSS EASTERN AREAS. IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE BREEZY AT TIME BUT NOT AS STRONG AS TODAY. AS WE HEAD INTO WEDNESDAY...ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM SWINGS INTO THE WESTERN STATES. THE MODELS ARE STILL LEANING TOWARD SPLIT FLOW...WITH THE SOUTHERN BRANCH DROPPING INTO CALIFORNIA AND THE NORTHERN STREAM SWINGING ACROSS TO OUR NORTH. THIS LEAVES US IN THE MIDDLE...WITH LIGHT PRECIPITATION EXPECTED. AS THIS PATTERN CHANGES...WE WILL SEE IT WARMING A BIT SO BY MIDWEEK VALLEY LOCATIONS WOULD SEE A MIX WITH ALL SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. KEYES .LONG TERM...THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. AN UPPER CLOSED LOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE IN TO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA LEAVING SOUTHEAST IDAHO IN A SPLIT PATTERN. SNOW SHOWERS EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH NO SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS. THE GFS AND EUROPEAN MODELS BEGIN TO DIVERGE FOR THE WEEKEND BUT BOTH SHOW A TROF MOVING THROUGH. WITH TIMING AND PRECIP AMOUNTS BEING UNCERTAIN...KEPT MOST POPS CONFINED TO THE MOUNTAINS AND NEAR CLIMO THROUGH THE PERIOD. DID NOT MAKE ANY DRASTIC CHANGES TO TEMPS SO THEY REMAIN AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. EP/HEDGES && .AVIATION...SHORT WAVE DROPPING SOUTH EARLY MONDAY MORNING. SNOW SHOWERS ALREADY DEVELOPING NORTH OF IDA AND EXPECTED TO APPEAR NEAR KPIH...KIDA...AND KBYI BY 11Z AND BEYOND. SHOWERS MAY PRODUCE SOME MVFR CONDITIONS. KSUN EXPECTED TO REMAIN VFR. CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE IN THE AFTERNOON AS THE SNOW SHOWERS CLEAR OUT. EP/HEDGES && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 329 AM MST MON DEC 10 2012 IDZ017>025-031-032-111030- 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- 329 AM MST MON DEC 10 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE TODAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN IDAHO THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. DAYTIME ACCUMULATIONS OF ANYWHERE FROM A TRACE TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE...WITH HIGHEST AMOUNTS ACROSS THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS. BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL WITH 15-30 MPH WINDS COMMON WITH HIGHER GUSTS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SNAKE PLAIN AND AT RIDGETOP. LOCALIZED BLOWING SNOW IS POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SEVERAL WAVES OF RAIN AND/OR SNOW WILL AFFECT EASTERN IDAHO THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK. THE FIRST ONE WILL BE WEDNESDAY WITH SOMEWHAT OF A BREAK UNTIL MORE ARRIVE FOR NEXT 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.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
247 AM MST MON DEC 10 2012
IDZ017-019>023-101145-
MINIDOKA ID-JEFFERSON ID-BINGHAM ID-BONNEVILLE ID-POWER ID-CASSIA
ID-BANNOCK ID-BLAINE ID-MADISON ID-FREMONT ID-
247 AM MST MON DEC 10 2012
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN POCATELLO HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
SOUTHEASTERN BLAINE COUNTY IN CENTRAL IDAHO
SOUTHWESTERN FREMONT COUNTY IN EASTERN IDAHO
NORTHEASTERN CASSIA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IDAHO
SOUTHEASTERN MINIDOKA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IDAHO
WESTERN MADISON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST IDAHO
NORTHWESTERN BANNOCK COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST IDAHO
NORTHERN POWER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST IDAHO
NORTHWESTERN BONNEVILLE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST IDAHO
BINGHAM COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST IDAHO
SOUTHEASTERN JEFFERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST IDAHO
UNTIL 445 AM MST
LIGHT SNOW...FREEZING RAIN AND OR FREEZING DRIZZLE IS CURRENTLY
FALLING ACROSS THE ADVISORY AREA. OVERALL ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW OR
ICE WILL BE LIGHT...BUT ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SLICK ROAD
CONDITIONS. USE EXTREME CAUTION IF TRAVELING ON AREA ROADS. THIS
WILL INCLUDE THE I 86 AND I 15 CORRIDORS...AS WELL AS U-S 20
NORTHEAST OUT OF IDAHO FALLS.
LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...
FORT HALL RESERVATION...
RAFT RIVER...
COLDWATER...
AMERICAN FALLS...
POCATELLO...
BLACKFOOT...
IDAHO FALLS...
REXBURG...
RIGBY...
LAT...LON 4399 11175 4384 11162 4282 11222 4241 11335
4266 11362 4347 11246
JKEYES1 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Fifteen to twenty automobile accidents occurred in the Pocatello area as freezing rain began in the early morning hours on the 10th and continued through morning rush hour.
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, December 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: 425142.