Another strong Pacific cold front brought significant winds to southeast Idaho. Interstate 15 was closed from Idaho Falls to Roberts due to blowing dust.
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.
Another strong Pacific cold front brought significant winds to southeast Idaho. Interstate 15 was closed from Idaho Falls to Roberts due to blowing dust. Sustained winds of 40 to 50 mph persisted for several hours with gusts of 60 to 70 mph and locally higher gusts occurring.
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 Feb 25, 2:52 AM MST, 4 hours 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 252 AM MST SAT FEB 25 2012 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH EASTERN IDAHO THIS MORNING. RESULT STILL HIGH WINDS IN SNAKE RIVER PLAIN AND SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WITH HIGH WIND WARNING OUT UNTIL 8 PM AND WINTER STORM WARNINGS OR ADVISORIES FOR THE MOUNTAINS. DO NOT EXPECT WIDESPREAD HEAVY SNOW WITH 4 TO LOCALLY 10 INCHES IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND 2 TO 6 IN THE EASTERN HIGHLANDS. WILL LIKELY SEE EXTENSIVE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW WITH THE STRONG WINDS. EXPECT ANY SNOW IN THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN TO BE UNDER ONE INCH. WINDS AND SNOW WILL TAPER OFF LATE TONIGHT WITH SUNDAY EXPECTED TO BE MAINLY DRY WITH ONLY LINGERING LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS IN EASTERN HIGHLANDS. UPPER TROF DEVELOPS TO WEST SUNDAY AND MOVES EAST MONDAY. EXPECT LIGHT SNOW TO BE WIDESPREAD MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A CONVERGENCE ZONE IN THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN MONDAY NIGHT. HAVE FAIRLY HIGH POPS MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT WITH THE NEXT SYSTEM BUT NOT HEAVY AMOUNTS. GK .LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. UPPER RIDGING MOVES INTO THE FCST AREA TUE IN THE WAKE OF THE UPPER LOW. THIS WILL SHIFT THE REMAINING PRECIP TO THE EASTERN HIGHLANDS. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE PAC NW TUE NIGHT...SPREADING PRECIP ACROSS THE AREA BY WED MORN. THIS STORM SYSTEM BECOMES DISORGANIZED BY THE TIME IT REACHES ID...SO LOOKING FOR MODERATE OR LOWER PRECIP AMOUNTS. THE REST OF THE FCST PERIOD IS MARKED BY RATHER UNSETTLED NW FLOW ALOFT. WILL MAINTAIN LOW POPS THRU SAT. HEDGES && .AVIATION...A FAST MOVING STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THRU ID TODAY. THE MAIN IMPACT WILL BE STRONG WINDS IN THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS THIS MORNING AT KPIH AND KBYI WILL SHIFT TO THE SOUTHWEST LATER THIS MORNING WITH THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH THRU THE AFTN ALL THRU THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN. BRIEF LOWER CIGS WILL ACCOMPANY LIGHT SNOW AROUND MID MORNING WITH THE COLD FRONT. OTHERWISE...OVERALL CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN VFR THRU TONIGHT. HEDGES && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM MST THIS EVENING IDZ017-020>022. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING ABOVE 6000 FEET FOR THE IDZ019-023-025. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING IDZ018. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING ABOVE 6500 FEET FOR THE IDZ031. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 356 AM MST SAT FEB 25 2012 IDZ019-023>025-261100- UPPER SNAKE HIGHLANDS-CARIBOU HIGHLANDS- CACHE VALLEY/IDAHO PORTION-WASATCH MOUNTAINS/IDAHO PORTION- 356 AM MST SAT FEB 25 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR 2 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW AND STRONG WINDS CAUSING BLOWING AND DRIFTING TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY EXPECT PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. .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>022-261100- EASTERN MAGIC VALLEY-UPPER SNAKE RIVER PLAIN- LOWER SNAKE RIVER PLAIN-SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS- 356 AM MST SAT FEB 25 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 8 PM. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION THIS MORNING AND EXPECT 35 TO 45 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY EXPECT OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. .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. IDZ018-031-032-261100- SAWTOOTH MOUNTAINS-BIG AND LITTLE WOOD RIVER REGION- LOST RIVER/PAHSIMEROI- 356 AM MST SAT FEB 25 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 11 PM. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL BRING 4 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW AND STRONG WINDS CAUSING BLOWING AND DRIFTING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY EXPECT PERIODS OF SNOW MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. .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.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Sixty mph wind gust recorded at Moburg Canyon with widespread 40 to 50 mph sustained winds.
Interstate 15 was closed from Idaho Falls to Roberts due to blowing dust. A large pine tree was downed on Ada Avenue in Idaho Falls as the strong winds completely uprooted it. Also in Idaho Falls the Cal Ranch sotre sign was destroyed on Anderson Street and the sign of Salon 720 on Holmes Avenue also destroyed. 66 mph wind gusts in Taber, 61 mph in Idaho Falls and 69 mph in Atomic City recorded.
Sixty-five mph winds measured in Fort Hall with 69 mph in the city of Pocatello and 59 mph at the Pocatello regional airport. MInor damage reported throughout Pocatello.
Winds of 40 to 50 mph sustained with several gusts over 60 mph reported. Minidoka reported 65 mph. 61 mph was reported at Rupert and 64 mph reported at Richfield.
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, February 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: 367603, 367579, 367600, 367601.