Lightning started a fire on August 8th south of Malad near the Utah border and covered both states. The fire eventually grew to 300,000 acres.
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.
Lightning started a fire on August 8th south of Malad near the Utah border and covered both states. The fire eventually grew to 300,000 acres. The fire was over wilderness areas in Idaho.
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 Aug 8, 12:56 PM MST, 3 hours 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 156 PM MDT THU AUG 8 2013 .DISCUSSION...BATCH OF MOISTURE WORKING THROUGH THE AREA TODAY WILL PRODUCE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THAT WILL PERSIST INTO THE EARLY EVENING. SOME WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ALONG WITH SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. FRIDAY AND BEYOND...THE MAIN BATCH OF MOISTURE WILL MOVE NORTH OF THE REGION. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE NORTH ALONG THE COAST WHILE MONSOONAL MOISTURE WILL REMAIN OVER EASTERN UTAH. EASTERN AND CENTRAL IDAHO WILL REMAIN RELATIVELY DRY BECAUSE THE AREA IS TRAPPED IN THE DRY AIR BETWEEN THESE TWO FEATURES. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS POSSIBLE JUST ABOUT EVERY DAY IN THE MOUNTAINS AND TEMPS WILL REMAIN RATHER STABLE...GENERALLY AROUND 90 FOR HIGHS IN MOST LOCATIONS. VALLE && .AVIATION...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST SUNSET ACROSS EASTERN IDAHO. ALL TAF SITES ARE CARRYING VCTS THROUGH 3Z AND IT MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED AFTER THAT...DEPENDING ON HOW THINGS EVOLVE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LIGHT RAINFALL AND WIND GUSTS OVER 35KTS. AFTER THAT...WE WILL SEE DRIER AIR MOVING IN. ANY STORMS TOMORROW WILL BE CONFINED TO THE MOUNTAINS AND AWAY FOR ALL TAF SITES INCLUDING KSUN. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL AROUND TOMORROW ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON. KEYES && .FIRE WEATHER...MONSOON MOISTURE CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS EASTERN IDAHO TODAY...FOLLOWED BY A DRY SLOT IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE RED FLAG WARNING FOR ALL ZONES EXCEPT 411 FOR WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED STORMS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THIS EVENING. WE ARE STILL EXPECTING LITTLE RAINFALL AND WIND GUSTS OVER 40MPH WITH A LOT OF THESE STORMS. STORM COVERAGE IS EXPECTED TO DECREASE OVERNIGHT...BUT WE WILL BE WATCHING THAT CLOSELY. QUITE OFTEN IN THESE MONSOON EVENTS WE DON'T REALLY GET A GOOD LOOK AT WHEN THINGS IN UNTIL THINGS ARE IN PROGRESS. THE DRY SLOT MOVES IN BY TOMORROW AND REMAINS IN PLACE PRETTY MUCH THROUGH NEXT WEEK. WE WILL SEE SOME ISOLATED/POTENTIALLY WIDELY SCATTERED STORMS IN THE MOUNTAINS ESPECIALLY CLOSER TO THE MONTANA AND WYOMING BORDERS. FOR TONIGHT...WE ARE EXPECTING SOUTHERLY WINDS TO REMAIN ELEVATED AND RH RECOVERY POOR FOR MID AND UPPER SLOPES WITH SOME RECOVERY IN THE LOWER VALLEYS. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP FOR TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE COMBINATION OF THE WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY WILL LIKELY RESULT IN RED FLAG CONDITIONS OVER MUCH OF EASTERN IDAHO. WE WILL ALSO SEE POTENTIAL LIGHTNING ISSUES ACROSS ZONES 475...476 AND 411. WILL ADD THIS MENTION INTO THE EXISTING WATCH FOR TOMORROW FOR 475 AND 476...AS 411 IS STILL NOT CONSIDERED CRITICAL. IN TERMS OF THE WATCH FOR TOMORROW...THE EVENING OR MID SHIFT WILL MAKE THE CALL ON UPGRADING THE WATCH TO A WARNING. THE WINDS LET UP SLIGHTLY OVER THE WEEKEND...BUT WE STILL MAY BE REACHING RED FLAG CONDITIONS ON SATURDAY. KEYES && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MDT THIS EVENING IDZ410-413. FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING IDZ410-425. FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING IDZ413-427. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MDT THIS EVENING IDZ422-425-427. FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING IDZ422-475-476. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MDT THIS EVENING IDZ475-476. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 448 AM MDT THU AUG 8 2013 IDZ017>025-031-032-091100- 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- 448 AM MDT THU AUG 8 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN IDAHO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE THREAT OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING HAS PROMPTED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR ALL BUT THE FAR UPPER SNAKE HIGHLANDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY GUSTY SURFACE WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY WILL RESULT IN HIGHER FIRE RISK FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR ALL BUT THE FAR UPPER SNAKE HIGHLANDS. .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 342 PM MDT THU AUG 8 2013 IDZ021-023-082230- CARIBOU ID-BINGHAM ID-BANNOCK ID- 342 PM MDT THU AUG 8 2013 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN POCATELLO HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL BANNOCK COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST IDAHO EAST CENTRAL BINGHAM COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST IDAHO NORTHWESTERN CARIBOU COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST IDAHO UNTIL 430 PM MDT AT 340 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES EAST OF FORT HALL YANDELL MOUNTAIN..MOVING NORTH AT 5 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... RURAL SOUTHEASTERN BINGHAM COUNTY... RURAL EASTERN BINGHAM COUNTY... LAT...LON 4295 11190 4301 11213 4328 11210 4328 11184 TIME...MOT...LOC 2142Z 191DEG 5KT 4309 11201 RS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 345 PM MDT THU AUG 8 2013 IDZ023-082230- BINGHAM ID- 345 PM MDT THU AUG 8 2013 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN POCATELLO HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... EAST CENTRAL BINGHAM COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST IDAHO UNTIL 430 PM MDT AT 340 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 20 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GOSHEN..MOVING NORTH AT 5 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM AND SMALL HAIL. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... RURAL EASTERN BINGHAM COUNTY... LAT...LON 4328 11182 4328 11159 4308 11163 4310 11185 TIME...MOT...LOC 2145Z 191DEG 5KT 4319 11173 RS
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning started a fire on August 8th south of Malad near the Utah border and covered both states. The fire eventually grew to 300,000 acres. The fire was over wilderness areas in Idaho.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, August 2013
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: 475782.