Idaho, 2013

Extreme Cold in Idaho, January 3, 2013

January 3, 2013 · NWS PIH · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Wind chill readings were widespread 20 to 30 below zero across the Snake River Plain, Eastern Magic Valley and Caribou Highlands. Schools in West Jefferson, Grace, and North Gem all closed due to the extreme cold.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PIH wrote it up.

Wind chill readings were widespread 20 to 30 below zero across the Snake River Plain, Eastern Magic Valley and Caribou Highlands. Schools in West Jefferson, Grace, and North Gem all closed due to the extreme cold.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jan 2, 2:33 PM MST, 10 hours 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 2, 2:33 PM MST, 10 hours 27 minutes before
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Event by event

3 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Magic Valley

When
January 3, 1:00 AM MST to 10:00 AM MST
Where
Eastern Magic Valley forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Wind chill readings of 20 to 30 below zero were recorded at Minidoka with 10 to 20 mph sustained northeast winds.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Upper Snake River Plain

When
January 3, 1:00 AM MST to 10:00 AM MST
Where
Upper Snake River Plain forecast zone
Reported by
Newspaper

The West Jefferson School District number 253 was closed on January 3rd due to extreme cold conditions. Wind chill readings of 20 to 35 below zero were common with northeast sustained winds of 10 to 25 mph during the early morning hours.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Caribou Highlands

When
January 3, 1:00 AM MST to 10:00 AM MST
Where
Caribou Highlands forecast zone
Reported by
Newspaper

Wind chill readings of 20 to 30 below zero were widespread on the morning of January 3rd. Grace School District number 148 and North Gem School District 149 were closed due to the extreme cold conditions.

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Idaho in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, January 2013

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 428199, 428201, 428202.