Heavy Snow and Strong Wind in Idaho, November 2 to 3, 2013

Name: Heavy Snow and Strong Wind in Idaho, November 2 to 3, 2013
Start: 2013-11-02T04:00
End: 2013-11-03T21:00
Location: Idaho

November 2 to 3, 2013 · NWS OTX · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $1,000
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 OTX wrote it up.

A strong low pressure system tracked across southern British Columbia, Canada. A strong low level jet in the warm sector of the system brought heavy snowfall to the mountains of the northern and central Idaho Panhandle. Breezy winds ensued with the passage of an occluded front in the afternoon and evening hours.

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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 2, 3:56 AM PST, 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 2, 3:56 AM PST, 4 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 1, 3:06 PM PST, 12 hours 54 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
406 PM PDT FRI NOV 1 2013

IDZ002-003-WAZ032>036-041-044-022315-
COEUR D'ALENE AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE-
LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES-WASHINGTON PALOUSE-
MOSES LAKE AREA-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN-SPOKANE AREA-WENATCHEE AREA-
WATERVILLE PLATEAU-
406 PM PDT FRI NOV 1 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH IDAHO...
CENTRAL WASHINGTON...EAST CENTRAL WASHINGTON...NORTH CENTRAL
WASHINGTON...NORTHEAST WASHINGTON AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

A VIGOROUS STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING WET AND WINDY WEATHER TO THE
INLAND NORTHWEST THIS WEEKEND. WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL
BE POSSIBLE OVER THE LOWLANDS BETWEEN THE CASCADES AND THE
MOUNTAINS OF NORTH IDAHO SATURDAY.

IDZ001-004-WAZ031-037-038-042-043-022315-
NORTHERN PANHANDLE-CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS-
NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS-NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS-OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS-
EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES-OKANOGAN VALLEY-
406 PM PDT FRI NOV 1 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH IDAHO...
NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON...NORTHEAST WASHINGTON AND SOUTHEAST
WASHINGTON.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN OVER THE CASCADES TONIGHT THEN SPREAD
EAST SATURDAY WITH SNOW FALLING TO NEAR 4000 FT MSL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

MODERATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY FOR
ELEVATIONS ABOVE 4000 FEET IN THE CASCADES...NORTH IDAHO...AND
NORTHEAST WASHINGTON. WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE ON MOUNTAIN RIDGES SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

IDZ026-027-022315-
LEWISTON AREA-LEWIS AND SOUTHERN NEZ PERCE COUNTIES-
406 PM PDT FRI NOV 1 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL
IDAHO.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 heavy snow, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Northern Panhandle

When: November 2, 4:00 AM PST to November 3, 4:00 AM PST
Where: Northern Panhandle forecast zone
Reported by: SNOTEL
Coordinates: 48.247, -116.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Central Panhandle Mountains

When: November 2, 5:00 PM PST to November 3, 9:00 PM PST
Where: Central Panhandle Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: SNOTEL
Coordinates: 47.265, -116.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Northern Panhandle

When: November 2, 5:30 PM PST to 6:30 PM PST
Where: Northern Panhandle forecast zone
Measured: 24 kt (28 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Utility Company
Coordinates: 48.247, -116.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tree fell onto power lines and knocked out power to 45 customers. Damage costs were estimated.

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Idaho in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Idaho, November 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: 480013, 480014, 480051.