High Wind and Winter Weather in Idaho, February 12 to 13, 2014

Name: High Wind and Winter Weather in Idaho, February 12 to 13, 2014
Start: 2014-02-12T02:00
End: 2014-02-13T11:00
Location: Idaho

February 12 to 13, 2014 · NWS MSO · 3 events in 3 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

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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 MSO wrote it up.

A series of upper level systems, one of which was connected to a moisture plume with subtropical origins, moved across the region and brought rain and snow to north-central Idaho. A warm occlusion brought a transition from snow to rain during the morning hours of Feb. 12 to elevations below 7,000 feet. The combination of strong warming aloft with strong winds most likely nixed the ability for the formation of stellar dendrites; therefore, heavy snow wasn't able to materialize in the mountain pass areas most commonly traveled. Nonetheless, moderate impact was experienced during the nighttime and morning hours as light to moderate snow made road surfaces slick.

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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 11, 2:53 PM MST, 11 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 11, 2:53 PM MST, 11 hours 7 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
253 PM MST Tue Feb 11 2014

...Heavy mountain snow and wind to tonight...

...Gusty winds and ponding of water Wednesday and Thursday...

.DISCUSSION...The very strong and moist westerly flow expected
across the Northern Rockies is still on track for tonight through
Thursday. The first plume of moisture is already bringing rain to
the west coast and will bring mountain snow that will increase in
intensity overnight. There will also be strengthening southerly
flow in the lower atmosphere that will not only warm temperatures
in the valleys, but also increase surface winds.

Our primary concerns from Wednesday through Thursday remain as
follows:

1) Moderate to heavy mountain snowfall with high moisture content
and gusty winds. The amount of snow and wind will both make travel
difficult and increase the risk of sliding rocks, mud, and snow
onto roadways.

2) Lower elevations will likely see snow change over to a mixed bag
of precipitation, including some freezing rain. Far northwest
Montana will likely re-stabilize tonight and cool sufficiently for
a few inches of snow to fall before changing to rain during
Wednesday morning. The main focus for freezing rain will be with the
initial change from snow to rain, sometime Wednesday morning, and
again Wednesday night.

3) Surface winds will increase tonight and remain quite gusty
through Thursday. The strongest winds are expected on the Camas
Prairie area and south of Grangeville along Highway 95 after
midnight tonight through early Wednesday afternoon. Gusty winds
are also going to develop in the Bitterroot valley and the I-90
corridor between Drummond and Butte Wednesday morning and again
Thursday morning.

4) The combination of warm temperatures, rain on snow, and
increased winds could result in a rapid melt of snow in the
valleys and ponding of water on streets and in fields.

5) Livestock may be vulnerable during the initial transition from
snow to rain with increasing winds and still relatively cool
temperatures Wednesday.

Friday through Tuesday, the strong westerly flow aloft will keep
an active pattern over the Northern Rockies. Monday may be a bit
drier than the other days, however only marginally so. GFS and
ECMWF models are in close agreement throughout the extended
forecast periods. Temperatures will be relatively warm for this
time of year, keeping snow levels to mainly the mountain passes
and higher elevations. Impacts to travel over the mountain passes
due to snow covered roads and low visibility will exist
periodically. The warm weather will melt snow at low elevations,
however melt water may become backed up and create a ponding
scenario, possibly flooding basements, garages, and outbuildings.
Once most of the snow and ice have melted, the flood risk will be
alleviated.

&&

.AVIATION...

Areas of light snow will be present across the Northern Rockies,
with a brief break in precipitation through 12/0300Z. Some wind
gusts to 25 knots will found near KBTM during this time as well.
Thereafter, the next Pacific weather system will arrive over the
region, increasing low clouds and chances of precipitation, mainly
after 12/0600Z. Impacts to air terminals will arrive from north to
south 12/0600Z through 12/1500Z. All terminals, including KGPI,
KMSO, KSMN, and KBTM, will experience degraded visibility and
ceilings in snow at times for the 24 hours to follow. Terrain
obscurations will be widespread.

&&

.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...WIND ADVISORY from 5 AM to 11 PM MST Wednesday Butte/Blackfoot
     Region.

     WINTER STORM WARNING from 11 PM this evening to 5 PM MST
     Thursday Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains...Lower Clark Fork
     Region.

     WIND ADVISORY from 5 AM to 11 PM MST Wednesday
     Missoula/Bitterroot Valleys.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 11 PM this evening to 1 PM MST
     Wednesday Flathead/Mission Valleys...Kootenai/Cabinet
     Region.

     WINTER STORM WARNING from 11 PM this evening to 5 PM MST
     Thursday Potomac/Seeley Lake Region...West Glacier Region.

ID...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 5 AM Wednesday to 5 PM MST Thursday
     Eastern Lemhi County...Western Lemhi County.

     WINTER STORM WARNING from 10 PM this evening to 4 PM PST
     Thursday Northern Clearwater Mountains...Southern
     Clearwater Mountains.

     HIGH WIND WARNING from 1 AM to Noon PST Wednesday for the Camas
     Prairie...Grangeville and Highway 95 IN THE Lower Hells
     Canyon/Salmon River Region...Orofino/Grangeville Region.

&&

Kitsmiller/Robinson/Zumpfe
Aviation...Zumpfe

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 11, 9:45 PM MST, 4 hours 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
945 PM MST TUE FEB 11 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0746 AM     FREEZING RAIN    6 NW MISSOULA           46.93N 114.08W
02/11/2014  U0.00 INCH       MISSOULA           MT   ASOS

            FREEZING RAIN REPORTED AT KMSO FROM 746AM UNTIL 820AM.
            VERY SLICK ROADS AND MANY ACCIDENTS BETWEEN STEVENSVILLE
            AND MISSOULA.

&&

DICKERSON

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 winter weather, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Eastern Lemhi County

When: February 12, 2:00 AM MST to February 13, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Eastern Lemhi County forecast zone
Reported by: SNOTEL
Coordinates: 44.943, -113.933 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lost Trail Pass received around 4 of total snowfall while with a total precipitation around 1.00 according to the Saddle Mountain SNOTEL. Light snow fell in the Salmon area on Feb. 12 with one inch of total snow reported. Williams Creek saw 5.5 of snow through 8:53 am MST on Feb. 12. A weather spotter located one mile north-northwest of Salmon reported snow at 4:30 am MST on Feb. 13 that turned to freezing rain before 7 am. They reported that sidewalks and other surfaces were slick.

Winter Weather, Southern Clearwater Mountains

When: February 12, 2:00 AM PST to February 13, 11:00 AM PST
Where: Southern Clearwater Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: SNOTEL
Coordinates: 45.844, -115.467 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lolo Pass saw around 4 of total snowfall while total precipitation amounts ranged between 1 and 1.80 in the Bitterroot Mountains. Due to the perceived high avalanche threat, the Idaho Transportation Department closed U.S. 12 between mileposts 100 and 161 from 12:46 pm PST Feb. 12 to 10:50 am PST Feb. 13. The COOP located one mile north of Dixie at 5,740 ft. MSL, reported a 2 day snowfall total of 8.2 with 0.87 of precipitation.

High Wind, Orofino / Grangeville Region

When: February 12, 7:24 AM PST
Where: Orofino / Grangeville Region forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 46.259, -115.562 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The National Weather Service handar located one mile north of Grangeville at the Idaho County Airport reported a high wind gust to 59 mph.

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Idaho in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Idaho, February 2014

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 503457, 503448, 503458.