Idaho, 2014Extreme Cold and Winter Weather in Idaho, February 3 to 6, 2014
February 3 to 6, 2014 · NWS MSO · 3 events in 3 counties and zones
Northerly flow generated snowfall across the Camas Prairie especially affecting the Grangeville area Feb. 4.
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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- 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.
Northerly flow generated snowfall across the Camas Prairie especially affecting the Grangeville area Feb. 4. Arctic air produced very cold temperatures across the high valleys of Idaho and Lemhi Counties.
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 2, 1:28 PM PST, 10 hours 32 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 2, 1:28 PM PST, 10 hours 32 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
228 PM MST Sun Feb 2 2014
...Another round of winter on the way...
.DISCUSSION...
Tonight through Tuesday...
The pattern is shaping up for an active period as a weather system
over Vancouver Island begins to spread Pacific moisture into the
Northern Rockies region this afternoon. Light snow has already
begun to fall in northwest Montana this afternoon.
Tonight and Monday...Light snow will spread across the Idaho
Panhandle and the remainder of western Montana tonight as this
system approaches from the west. At the same time, cold Canadian
air will plunge into eastern Montana resulting in a tightening of
the surface pressure gradient across the Continental Divide. Cold
air will begin to filter through the West Glacier region late this
evening, eventually emptying into the northern Flathead Valley
around midnight. The combination of snow and increasing northeast
winds will result in areas of blowing snow and reduced
visibilities in Flathead County first, then spread through the
rest of western Montana and adjacent Idaho zones by Monday
morning. Snow will continue as the weather system moves directly
over the region on Monday, while the influx of arctic air ramps up
thanks to sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph.
Monday Night and Tuesday...
By Monday night...The bulk of the snowfall will be tapering off,
especially across northwest Montana. However, strong northeast
winds will continue to usher arctic air into western Montana and
north-central Idaho. Wind chill values during this period will
become dangerously cold with values in the 15 below to 25 below
zero range. We could potentially see wind chills as low as 30 to
35 below zero in some of the windier locations through the gaps of
the Divide.
Wednesday through Saturday...
Medium range models continue to show a cold upper low system
settling over the Northern Rockies for the remainder of the week.
Frigid temperatures will continue to highlight this extended
period. Any chance of light snow will be directed across central
Idaho, but accumulations will be minor.
&&
.AVIATION...Periods of light snow will continue to affect KGPI
through the remainder of this afternoon. However this evening more
persistent snow will develop across much of the Northern Rockies
and be widespread throughout the area by Monday morning. A gradual
lowering of ceilings and visibility can be expected with the snow,
along with widespread mountain obscuration. Strong winds are also
expected at KGPI and KMSO by early Monday morning, intensifying
throughout the day. Frequent gusts to 30 knots are possible and
additional visibility reductions due to blowing snow are likely,
especially at KGPI and maybe even KMSO.
&&
.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 8 AM Monday to 11 AM MST Tuesday
Butte/Blackfoot Region.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 11 PM this evening to 11 AM MST
Tuesday Bitterroot/Sapphire Mountains.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 5 AM Monday to 11 AM MST Tuesday
Missoula/Bitterroot Valleys.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 11 PM this evening to 11 AM MST
Tuesday Lower Clark Fork Region.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 11 PM this evening to 11 AM MST
Tuesday Flathead/Mission Valleys...West Glacier Region.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 8 PM this evening to 11 AM MST
Tuesday Potomac/Seeley Lake Region.
ID...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 11 PM this evening to 5 AM MST
Tuesday Eastern Lemhi County...Western Lemhi County.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 10 PM this evening to 10 AM PST
Tuesday Northern Clearwater Mountains...Southern Clearwater
Mountains.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY from 10 PM this evening to 10 PM PST
Monday Lower Hells Canyon/Salmon River Region...
Orofino/Grangeville Region.
&&
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https://www.twitter.com/NWSMissoulaWinter Weather, Orofino / Grangeville Region
- When
- February 3, 12:00 AM PST to February 4, 2:00 PM PST
- Where
- Orofino / Grangeville Region forecast zone
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 46.259, -115.562 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The Grangeville 911 dispatch estimated that 8 inches of snow had fallen in a period of 24 hours and several vehicle slide-offs had occurred due to steady snow early on Feb. 4. The coldest day for Grangeville was Feb. 6 when the the high only reached 10 degrees while the low was -13 F.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Lemhi County
- When
- February 4, 1:00 AM MST to February 6, 10:00 AM MST
- Where
- Eastern Lemhi County forecast zone
- Reported by
- Department of Highways
- Coordinates
- 44.943, -113.933 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The ITD road sensor located 1 mile east of Gilmore Summit on Highway 28 at 7,018 ft. MSL reported extreme wind chill as low as -43 F during the morning of Feb. 6. Minimum temperatures reported during this period include: -34 F Leadore, -27 F Gilmore Summit, -25 F 2 miles south-southeast of May, -24 F at the Salmon Airport and -19 F at Salmon.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Clearwater Mountains
- When
- February 6, 12:00 AM PST to 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- Southern Clearwater Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 45.844, -115.467 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The COOP observer located one mile north of Dixie observed a minimum temperature of -31 deg. F on the morning of Feb. 6. Other cold temperatures observed include: -33 Elk City (ITD highway sensor) and -23 F at Lodgepole (RAWS).
- Winter Weather
- Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
- 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.
- Cold in Illinois, February 3 to 4, 20143 deaths · 1 event
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Kansas, February 3 to 4, 20141 death · 13 injured · $2.6 million · 26 events
- Winter Weather in Texas, February 3 to 4, 20141 death · 4 injured · 1 event
- Winter Storm in Idaho, February 3 to 4, 20141 death · 2 events
- Extreme Cold and Winter Weather in Montana, February 3 to 7, 20141 injured · 10 events
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in New York, February 3, 201415 events
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in New Jersey, February 3 to 4, 201414 events
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, February 3, 201413 events
- Heavy Snow in Kansas, February 3 to 4, 201411 events
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, February 3, 201410 events
- Heavy Snow in New Jersey, February 3, 20149 events
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Connecticut, February 3, 20145 events
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: 502838, 502842, 502832.