Idaho, 2014

Dust Storm in Idaho, November 29, 2014

November 29, 2014 · NWS PIH · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Strong winds caused blowing dust and zero visibility on interstate 15 north of Idaho Falls near Roberts. A nine vehicle crash occurred at around 240 pm south of Roberts.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$20,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

Strong winds caused blowing dust and zero visibility on interstate 15 north of Idaho Falls near Roberts. A nine vehicle crash occurred at around 240 pm south of Roberts. The dust storm and near zero visibility occurred from around noon through 830 pm. Interstate 15 closed for 7 hours after the crash between mile posts 119 and 135 in both directions. Ten people were transported to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for treatment.

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 Nov 29, 8:07 AM MST, 3 hours 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 29, 8:07 AM MST, 3 hours 53 minutes before
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Event by event

1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Dust Storm, Upper Snake River Plain

When
November 29, 12:00 PM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where
Upper Snake River Plain forecast zone
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Newspaper

Strong winds caused blowing dust and zero visibility on interstate 15 north of Idaho Falls near Roberts. A nine vehicle crash occurred at around 240 pm south of Roberts. The dust storm and near zero visibility occurred from around noon through 830 pm. Interstate 15 closed for 7 hours after the crash between mile posts 119 and 135 in both directions. Ten people were transported to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for treatment.

What these are

Dust Storm
Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Idaho in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, November 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 549473.