Another wave in a series of Pacific Storms slammed Southwest Idaho with pockets of heavy snow and damaging high winds associated with a strong cold front.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS BOI wrote it up.
Another wave in a series of Pacific Storms slammed Southwest Idaho with pockets of heavy snow and damaging high winds associated with a strong cold front.
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 Boise, ID wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 21, 3:47 AM MST, 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE ID
347 AM MST MON DEC 21 2015
.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY...IMPRESSIVE PLUME OF
MOISTURE BEING DIRECTED TOWARDS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA THIS MORNING. PRECIPITATION WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD
ACROSS SOUTHWEST IDAHO AND SOUTHEAST OREGON EARLY THIS MORNING AND
CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. SNOW LEVELS WILL INITIALLY START
OUT AT THE VALLEY FLOORS AT MOST LOCATIONS AND RISE TO AROUND 5000
FEET AS AS PRECIPITATION MIXES DOWN WARMER AIR ALOFT. 700MB WINDS
/AROUND 10000FT MSL/ REACH 60-75KT AROUND MIDDAY TODAY INTO THIS
AFTERNOON WILL TRANSLATE TO WINDY CONDITIONS ON THE RIDGETOPS
/ESPECIALLY THE WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND OWYHEE MOUNTAINS/ AND
IN THE WELL MIXED AREAS OF SOUTHEAST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST IDAHO
HIGHLANDS. THESE WINDS WILL ALSO PROMOTE HEALTHY PRECIPITATION
TOTALS ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER WEST FACING TERRAIN. SNOW
AMOUNTS WILL 5 TO 10 INCHES EXPECTED ABOVE 5000 FEET OVER THE
OWYHEE MOUNTAINS AND 10 TO 20 INCHES EXPECTED OVER THE WEST
CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. THE COMBINATION OF THE WIND AND SNOW WILL
CREATE AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS.
.LONG TERM...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...NORTHWESTERLY FLOW
ALOFT WILL SEND A DISTURBANCE THROUGH OUR AREA TUESDAY NIGHT AND
WEDNESDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL ACCOMPANY THE SYSTEM WITH SNOW LEVELS
NEAR VALLEY FLOORS. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS IN THE VALLEYS WILL BE LIGHT
BUT SEVERAL INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS. AN UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH WILL DEEPEN AS IT ENTERS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ON THURSDAY.
THE TROUGH WILL BRING MORE SNOW SHOWERS AND ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS...ALONG WITH COLDER TEMPERATURES. THE TROUGH WILL
LINGER OVER THE AREA ON CHRISTMAS...THEN SHIFT EAST ON SATURDAY AS
AN UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THE RIDGE WILL
BE SHORT-LIVED AS A NEW TROUGH ENTERS THE PACNW ON SUNDAY.
TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN COLD THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
&&
.AVIATION...DETERIORATING CONDITIONS WITH WIDESPREAD MVFR/IFR
RAIN AND SNOW DEVELOPING AFTER 12Z. SNOW LEVELS 3-4K FEET WILL
RISE TO 4- 5K FEET BY 18Z. MOUNTAINS OBSCURED. SURFACE
WINDS...SOUTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST 10-20 KNOTS INCREASING TO 15-25
KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS AFTER 18Z. WINDS ALOFT UP THROUGH 10K
FEET MSL...WEST 25-40 KNOTS INCREASING TO 40-60 KNOTS.
&&
.BOI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 8 AM MST TUESDAY
IDZ011-013-015-028-029-033.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM MST TUESDAY IDZ030.
OR...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM MST /7 AM PST/ TUESDAY
ORZ061>063.
&&
WEATHER.GOV/BOISE
SHORT TERM...KA
LONG TERM....BW
AVIATION.....BWThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 heavy snow, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter at Pine, Idaho reported 13 inches of new snow.
Eight inches of new snow was reported around the Gooding area.
Twelve inches of new snow was reported around the Fairfield area.
The Valley Interchange ITD site recorded a gust of 70 MPH and Jerome ASOS recorded a 61 MPH gust. Numerous reports of wind damage and power outages were received throughout Jerome and Twin Falls counties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, December 2015
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: 612517, 612518, 612520, 612521.