25 in) hail in north central Idaho during the afternoon of May 23rd, 2015.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 MSO wrote it up.
A strong afternoon thunderstorm produced half dollar sized (1.25 in) hail in north central Idaho during the afternoon of May 23rd, 2015.
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 May 23, 1:05 PM PST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Missoula MT 305 PM MDT SAT MAY 23 2015 .DISCUSSION...Afternoon and evening showers will be possible again today, due to continued unsettled weather. Some lightning is possible is areas of showers, but will be infrequent. The locations least likely to experience showers and lightning will be Lincoln and Sanders counties in Montana, while most other locations in central Idaho and western Montana will see intermittent rainfall the rest of the day. Scattered showers and thunder will once again be possible in a nearly identical fashion for Sunday. Memorial Day and Tuesday a low pressure system to the northwest will slowly migrate over the area. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms will become more widespread on these days. Not all locations in western Montana and north central Idaho will get rain each day, but locations affected by showers can expect a few tenths of an inch. Over the course of the early week, most locations across the area will likely get accumulations of at least a quarter inch. Thunderstorms with lightning and small hail will be possible, so those with outdoor plans should plan accordingly. Expect a continued daily threat of showers and thunderstorms for the latter half of next week. The upper-level low will take its time to exit the area, allowing for continued enhancement of moisture and lift and thus continuing the diurnal storm threat Wednesday and possibly Thursday afternoons. Forecast certainty drops off quickly from that point on, so the current forecast reflects climatology which is a daily chance of showers/t-storms. && .AVIATION...Intermittent rain showers are likely for all terminals through roughly 24/0500Z, with lightning possible at KBTM and KSMN. Gusty winds out of the north-northeast will accompany showers, with gusts up to 25 kts possible through the same time frame. Unsettled conditions will return Sunday afternoon. && .MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MT...None. ID...None. &&
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT 326 PM PDT SAT MAY 23 2015 IDZ006-007-232300- OROFINO/GRANGEVILLE REGION ID-SOUTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS ID- 326 PM PDT SAT MAY 23 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL IDAHO COUNTY UNTIL 400 PM PDT... AT 325 PM PDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER LOWELL...OR 22 MILES EAST OF KAMIAH...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 20 MPH. HALF INCH HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... LOWELL...CLEARWATER AND SYRINGA. LAT...LON 4624 11553 4607 11537 4583 11577 4612 11598 TIME...MOT...LOC 2225Z 060DEG 19KT 4613 11557
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT 338 PM PDT SAT MAY 23 2015 IDZ005>007-232315- OROFINO/GRANGEVILLE REGION ID-SOUTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS ID- NORTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS ID- 338 PM PDT SAT MAY 23 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN IDAHO AND SOUTHWESTERN CLEARWATER COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM PDT... AT 337 PM PDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR PIERCE...OR 17 MILES NORTHEAST OF KAMIAH...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 25 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... PIERCE...WEIPPE...GLENWOOD AND MUSSELSHELL. LAT...LON 4652 11578 4640 11558 4618 11586 4638 11612 TIME...MOT...LOC 2237Z 041DEG 22KT 4640 11576
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
402 PM PDT SAT MAY 23 2015
IDZ005>007-232345-
OROFINO/GRANGEVILLE REGION ID-SOUTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS ID-
NORTHERN CLEARWATER MOUNTAINS ID-
402 PM PDT SAT MAY 23 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL IDAHO AND SOUTHWESTERN
CLEARWATER COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM PDT...
AT 402 PM PDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR HEADQUARTERS TO NEAR
EAST KAMIAH TO 17 MILES SOUTH OF LOWELL...AND MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 25
MPH.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH
WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
GRANGEVILLE...KAMIAH...KOOSKIA...WEIPPE...EAST KAMIAH...CLEARWATER...
STITES...WOODLAND...FALL CREEK...HARPSTER...GOLDEN...WINONA...
NEWSOME...PARDEE AND GLENWOOD.
LAT...LON 4621 11613 4623 11601 4630 11613 4641 11613
4675 11586 4628 11586 4588 11552 4542 11573
4588 11613
TIME...MOT...LOC 2302Z 024DEG 20KT 4661 11591 4622 11591 4588 11562The Missoula radar (KMSX), 146 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:30 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The public reported half dollar sized (1.25 in) hail that fell in the woods near Headquarters, ID. Pictures confirmed the size of hail.
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, May 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: 578687.