Ten to 20 inches of snow was common across portions of the central mountains and Upper Snake River Highlands on December 4th. Some school districts closed on December 5th due to the heavy snowfall.
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 PIH wrote it up.
Ten to 20 inches of snow was common across portions of the central mountains and Upper Snake River Highlands on December 4th. Some school districts closed on December 5th due to the heavy snowfall.
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 Dec 4, 1:58 AM MST, 3 hours 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 158 AM MST Sun Dec 4 2016 .SHORT TERM...Today through Tuesday night. Upper disturbance and its associated cold front continue to track southeastward from Vancouver Island. Initial impacts will be over the Central Mountains where the onset of the moderate to heavy snowfall will begin between 6am and 9am. Snow intensity and wind speeds will pick up over the Eastern Highlands later this morning and into the afternoon as the surface front approaches. The front should finally pass through the Snake Plain tonight as windspeeds peak around that time. This will present the possibility of blowing snow. Winds will remain strong through early Monday morning, then slowly diminish as the gradient loosens. Models bring cold temperatures after the system finally passes on Monday, but NAM/GFS differences appear Monday evening and Tuesday as the NAM appears the drier solution for the forecast area, or at least offering later timing of the next upstream system. Hinsberger .LONG TERM...Wednesday through next Sunday. The GFS and ECMWF are in good agreement this morning at least with regards to the development of Pacific storm systems. However, they may differ by as much as 12hrs on the timing of the passing systems. Generally speaking, it looks as if the next Pacific storm system will begin impacting the region as early as Thursday night and continue through Saturday morning before we begin to see some improvement through the day. The GFS drives a second storm system through SRN Idaho Sunday while the ECMWF has similar timing but is significantly weaker and less organized with its system. Statistical guidance shows a gradual warming trend through Friday as the next storm system approaches with daytime highs remaining cold enough to support snow throughout the forecast period. Huston && .AVIATION...Early morning satellite imagery was showing the next Pacific storm system digging into the NW Canadian coast with a stream of moisture directed at Idaho. Numerical models show the moisture pushing across SE Idaho today with enhanced precipitation potential along the NW facing slopes of the CNTRL and ERN mountains. The valley terminal sites get involved as the frontal boundary sweeps through the area sometime late this afternoon and evening. At a minimum I would anticipate at least MVFR CIGS with periods of IFR or LIFR CIGS/VSBY in SN at KBYI, KPIH and KIDA this afternoon/eve. KSUN may actually fair well in downslope flow through about 18Z before taking a digger as the frontal boundary rolls through the region. KDIJ will likely descend from MVFR CIGS early this morning to IFR and LIFR conditions by at least the 12Z forecast issuance and remain their throughout the duration of the forecast. Cross sections show improving conditions at all remaining terminals after 06z tonight in the wake of the frontal passage. Strong SW to NW winds will contribute to LLWS and turbulence. Huston && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning from 8 AM this morning to 6 AM MST Monday for IDZ032. Winter Storm Warning from 8 AM this morning to 5 PM MST Monday for IDZ019-023. Winter Storm Warning from 6 AM this morning to midnight MST tonight for IDZ018-031. Winter Storm Warning from 2 PM this afternoon to 5 PM MST Monday for IDZ025. &&
2 heavy snow, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
High elevation snowfall amounts were 11 inches at Dollarhide Summit, 10 inches at Galena and Galena Summit, 12 inches at Lost Wood Divide, and 16 inches at Vienna Mine. Six car crashes were reported in Blaine County.
A total of 18 inches was reported in Macks Inn. SNOTEL amounts were 12.5 inches at Phillips Bench, and 22 inches at White Elephant. Highway 32 cloes from Ashton to Tetonia for a time on the 4th. On December 5th the Teton School District number 401 was closed due to poor road conditions.
The North Gem School District 149 was closed on December 5th due to weather.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, December 2016
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: 671719, 671720, 671721.