Snow occurred across all of the Pocatello forecast region but the mountains received extremely heavy amounts. All mountain zones received over a foot of snow and some several feet of snow in the 54 hour period.
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.
Snow occurred across all of the Pocatello forecast region but the mountains received extremely heavy amounts. All mountain zones received over a foot of snow and some several feet of snow in the 54 hour period.
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 8, 9:21 AM MST, 39 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 921 AM MST Thu Dec 8 2016 .UPDATE...Progression of precipitation into East Idaho on target. Have made only minor update today to split weather grids to better depict spread of precip across region this afternoon and evening. Have made no changes to QPF or snow grids. Heaviest snowfall to target Snake Plain 21Z-06Z with snow continuing across higher elevations overnight. Headlines in great shape, no other updates planned at this time. DMH && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 340 AM MST Thu Dec 8 2016/ SHORT TERM...Today through Saturday. Active short term period with a variety of winter storm warnings and advisories in effect from this afternoon through Saturday. First round of precipitation will come this afternoon through tonight as Pacific moisture begins to overrun the very cold air currently in place over southeastern Idaho. Have winter storm warnings in effect for all mountain zones and a winter weather advisory for the Snake River Plain and Franklin County. Ended the advisory late Friday morning in the Snake Plain as warmer air should change any precipiation left to rain by Friday afternoon and evening. Kept the warnings in place for the mountains through Saturday as after a slight break in precipiation Friday morning heavier precipiation will move back in Friday afternoon and evening. Temperatures will remain very cold and below normal today then remain steady overnight or even rise and then rise to above normal by Friday. Expect snow levels to rise to above 5 thousand feet Friday afternoon then drop back down to valley floors Saturday afternoon. GK LONG TERM...Saturday night through next Thursday. Models continue to show our area remaining in a moist West Northwest flow Saturday night through early Tuesday. Expect mainly mountain showers. Though with heavier periods of moisture, snow will likely extend into the valleys. Will have to wait for future model runs to pin down timing of periods of heavier snow. Tuesday afternoon a trough drops down from the North leaving us in dry...very cold...North Northwest flow. Expect much cooler temperatures Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday. Late Wednesday into Thursday expect a moist West Southwest flow bringing back a good chance of snow. Though there is a lot of uncertainty, models are indicating a chance of rain and/or a rain snow mix across lower elevations for the Eastern Magic valley, Snake River plain and the Southern Highlands. Wyatt AVIATION...Expect fog at KPIH and to an lesser extent at KIDA through mid morning. Otherwise, look for VFR conditions until this afternoon when the next system arrives. KSUN and KBYI will be the first TAF sites to go down to MVFR/IFR conditions with snow around mid afternoon. KPIH and KIDA will drop down to MVFR/IFR conditions by late afternoon with KDIJ dropping down by early evening. Expect all TAF sites to remain in MVFR/IFR conditions through Thursday evening and most of Friday. Wyatt && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 1 PM this afternoon to 11 AM MST Friday for IDZ017-020-021. Winter Storm Warning until 5 PM MST Saturday for IDZ018-019-022- 023-025-031-032. Winter Weather Advisory from 1 PM this afternoon to 5 PM MST Saturday for IDZ024. &&
8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Ten inches of snow fell in Ketchum and Hailey. SNOTEL amounts wre the following: Chocolate Gulch 21 inches, Dollarhide Summit 36 inches, Garfield Ranger Station 11 inches, Galena 32 inches, Galena Summit 37 inches, Lost Wood Divide 36 inches, Swede Peak 18 inches, and Vienna Mine 46 inches.
The Hilt's Creek SNOTEL site recorded 17 inches of snow.
Spotters reported 15 total inches of snow in Stanley on the 9th and 10th. SNOTEL reports were: 14 inches at Bear Canyon, 13 inches at Smiley Mountain, and 16 inches at Stinckney Mill.
SNOTEL snow amounts were: 10 inches at Crab Creek, 14 inches at Island Park, and 15 inches at White Elephant.
Caribou Highlands SNOTEL amounts were: 19 inches at Pine Creek Pass, 25 inches at Sedgwick Peak, 9 inches at Somsen Ranch, 18 inches at Sheep Mountain, and 13 inches at Wildhorse Divide.
South Central Highlands SNOTEL amounts were: 26 inches at Bostetter Ranger Station, 41 inches at Howell Canyon, and 18 inches at Oxford Springs.
The Bern COOP observer reported 12 inches of snow on the 9th and 10th. SNOTEL amounts were the following: Emigrant Summit 35 inches, Giveout 13 inches, and Slug Creek Divide 16 inches.
A spotter reported 6 inches of snow had fallen in Rupert overnight on the 8th into the early morning hours on the 9th.
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: 671738, 671742, 671729, 671730, 671731, 671733, 671735, 671728.