A 2,000 wildfire located 5 miles west of Arco began on July 4th and was completely contained on July 9th.
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.
A 2,000 wildfire located 5 miles west of Arco began on July 4th and was completely contained on July 9th.
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 Jul 4, 1:03 PM MST, 2 hours 57 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 203 PM MDT MON JUL 4 2016 .DISCUSSION...Early afternoon satellite imagery was showing a low pressure center over east-cntrl British Columbia (BC) with a fairly significant short-wave disturbance transitioning through the base of the trough over Idaho. Wind speeds have already begun to ramp up across the region and all wind associated advisories will continue through 9 PM MDT this evening. Regional radar imagery was showing a ribbon of light precipitation extending from Mackay through Island Park and models suggest that as the aforementioned short-wave shifts through the region this evening the focus for convective activity will shift into the ERN and SE highlands. A fairly significant chunk of the BC low ejects east across Canada late tonight while the remaining circulation ingests a weak PAC disturbance Tuesday morning encouraging the upper low to dig south into NRN Washington Tuesday afternoon/eve supporting breezy conditions across SE Idaho and isolated convection over the ERN highlands. The low shifts slowly east along the Canadian border Tuesday night/Wednesday encouraging isolated to scattered thunderstorm activity late Tuesday night increasing in coverage through the day on Wednesday. Breezy to windy conditions are also anticipated across the region Wednesday afternoon/eve as the trough axis shifts through the NRN Rockies. SE Idaho falls between systems Thursday/Thursday night as the next deep PAC low digs SE toward the NW coast. Warmer temperatures are expected Friday under the increasing SW flow aloft with isolated evening convection over the NRN mountains. The upper low shifts into the Washington coast Saturday with an associated band of precipitation spreading into the CNTRL Idaho mountains and breezy conditions surfacing across the Snake River Plain. The models are now showing the upper low sweeping east through CNTRL Idaho into WRN Montana Saturday night/Sunday a little further north than yesterdays projections. The brunt of the precipitation is expected to fall across the NRN mountains while the Snake Plain and SRN highlands see a fairly dry but strong cold frontal passage Sunday afternoon. If the track holds as progged we should see very strong winds throughout SE Idaho and significantly cooler temperatures. Again, SE Idaho falls between systems Monday as yet another PAC low settles into the NW coastal waters promoting dry, mild and breezy conditions across the area. Huston && .AVIATION...A wave off a low pressure pressure system over British Columbia is bringing breezy to moderate winds across the area. Expect afternoon gusts of 30 to 35 mph for KPIH and KIDA. KBYI and KSun will be breezy but will only see gusts near 15 to 20 mph. Expect breezy winds tomorrow afternoon as well as the low pressure system starts to move Southeast toward Montana. Wyatt && .FIRE WEATHER...A wave off a low pressure pressure system over British Columbia is bringing breezy to moderate winds across the area. Low Humidity of 8 to 18 percent is expected across much of the Salmon-Challis Forest with 15 to 25 percent expected elsewhere. Look for winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts near 40 mph. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect for Zone 475 as well as a Wind Advisory remains in effect for the Arco Desert. Expect the winds to diminish around 8 to 9 pm this evening. There is a weak boundary from the Owyee Mountains northeast to Island Park that will bring isolated showers and thunderstorms this afternoon into early evening. Tuesday look for breezy winds to redevelop over the Central mountains and Snake river plain as the low pressure system moves southeast from British Columbia toward Western Montana. Expect slightly cooler temperatures and slightly higher relative humidities as well as isolated showers and thunderstorms mainly for the Eastern Highlands on Tuesday. By Wednesday the low pressure system moves over Western Montana. Look for breezy to moderate winds again as well as slightly cooler temperatures, higher relative humidities and isolated showers and thunderstorms for the Central Mountains, Upper Snake Highlands and the Eastern Highlands. Look for drier and warmer conditions Thursday and particularly Friday ahead of the next system coming through Saturday into Sunday. This system will bring moderate winds and higher relative humidities as models continue to show good chances of precipitation. Wyatt && .PIH Watches/Warnings/Advisories... Lake Wind Advisory continues through 9 PM MDT this evening for IDZ021. Wind Advisory continues through 9 PM MDT this evening for IDZ020. Red Flag Warning continues through 9 PM MDT this evening for IDZ475. &&
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 230 PM MDT MON JUL 4 2016 IDZ023-025-042100- CARIBOU HIGHLANDS ID-WASATCH MOUNTAINS/IDAHO PORTION ID- 230 PM MDT MON JUL 4 2016 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM SOUTHWEST OF THAYNE WY HEADING IN THAT GENERAL DIRECTION THROUGH 3 PM MDT... AT 227 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES WEST OF STAR VALLEY REST AREA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. HALF INCH HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM AS IT LIFTS NORTHEAST TOWARD THAYNE WYOMING. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... DIAMOND CREEK CAMPGROUND AND SMOKEY CANYON MINE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE. && LAT...LON 4254 11135 4275 11151 4301 11105 4260 11105 TIME...MOT...LOC 2027Z 239DEG 28KT 4284 11115 HUSTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID 456 PM MDT MON JUL 4 2016 IDZ023-025-042345- CARIBOU HIGHLANDS ID-WASATCH MOUNTAINS/IDAHO PORTION ID- 456 PM MDT MON JUL 4 2016 ...WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH FOR SOUTHEASTERN CARIBOU...NORTHEASTERN FRANKLIN AND NORTHERN BEAR LAKE COUNTIES UNTIL 545 PM MDT... AT 456 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR GEORGETOWN...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... MONTPELIER...GEORGETOWN...GEORGETOWN SUMMIT...BERN...LIBERTY... GENEVA...EMMIGRANT SUMMIT...CLEAR CREEK RANGER STATION... GENEVA SUMMIT...BENNINGTON...SMOKEY CANYON MINE AND OVID. LAT...LON 4227 11156 4254 11160 4273 11104 4233 11105 TIME...MOT...LOC 2256Z 250DEG 26KT 4248 11146 HEDGES
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
A 2,000 wildfire located 5 miles west of Arco began on July 4th and was completely contained on July 9th. No damage to structures was reported.
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, July 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: 653751.