A line of thunderstorms stretching across South Central Idaho produced strong, gusty winds which caused a dust storm along Interstate 84 near Hazelton. The decreased visibility in the dust storm resulted in a multi vehicle pile up, including one fatality.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
A line of thunderstorms stretching across South Central Idaho produced strong, gusty winds which caused a dust storm along Interstate 84 near Hazelton. The decreased visibility in the dust storm resulted in a multi vehicle pile up, including one fatality.
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 Jun 6, 1:38 PM MST, 5 hours 37 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Boise ID 238 PM MDT MON JUN 6 2016 .SHORT TERM...Tonight through Wednesday... A small upper level low has moved through the overall ridge flow and is currently located over Northern Nevada. Overnight showers and thunderstorms tapered off briefly this morning but have begun to redevelop as expected, mainly in the Idaho Central Mountains. An increase in coverage of this convection is expected through the rest of the afternoon and evening. The main threat will be brief heavy rain under the slow moving cores, and gusty outflow winds. Convective parameters and DCAPE values support the potential for 40-50 mph gusts but severe storms are not anticipated. The heavy rain is not likely to cause widespread flooding, but the potential exists for some fire burn scar flooding if a stronger core moves directly over a scar. This will be monitored but no headlines are out at this time. Also, very frequent lighting has been observed with these storms yesterday and today, and that trend is likely to continue through midnight MDT tonight. By Tuesday, the upper level low will have moved off to the east of the CWA, but it will continue to produce showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday afternoon and evening in the mountains. Impacts will look similar to today. By Wednesday, the ridge axis and the embedded low will far enough to the east that the area will transition into a southwest flow with another larger upper low positioned off of the British Columbia coast. Minimal diurnal showers are possible in the northern most portions of the CWA (Mccall and Baker City northward)on Wednesday. Temperatures during this period will remain well above normal, and Wednesday will be the hottest day with high records likely being broken. .LONG TERM...Wednesday night through Saturday...Relatively dry southwest flow aloft Thursday through Friday will keep temperatures above normal, although there will be a slight cooling trend due to eastward shift of the thermal trough. Models show the best support for showers and thunderstorms over the central Idaho mountains and the higher terrain of southeast Oregon, with no more than isolated showers and thunderstorms at lower elevations. By 00z Saturday models are in close agreement on positioning an upper level trough over the Northwest Coast. The cold front is forecast to cross our area Friday night. Timing is slower than previous runs, reflecting a trend to delay the inland progress of the the system. This is compatible with the blocking pattern over North America. Cooler, drier, and more stable air will follow the front on Saturday, lowering max temperatures to around 5 degrees below normal. Saturday night through Monday...The upper trough continues to pass through Saturday night into Sunday. There's a slight chance of precipitation for the West Central Mountains Sunday morning, then as this trough continues to progresses eastward, a slight break in the weather will occur before the next trough starts to make its way down from off the British Columbia coast. Temperatures will increase Monday with this clearing and sit a few degrees above the normal. && .AVIATION...VFR. Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms over the higher terrain through this evening, with isolated showers and thunderstorms at lower elevations. Local heavy rain and strong gusty winds are possible. Isolated showers and thunderstorms will continue past 06z, mainly ending by 12z, but redeveloping Tuesday afternoon. Surface winds variable in direction 10 kts or less, except gusts to around 45kt near thunderstorms. Winds aloft at 10K ft MSL southwest to north NE 5-10kt. && .BOI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ID...None. OR...None. && www.weather.gov/Boise www.facebook.com/NWSBoise www.twitter.com/NWSBoise SHORT TERM...EP LONG TERM....JT/JC AVIATION.....JT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE ID
446 PM MDT MON JUN 6 2016
IDZ011-062330-
WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS ID-
446 PM MDT MON JUN 6 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN VALLEY COUNTY UNTIL
530 PM MDT...
AT 446 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
PONDEROSA CAMPGROUND...OR 22 MILES NORTHEAST OF MCCALL...MOVING
SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
PONDEROSA CAMPGROUND AROUND 450 PM MDT.
LICK CREEK SUMMIT...UPPER PAYETTE LAKE AND LAKE FORK GUARD STATION
AROUND 530 PM MDT.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
WHEN SAFE TO DO SO...PLEASE RELAY STORM REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN BOISE IDAHO VIA LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT...OR NWS
BOISE FACEBOOK AND TWITTER ACCOUNTS.
&&
LAT...LON 4507 11562 4491 11597 4515 11613 4520 11586
4520 11570
TIME...MOT...LOC 2246Z 066DEG 10KT 4512 11577
BWThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Idaho State Police reported a pile up of four semi trucks, two SUVs and two passenger cars on Interstate 84 near Hazelton due to a dust storm caused by strong thunderstorm winds. One fatality was reported and several people were taken to the hospital.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dust Storm, Western Magic Valley | 2016-06-06 | Other | Direct |
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, June 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: 632506.