A small and compact spring weather system brought localized heavy snowfall to parts of North Idaho. Snow began just after midnight and continued to fall during the early morning hours before diminishing and ending near 7AM PDT.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 OTX wrote it up.
A small and compact spring weather system brought localized heavy snowfall to parts of North Idaho. Snow began just after midnight and continued to fall during the early morning hours before diminishing and ending near 7AM PDT. The highest reported snowfall total was 4.5 inches and it was reported to have occurred 1 mile south southwest of Rathdrum, Idaho...otherwise 3 inches of snow 10 miles south of Coeur d' Alene, Idaho was also reported.
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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 27, 9:35 PM PST, 2 hours 26 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Spokane WA 1035 PM PDT SUN MAR 27 2016 .SYNOPSIS... The threat of showers will persist into tonight and Monday with snow levels possibly lowering to the valley floors by Monday morning. Slushy snow accumulations will be possible for the Monday morning commute across extreme eastern Washington and in the central to northern Panhandle and mainly for elevations above above 2000 feet. Dry weather will return to the region on Tuesday and linger through Saturday. Sunday and Monday another wet weather system will be possible. && .DISCUSSION... Evening update to adjust PoPs and weather across the eastern half of the forecast area and to remove the thunderstorm wording in the zones. Now that it is after sunset, convection has diminished but there is an area of precipitation that is a concern. A spotter in Deer Lake reported a quick half inch of snow fell as an area of higher radar reflectivities moved across that location. This area of rain/snow is slowly headed for the Spokane metro area as of 8 pm. There are few webcams under the core of higher reflectivities but one shows snow accumulating on pine trees but not on roadways. Temperatures are currently in the low 40s but the heavy precip could quickly knock it down a few degrees. Still believe that any snow for Spokane and vicinity will either not accumulate on roadways or will not last long if it does. /Kelch && .AVIATION... 06Z TAFS: Expect MVFR conditions for KGEG/KSFF/KCOE through about 08Z as an area of light to moderate rain slowly tracks over the area. Conditions will deteriorate for eastern TAF sites after 10-12z as -RA transitions to -SN overnight. KEAT may get missed by precipitation and KMWH will be on the western edge. For the remainder of the forecast area expect increasing chances for snow or a rain/snow mix between 10-18z with conditions dropping to MVFR cigs/vsby. Expect improving conditions after 18Z but scattered showers will again develop in the afternoon then diminish after sunset. /EK && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Spokane 33 46 34 54 35 57 / 80 70 30 10 0 0 Coeur d'Alene 32 45 32 53 33 56 / 90 70 40 10 0 0 Pullman 31 43 32 54 34 56 / 50 60 20 10 10 0 Lewiston 34 50 35 59 37 59 / 30 30 10 10 10 0 Colville 33 54 32 59 32 63 / 90 40 20 10 0 0 Sandpoint 33 45 31 51 31 55 / 100 80 50 10 0 0 Kellogg 31 41 31 50 31 54 / 90 70 40 10 10 0 Moses Lake 34 57 35 63 35 65 / 20 30 10 10 10 0 Wenatchee 36 57 37 61 40 64 / 20 10 10 0 10 0 Omak 34 57 35 60 34 64 / 30 20 10 0 0 0 && .OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ID...None. WA...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service SPOKANE WA 839 AM PDT SUN MAR 27 2016 IDZ002-003-026-027-WAZ031>036-041-043-044-281545- COEUR D'ALENE AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE-LEWISTON AREA- LEWIS AND SOUTHERN NEZ PERCE COUNTIES-NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS- LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES-WASHINGTON PALOUSE- MOSES LAKE AREA-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN-SPOKANE AREA-WENATCHEE AREA- OKANOGAN VALLEY-WATERVILLE PLATEAU- 839 AM PDT SUN MAR 27 2016 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North Idaho... North Central Idaho...Central Washington...East Central Washington...North Central Washington...Northeast Washington and Southeast Washington. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY No hazardous weather is expected at this time. IDZ001-004-WAZ037-038-042-281545- NORTHERN PANHANDLE-CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS- NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS-OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS- EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES- 839 AM PDT SUN MAR 27 2016 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North Idaho... North Central Washington and Northeast Washington. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT Light to moderate snow will be possible over the mountain passes today and into tonight. There is also chance that light accumulating snows will develop over the valleys of extreme northeast Washington and north Idaho. Motorists with holiday travel plans should prepare for the possibility of winter driving conditions especially over the mountain passes. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY No hazardous weather is expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy snow, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter reported 4.5 inches of snow 1 mile south southwest of Rathdrum, Idaho.
A trained spotter reported 3 inches of snow 10 miles south of Coeur d' Alene, Idaho.
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, March 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: 616761, 616762.