Idaho, 2016Dust Storm and High Wind in Idaho, May 9, 2016
May 9, 2016 · NWS PIH · 3 events in 2 counties and zones
A post cold frontal wind storm affected the Upper Snake River Plain and Upper Snake River Highlands on May 9th. Several trees and power poles were downed with many people losing power for several hours.
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $8,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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.
A post cold frontal wind storm affected the Upper Snake River Plain and Upper Snake River Highlands on May 9th. Several trees and power poles were downed with many people losing power for several hours. Up to 24,000 residents in the valley were without power. Power was restored by 3:30 pm. Interstate 15 closed between Idaho Falls and Roberts from mile post 119 to mile post 134 due to blowing dust and visibility one quarter mile or less at 11:50 am and was closed until 6 pm.
What forecasters said that day
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 May 9, 7:53 AM MST, 2 hours 7 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 9, 7:53 AM MST, 2 hours 7 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
853 AM MDT MON MAY 9 2016
.UPDATE...UPPER TROUGH SHIFTING THROUGH MONTANA TODAY. DRY SLOT
WORKING ACROSS SOUTHERN HALF OF FORECAST AREA ALLOWING PLENTY OF
MIXING IN REGION OF STRONG SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT. WINDS
ALREADY PICKING UP AND APPROACHING ADVISORY CRITERIA EARLY THIS
MORNING. WILL LEAVE HEADLINE IN PLACE. WEAK CONVECTION ALREADY
DEVELOPING FURTHER NORTH IN UPPER SNAKE HIGHLAND AREA. INSTABILITY
NOT OVERLY IMPRESSIVE BUT GOOD SHEAR IN REGION OF GOOD OROGRAPHICS
AND DYNAMICS ASSOCIATED WITH TROUGH COULD LEAD TO ANOTHER ROUND OF
MARGINALLY SEVERE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON ESPECIALLY ACROSS
CLARK...FREMONT...MADISON AND TETON COUNTIES. HAVE TWEAKED GRIDS
TO ADJUST FOR THE ABOVE. ALL OTHER GRIDS TODAY APPEAR TO BE IN
GOOD SHAPE SO NO FURTHER UPDATES ANTICIPATED. DMH
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 336 AM MDT MON MAY 9 2016/
SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A SURFACE LOW OVER
NORTHERN IDAHO WILL MOVE OVER SOUTHWEST MONTANA TIGHTENING THE
SURFACE GRADIENT BRINGING MODERATE TO STRONG WINDS ACROSS THE
AREA. A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN
AND THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS. A TROUGH DROPS DOWN FROM THE LOW EARLY
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING IMPACTING MAINLY THE
UPPER SNAKE HIGHLANDS. MODERATE THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG OUTFLOW
WINDS AND SMALL TO MODERATE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE FOR FREMONT...
MADISON..JEFFERSON...TETON AND BONNEVILLE COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON
INTO EARLY EVENING. TUESDAY LOOK FOR CONTINUED MOISTURE TO MOVE
AROUND THE LOW BRINGING LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS AND ISOLATED
AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS. MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY 2 TO 5 INCHES OF
SNOW IS POSSIBLE MAINLY OVER THE UPPER SNAKE HIGHLANDS ABOVE 6000
FEET. HOWEVER...1 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE
PAHSIMEROI...BIG HOLE...CARIBOU HIGHLANDS AND EASTERN CENTRAL
MOUNTAINS MONDAY AND TUESDAY. WEDNESDAY LOOK FOR OVERALL DRY
CONDITIONS UNDER WEAK HIGH PRESSURE. EXPECT WELL BELOW NORMAL
TEMPERATURES TODAY AND TUESDAY BEFORE BECOMING SLIGHTLY BELOW
NORMAL BY WEDNESDAY. WYATT
LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...MODELS HAVE COME CLOSER
TOGETHER AND FAVOR A FLATTER RIDGE ON THURSDAY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE
OF SHOWERS ALONG THE IDAHO AND MONTANA BORDER THROUGH MONIDA PASS TO
ISLAND PARK. THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...RIDGE BEGINS TO INCREASE IN
AMPLITUDE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE STATE BUT IS STILL DIRTY ENOUGH
FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE UPPER SNAKE HIGHLANDS. THE
BIGGER QUESTIONS INVOLVES THE WEEKEND OUTLOOK. THE GFS IS QUICKER
WITH A CLOSED LOW ENTERING SOUTHERN IDAHO BY SATURDAY WHILE THE
ECMWF IS A DAY OR SO SLOWER. BOTH MODELS ARE FAVORING COLDER
TEMPERATURES AND AN UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN FOR THE WEEKEND. RS
AVIATION...WEST WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH WILL BE THE
MAIN CONCERN FOR TAF SITES IN THE SNAKE PLAIN TODAY. EVEN KSUN WILL
SEE SOME BREEZY WEST TO SW WINDS THIS AFTERNOON. LOW PRESSURE
DISTURBANCE SLIDING SOUTHEAST ALONG THE DIVIDE LATE THIS AFTERNOON
WILL BRING MVFR CEILINGS AND SHOWERS VICINITY TO KIDA AND POSSIBLY
KPIH BY 03Z. SNOW LEVELS LOWER TO NEAR 6000 FT MSL THIS EVENING. BY
EARLY TUESDAY MORNING...SHOWERS VICINITY EXPECTED AT KSUN AND KBYI
AS WELL. RS
&&
.PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR IDZ017-020>022.
&&
High Wind, Upper Snake River Plain
- When
- May 9, 10:00 AM MST to 7:00 PM MST
- Where
- Upper Snake River Plain forecast zone
- Measured
- 39 kt (45 mph) measured sustained
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Social Media
Strong winds at 40 mph with gusts to 60 mph downed power lines and trees with many without power in Ammon and Rigby. Multiple large trees were downed in Idaho Falls and Rigby. Several road and traffic signs were also downed and extensive damage to yard items like trampolines, greenhouses and playgrounds also occurred.
High Wind, Upper Snake Highlands
- When
- May 9, 10:30 AM MST to 6:00 PM MST
- Where
- Upper Snake Highlands forecast zone
- Measured
- 39 kt (45 mph) estimated sustained
- Property damage
- $3,000
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
A post cold frontal wind storm affected the Upper Snake River Highlands on May 9th. Several power poles in Ashton were downed with many residents losing power for several hours in Ashton, Chester, Marysville, and Newdale. Blowing dust dropped visibility to 0.3 miles in Marysville.
Dust Storm, Upper Snake River Plain
- When
- May 9, 10:40 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
- Where
- Upper Snake River Plain forecast zone
- Reported by
- Department of Highways
Interstate 15 closed between Idaho Falls and Roberts from mile post 119 to mile post 134 due to blowing dust and visibility one quarter mile or less at 11:50 am and was closed until 6 pm. Sustained winds of over 40 mph were measured at Osgood.
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
- Dust Storm
- Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 9, 20162 deaths · $5.5 million · EF4 · 39 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, May 9, 20162 injured · $3.3 million · EF3 · 13 events
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Nebraska, May 9 to 10, 2016$1.5 million · EF2 · 25 events
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Texas, May 9, 2016$511,000 · EF1 · 41 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, May 9 to 12, 2016$510,000 · 1 in hail · 30 events
- Tornado in Arkansas, May 9, 2016$500,000 · EF1 · 1 event
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, May 9, 2016$65,000 · 1.75 in hail · 53 events
- Blizzard and Flooding in Montana, May 9 to 15, 2016$450,000 · 5 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Nebraska, May 9, 2016$270,000 · EF0 · 9 events
- Hail in Kansas, May 9, 2016$190,000 · 1.75 in hail · 4 events
- Damaging Winds in Missouri, May 9, 2016$102,000 · 65 kt wind · 5 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Nebraska, May 9 to 10, 2016$46,000 · 2.75 in hail · 13 events
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: 634847, 634868, 634849.