large hail and thunderstorm winds.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 PIH wrote it up.
Lots of severe weather with funnel clouds...large hail and thunderstorm winds.
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 Oct 2, 7:35 AM MST, 1 minute earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 835 AM MDT SUN OCT 2 2016 .UPDATE... Updated the afternoon and evening forecast for rain chances to reflect a drying trend for part of the afternoon across southeast Idaho. Expect intense convection to develop late afternoon and evening with marginally severe thunderstorms possible roughly along and east of the I-15 corridor. Valle && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 306 AM MDT SUN OCT 2 2016/ SHORT TERM...Today through Tuesday. A plethora of potentially impactful weather is in store across SE Idaho the next couple of days, including strong thunderstorms, strong winds, a major temperature drop and mountain snow. The main concerns for today will be the threat for strong thunderstorms and non-thunderstorm gusty winds across the Southern Highlands and southern Snake Plain, with southerly wind gusts around 30 mph across these areas this afternoon. As for the thunderstorm threat, the best chance for strong thunderstorms will be between roughly 3 PM MDT this afternoon and 8 PM MDT this evening. The most favored locations will be over the Central Mountains and the Eastern Snake Plain east to the Wyoming border. The main threat from thunderstorms will be potentially damaging wind gusts and frequent lightning. Secondary impacts include the potential for large hail and brief heavy rain. However, relatively quick thunderstorm motions should limit flash flood threat. Thunderstorm development will be aided by a wave of low pressure swinging northward across the area during peak heating combined with an eastward-advancing strong surface cold front along with favorable environmental conditions for organized, long-lived thunderstorm cells and cell clusters. Another impact is the threat for mountain snowfall. After a strong cold front swings through the region Sunday night and Monday morning, snow levels will fall rapidly, especially when combined with falling precipitation. A strong area of low pressure will pass through SE Idaho on Monday, and the heaviest snows will be focused over the Central Mountains through the day. Several inches of snow will be possible, mainly above 7,000 feet elevation. This may result in slushy or snow-covered roads at pass level. The heaviest snows will then shift to the Eastern Highlands and Wyoming border region Monday afternoon and will continue through much of Monday night. Snow levels will be a bit lower here, perhaps as low as 6,000 to 6,500 feet. A Winter Weather Advisory has thus been issued for high terrain areas to highlight potential impacts to travel. A wind advisory has been issued for Monday afternoon and evening for the Snake Plain, southern Highlands and Eastern Magic valley. West to southwest winds will quickly increase late Monday afternoon across these areas, peaking from the mid-afternoon through the early evening hours. These winds will create difficult travel, especially on north-south routes. We may also see areas of blowing dust which will limit visibility. The amount of blowing dust will be limited for those areas that have seen recent rainfall, but nonetheless the threat does exist. The wind may also be strong enough to bring down some weaker tree branches, which if falling on wires could result in isolated power outages. LONG TERM...Tuesday through next Sunday. The strong low pressure will exit into Montana on Tuesday, spelling an end to the heaviest precipitation across the Eastern Highlands Tuesday morning. The break in precipitation will be short, however as a second disturbance moves in on its heels. This will bring another round of mountain snows beginning Tuesday afternoon across the Central Mountains and Tuesday evening across the Eastern Highlands. This activity is expected to continue through Wednesday night, with several additional inches of snowfall possible, mainly above 6,500 feet elevation. Drier air is expected to build into the region on Thursday, with showers gradually ending during the day. A warm-up is then expected to commence on Friday, with temperatures rebounding to around or slightly above climatological averages by next weekend. A few showers may skirt the Central Mountains and Continental Divide region Sunday, but confidence remains low on precipitation timing and placement at this forecast range. AD/GK AVIATION...Expect showers and thunderstorms throughout today at the TAF sites. Most widespread activity should be after noon local time. Should stay mainly VFR but in the heaviest showers could see a brief period of MVFR ceilings and visibility. Strong cold front moves through tonight and expect windy conditions at BYI...PIH and IDA with sustained winds approaching 30 knots with gusts near 40 knots. The threat for showers will continue as well with occasional MVFR ceilings as well. GK FIRE WEATHER...Will have widespread showers and thunderstorms again today with the brunt of the activity after noon. A strong cold front will pass through eastern Idaho late tonight and Monday morning. Expect about a 20 to 30 degree drop in high temperatures from Sunday to Monday with snow levels dropping to 6 to 7 thousand feet. Wetting rains are likely in places below the snow level with accumulating snow above 6500 feet. Very windy conditions are also likely mainly in zones 425 and 410 with sustained winds of 30 mph or greater possible Monday afternoon. Long term it should be a wet and cold week with temperatures well below normal for early October with a drying and warming trend beginning Friday into next weekend. GK && .PIH Watches/Warnings/Advisories... Wind Advisory from noon to 9 PM MDT Monday for IDZ017-020>022. Winter Weather Advisory from 6 AM Monday to midnight MDT Monday night for IDZ018-019-023-025-031-032. &&
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
544 AM MDT SUN OCT 2 2016
IDZ019-023-021245-
UPPER SNAKE HIGHLANDS ID-CARIBOU HIGHLANDS ID-
544 AM MDT SUN OCT 2 2016
...THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL
APPROACHING TETON VALLEY...
AT 543 AM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10
MILES WEST OF SWAN VALLEY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT
LIGHTNING. IN ADDITON...WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG
WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAIN.
SEEK A STURDY SHELER AND KEEP AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS
PASSED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 10 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 4331 11151 4343 11169 4406 11106 4405 11105
4363 11104
TIME...MOT...LOC 1143Z 222DEG 31KT 4346 11150
AD/GKThe Pocatello radar (KSFX), 106 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:33 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 3 funnel cloud, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A 60 mph wind gust recorded at the Rexburg airport ASOS.
A 60 mph wind gust measured at Sugar City mesonet site.
Funnel cloud reported in Roberts.
Two large cottonwood trees reported downed in Chester along with several tree limbs from other trees.
One inch hail in northwest Roberts.
Blown over semi reported by spotter on Hog Hollow Road near Highway 33.
Funnel cloud near Lund.
Golf ball sized hail reported at Chesterfield.
Funnel cloud reported near Lava Hot Springs. Radar indicated to south southeast of the town.
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, October 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 664047, 664049, 664046, 664053, 664045, 664055, 664056, 664051, 664057.