Flooding in Idaho, April 1 to 26, 2017

Name: Flooding in Idaho, April 1 to 26, 2017
Start: 2017-04-01T00:01
End: 2017-04-26T05:00
Location: Idaho

April 1 to 26, 2017 · NWS PIH · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Some flooding continued throughout the month but not as severe as previous months or the future river flooding in May and June.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PIH wrote it up.

Some flooding continued throughout the month but not as severe as previous months or the future river flooding in May and June.

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 Mar 31, 1:19 PM MST, 10 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 1:19 PM MST, 10 hours 42 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
219 PM MDT Fri Mar 31 2017

.SHORT TERM...The wrap around moisture associated with the low
near Four Corners is decreasing in our area as the low moves to
the east. This leaves a short wave ridge over the area on
Saturday, then a minor disturbance on Sunday and Monday. There
will be a chance of showers along the Eastern Highlands Sunday
afternoon and evening. The models have been trending drier across
the Central mountains and the Snake Plain. Pops were trimmed back
in those areas. The disturbance expected to slide southeast along
the Divide has been tracking a bit slower, thus the drier
conditions over much of the area leading into Sunday, models now
have it slipping into Southeast Idaho Monday and Monday night with
less impact. RS

.LONG TERM...Monday night through next Friday. We are looking to dry
out on Tuesday as a storm moves east of the state.  The ECMWF is a
bit slower than the GFS at the moment so keep some mention through
the day across eastern areas especially east of I-15. The models
continue to trend drier as the ridge over the west is stronger and
slower to give way. We are still looking for rain and snow showers
Friday as a weakening system tries to kick the ridge far enough
east. With a stronger ridge, we did warm temperatures up more for
the middle of next week.  This is NOT good news for those looking
for any relief from flooding across portions of eastern Idaho,
although a lot of snow left to melt is really at mid and upper
elevations vs in the valleys. Keyes

&&

.AVIATION...Northerly flow continues across the area this afternoon
with showers on the decrease. Strong northerly winds will continue
into this evening before dying down.  MVFR continues in some spots
due to lingering low clouds. Otherwise, VFR weather is forecast into
Saturday.  That said, with all of the moisture around and decreasing
winds, we COULD see a few pockets of stratus or fog. We did put a
scattered IFR/LIFR deck in for KBYI, KPIH and KIDA for tomorrow
morning. Keyes

&&

.Hydrology...Cooler overnight temperatures will help slow some
runoff the next couple of nights. Perhaps the best help comes with
the trend towards drier conditions Saturday into Monday. Not
adding a lot of new rain will help. However, the later part of the
week we will be moving towards temperatures warming above normal
and that will help bring some more snow off the mountains. RS

&&

.PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None.

&&

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Blaine

When: April 1, 12:01 AM MST to April 6, 10:00 AM MST
Where: Blaine County, 5 mi NW of Magic City to 10 mi W of Magic City
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 43.331, -114.440

Continued releases from Magic Reservoir closed West Magic Road due to flooding on the 1st and 2nd and only short openings on the 3rd through the 5th to allow residents of West Magic Village to get to work. By the end of the first week of April residents had open travel access to the West Magic Village.

Flood, Lincoln

When: April 1, 12:01 AM MST to April 7, 6:00 AM MST
Where: Lincoln County, 12 mi SW of Shoshone to 18 mi S of Kimama
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 42.807, -114.568

Releases form the Magic Reservoir the last two days of March continued into the first week of April and some field flooding along the Big Wood River continued including a washed out bridge on personal property. The man was blocked in his home for a few days.

Flood, Madison

When: April 2, 3:00 AM MST to April 26, 5:00 AM MST
Where: Madison County, 3 mi N of Plano to 10 mi W of Thornton
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 43.923, -111.880

Madison County declared a flood emergency. Action was taken to help mitigate river bank erosion. Erosion occurred due to the high runoff. Some flooding occurred 6 miles east of Lorenzo Highway near Twin Bridges. Over 300 truck loads of riprap rock was delivered to the Sunnydell irrigation canal along the Snake River upstream of Archer Road in the attempt at erosion mitigation. More work was done at the Roth location along the Heise-Roberts levee 1 mile upstream of the Lorenzo Bridge.

Flood, Bannock

When: April 4, 1:00 AM MST to April 25, 4:00 AM MST
Where: Bannock County, Pocatello to 2 mi SW of Pocatello
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 42.870, -112.430

The Portneuf River continued to flood through much of April with the gauge in Pocatello above flood stage much of the month and occasionally to moderate flooding stage. Sacajawea Park was under water for much of the month. Some flooding continued also in the Inkom area from the river with the area between BlackRock and Inkom off Portneuf road, and the subdivision off of Leo Lane.

Flood, Caribou

When: April 4, 2:00 AM MST to April 15, 8:00 AM MST
Where: Caribou County, 5 mi N of Wayan to 5 mi W of Wayan
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 43.052, -111.370

Flooding subsided in April with only minor flooding continuing mainly field sheet flooding in the bird refuge in Wayan.

Flood, Bear Lake

When: April 4, 3:00 AM MST to April 20, 5:00 AM MST
Where: Bear Lake County, 8 mi NW of Nounan to 3 mi W of Paris
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 42.552, -111.561

There continued to be mainly minor flooding of the Bear River. There remained extensive field flooding with much of it between Dingle and Pegram.

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Idaho in 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in Idaho, April 2017

Sources

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: 695531, 695534, 695343, 695331, 695341, 695339.