Heavy snow fell again in the central and southeast mountains of Idaho. Several SNOTEL sites reported over 10 inches of snow.
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.
Heavy snow fell again in the central and southeast mountains of Idaho. Several SNOTEL sites reported over 10 inches of snow.
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 Feb 17, 1:15 PM MST, 4 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 115 PM MST Fri Feb 17 2017 .SHORT TERM...Tonight through Sunday night. A large Pac storm system over CA will gradually move northeast into the Great Basin on Sat. The first wave of precip is already showing up in northern NV/UT and southern ID. Precip will become widespread by Sat morn. Strong southerly flow ahead of the system will maximize precip over the southern portion of the central mtns...extending eastward along the Divide due to upslope. This will be in the form of heavy snow mainly above 6500 ft. Heavier precip will also extend into the northern portion of the Snake River Plain...although most of this should be rain. The rest of the area should see much lighter precip...especially along the I-86/I-15 corridor from Burley to Blackfoot due to strong downslope flow. This will be rain and some high elevation snow. This will be the situation into Sat night. As a cold front moves thru early Sun morn...the flow will turn more westerly. This will allow precip to become heavier over the previously downsloped areas. Precip finally tapers off Sun night...for this storm. Snowfall amounts are expected to range from 12 to 18 inches in the central mtns...and 8 to 12 inches in the upper Snake Highlands. Snowfall in the eastern and southern highlands should only be a few inches at higher elevations. Southerly winds are expected to pick up strength tonight and continue thru Sat. Rainfall amounts are expected to range from 0.5 to 0.75 inch. Hedges .LONG TERM...Monday through Friday. Nose of advancing atmospheric river will be at our doorstep Monday morning. This will herald the return of moderate to heavy rain/mountain snow to begin the work week. The moisture transport will likely be sustained through Tuesday with the Central Mountains likely getting moderate to heavy snowfall through Tuesday afternoon. We may possibly get a brief break from precip Tuesday night, but a more dynamic system will approach from the west Wednesday morning and will impact the forecast area through Friday. This system is more pronounced in the 12Z GFS run than the ECMWF, which supports a broader upper trough, but is still a widespread precipitation producer. Snow levels drop as the system shifts eastward, and will finally reach the valley floors Wednesday afternoon. Temperatures and rainfall will continue to erode the lower level snowpack leading to more runoff and will likely extend flood risks through Friday. Hinsberger && .AVIATION...Another dry and stable afternoon will give way to another wet and unsettled evening. A vigorous shortwave will lift out of a low positioned off the California coast with the leading edge of precipitation reaching the TAF sites by 00Z to 02Z. KBYI should remain VFR, but could see brief periods of MVFR. Models are suggesting predominant precip type will be snow at KSUN and KDIJ, but forecast soundings favor rain or a rain/snow mix. Have opted for -RASN at KSUN and -RASN changing over to -SN at KDIJ in the early morning hours. Forecast soundings also show increasing boundary- layer winds overnight which suggests the potential for low- level wind shear. Hinsberger && .HYDROLOGY...Widespread rain will dominate the weather over the weekend. Over the southern part of the fcst area...precip will be generally lighter...but become heavier by Sun morn. This will likely result in worsening flooding conditions. Another storm system is due to hit on Mon. Hedges && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning from 8 PM this evening to 5 PM MST Sunday for IDZ018-019-031-032. &&
5 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The Stanley COOP site received 10 inches of snow. Heavy amounts at SNOTEL sites were: 13 inches at Bear Canyon and 22 inches at Smiley Mountain.
The Crab Creek SNOTEL received 19 inches of snow and the Island Park COOP site received 7 inches.
The Sedgwick Peak SNOTEL reported 10 inches of snow.
The following snow amounts were recorded at SNOTEL sites: Chocolate Gulch 11 inches, Dollarhide Summit 15 inches, Galena Summit 13 inches, Lost Wood Divide 15 inches, Swede Peak 14 inches and Vienna Mine 12 inches.
The Hilt's Creek SNOTEL recorded 19 inches of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, February 2017
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: 681119, 681122, 681123, 681124, 681125.