Flooding in Idaho, February 8 to 10, 2017

Name: Flooding in Idaho, February 8 to 10, 2017
Start: 2017-02-08T15:00
End: 2017-02-10T18:00
Location: Idaho

February 8 to 10, 2017 · NWS BOI · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Strong Southwesterly flow behind a warm front spread heavy rain across most of the intermountain west. Flooding occurred in most of South Central Idaho.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $6.8 million
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 BOI wrote it up.

Strong Southwesterly flow behind a warm front spread heavy rain across most of the intermountain west. Flooding occurred in most of South Central Idaho.

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 Boise, ID wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 8, 10:00 AM MST, 5 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 8, 10:00 AM MST, 5 hours before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Boise ID
1000 AM MST Wed Feb 8 2017

.DISCUSSION...No updates. The short break in precipitation will end
this afternoon as more moisture arrives, transported by a strong
upper level flow from the southwest. Widespread precipitation
tonight and Thursday will be enhanced by warm air advection and
orographic lift. Mountain areas will be favored, with the higher
terrain of central Idaho and Baker County Oregon, with precipitation
estimates ranging from around half an inch along the edge of the
Snake River Valley to well over two inches over the higher
elevations. Temperatures will be about 10 degrees warmer on
Thursday, and stay above freezing in most areas overnight. Also
expect breezy to windy conditions.

&&

.AVIATION...MVFR rain and snow will develop and become widespread
after 18Z. Local IFR conditions and mountain obscurations. Snow
levels 3000-5000 ft MSL, except rising to 5000-6500 ft MSL south of
a KBNO-KJER line after 18Z. Surface winds: variable 10 kts or less,
becoming mainly S-SE 5-15 kts with gusts to 20 kts after 18Z. Winds
aloft near 10 KFT MSL: Southwest 30-50 kts.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...Flood advisory for minor flooding will continue today
in Twin Falls County.  Significant rain and warming is expected in
all areas tonight and especially Thursday as the next Pacific warm
front comes in. Heaviest rain, 1.50 to 2.50 inches total, will fall
in the Boise Mountains and West Central Idaho mountains, with snow
level in those areas rising to 7000 to 7500 feet.  Main stem rivers
will rise but remain below flood stage through Thursday.
Precipitation will decrease to showers Friday, and then turning
colder.  No more precipitation after that until well into next week.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...
SHORT TERM...Isolated light rain and snow showers in the northern
mountains this morning.  Next Pacific storm will spread more
precipitation over southeast Oregon this afternoon and all areas
tonight through Thursday.  This storm will be warmer and wetter than
the previous storm and will accelerate snowmelt and raise river
levels, especially on Thursday.  The storm's warm front will move
northeast through our CWA tonight and stall in central Idaho
Thursday, where heavy amounts of rain will soak into the snowpack.
Total rainfall this afternoon through sunset Thursday will be 1.50
to 2.50 inches in the Boise Mountains and West Central Idaho
Mountains. About a half-inch is expected from Baker, Oregon, through
Boise, to Twin Falls.  A quarter inch in most of Harney and Malheur
Counties, and about a tenth of an inch in southern Harney County.
Snow level will rise to 7000-8000 feet MSL by sunrise Thursday, and
stay there Thursday with highest levels in south-central Idaho. High
temperatures today will be much like Tuesday, but little or no
cooling is expected tonight, and then significantly warmer Thursday
with highs in the 40s in the mountains and 45 to 55 in the valleys,
possibly 60 in southern Malheur County.  So the heaviest rain will
in the Idaho Mountains, and where rainfall is least (in se Oregon)
temperatures will be highest.  Either way, more liquid water by late
Thursday.  Finally, southeast winds will increase through Thursday,
reaching 20-30 mph in the Upper Treasure and Magic Valleys, and all
of eastern Oregon Thursday.

LONG TERM...Thursday night through Wednesday. A very moist flow
will continue to impact the area, especially the Idaho Central
Mountains through Friday.  By Friday evening into Saturday, the main
trough axis will swing through, along with a cold front.  The cold
front is fairly dry, so once it moves through, that will begin a
prolonged period of dry conditions.  Models continue to show an
upper level ridge setting up for Saturday through Wednesday.  At
this point, valleys are not expected to become inverted and cold,
but rather mild and near normal with mostly clear skies.

&&

.BOI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...None.
OR...None.

&&

www.weather.gov/Boise
www.facebook.com/NWSBoise
www.twitter.com/NWSBoise

DISCUSSION...JT
AVIATION.....BW
HYDROLOGY...LC
PREV SHORT TERM...LC
PREV LONG TERM....EP

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, Gooding

When: February 8, 3:00 PM MST to February 9, 6:00 AM MST
Where: Gooding County, Hagerman to 1.32 mi S of Hagerman
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: $1.5 million
Reported by: Social Media
Coordinates: 42.820, -114.880

Rain and snowmelt on top of saturated and frozen soil led to widespread flooding. A report from social media indicated much of the town of Hagerman including the city park was flooded. Widespread flooding of agricultural lands occurred and some roads were damaged and closed due to flooding.

Flood, Ada

When: February 8, 6:00 PM MST to February 9, 6:00 PM MST
Where: Ada County, 1.71 mi W of Boise Terminal Arpt to 2.13 mi SSE of Beatty
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 43.569, -116.264

Neighborhood roads and yards along Cole Road submerged due to flooding along Five Mile Creek.

Flood, Elmore

When: February 8, 6:00 PM MST to February 9, 6:00 PM MST
Where: Elmore County, 5.83 mi NNW of Cleft to 5.23 mi NNW of Cleft
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 43.303, -115.887

A road was washed out cutting access to Souls Rest Creek neighborhood.

Flood, Gem

When: February 8, 6:00 PM MST to February 9, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Gem County, 9.63 mi NNW of Plaza to 10.56 mi NW of Sweet
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 44.050, -116.490

The emergency manager reported high water and debris along Big Willow Creek and water running over Big Willow Road northeast of Dry Creek.

Flood, Jerome

When: February 8, 6:00 PM MST to February 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where: Jerome County, Jerome to 0.33 mi WNW of Barrymore
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: $2.8 million
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 42.720, -114.520

Rainfall and rapid melting of low elevation snowpack on top of frozen and saturated soil led to widespread flooding. Many roads around Jerome were damaged and closed due to flood waters. Widespread flooding of agricultural lands occurred.

Flood, Twin Falls

When: February 8, 6:00 PM MST to February 10, 6:00 PM MST
Where: Twin Falls County, (Twf)twin Falls Arpt to 5.57 mi NW of Twin Falls
Cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: $2.5 million
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 42.480, -114.480

Rainfall coupled with rapid melting of low elevation snowpack on top of frozen and saturated soil led to widespread flooding. Many county roads and large sections of agricultural land were flooded. County Road 1100 East was washed out at the Deep Creek crossing and many other roads were closed and severely damaged. Snow and ice filled canals caused water to overflow canal banks and contribute to the flooding.

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, February 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: 690706, 690703, 690704, 690705, 690707, 690709.