Snow and winds caused road closures and lost snow mobiles due to restricted visibility with search and rescue needed in Franklin County to find a lost individual.
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.
Snow and winds caused road closures and lost snow mobiles due to restricted visibility with search and rescue needed in Franklin County to find a lost individual.
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 4, 2:36 PM MST, 3 hours 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 236 PM MST Sat Mar 4 2017 .SHORT TERM...There is a little extra digging of the low pressure system moving inland, causing timing to be a little slower. The surface low is developing east of the Cascades and the front is expected to enter the Central Mountains Sunday morning and move east of Idaho Falls and Pocatello by Sunday evening. Meanwhile, clouds and precipitation have spread over the mountains around Sun Valley, Challis, and Stanley today. A Winter Weather Advisory was issued for the Eastern Highlands Sunday. Snow fall amounts look to be up to seven inches above 6500 feet elevation, 2 to 4 inches below that through the day Sunday into early Monday morning. Brisk winds also expected ahead of and behind the front. Temperatures have warmed well above freezing in portions of the Eastern Magic Valley and Lower Snake Plain. Rain and snow will accompany the front on Sunday, perhaps a couple of tenths of liquid water equivalent with rain on snow to bring more threat of flooding. This storm system moves east of this area by Monday evening, leaving more scattered showers in westerly flow over the mountains. RS .LONG TERM...Tuesday night through next Saturday night. System is forecast to be exiting the region Tuesday night with widespread mountain snow showers decreasing, particularly over the Eastern Highlands. Snow showers may linger over the Sawtooths through Wednesday, but activity should be light and showery. Southwest flow is forecast to become stronger on Thursday, ushering in above- average temperatures across the region, with melting levels increasing to 7,000 - 7,500 feet, allowing for increased snowmelt fore these areas. The next surge of precipitation is slated for Friday, with precipitation beginning over the Sawtooths and remainder of the Central Mountains, before overspreading all of SE Idaho later in the day. Expect mainly rain below 6,500 to 7,000 feet elevation with several inches of snow above this elevation range. Into early next weekend, waves of precipitation are expected to continue as moist westerly flow remains in place. Colder air may begin to filter into the region by early next week with GFS suggesting potential for snow at valley locations while ECMWF maintains warmer temperatures. Have split the difference here, which is more in line with ensemble members. This suggests some potential for snow across the Snake Plain Saturday, but at this time amounts are expected to be light. Still quite a bit of uncertainty in the details at this forecast range, however. Main idea is active weather is expected to continue, with above-average temperatures Wed-Fri, with a cooldown expected into next weekend. AD/RS && .AVIATION...Conditions have quickly improved at KSUN as snow has exited the region as of 19Z Sat. VFR conditions expected at all TAF sites into this evening. Convective-allowing models allow for the development of isolated thunderstorms PIH-IDA and points east from generally 04-09Z, so have added VCTS to IDA and PIH. Expect another round of snow at KSUN to develop Sunday morning, with attendant drops in CIGs and VIS. SN possibly heavy enough to force CIGs down to or below airfield minimums. Lingering uncertainty on onset timing, so current forecast reflects a blend of available models. Band of precipitation expected to impact BYI by around 18Z, by late afternoon at PIH and IDA and by around sunset at KDIJ. For PIH, IDA and DIJ, RA or RASN mix expected at onset but expect a quick turnover to SN. SN may be briefly heavy as this band swings through with potential for IFR or LIFR CIGs/VIS. Even some potential for TSSN. AD/RS && .HYDROLOGY...Afternoon high hitting near 50F in a few spots today. Ground has dried some in a number of areas, but local ponding of water still exists. The cold front expected on Sunday will bring a mix of rain and snow with up to a couple of tenths of liquid water possible in the East Magic Valley and Lower Snake Plain. Timing of the front has it clearing Idaho Falls and Pocatello around 5 to 6 pm. Cold air follows and will bring snow levels back down Sunday evening and Monday. RS .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch through Monday morning for IDZ017-019>024. Winter Weather Advisory from 5 AM Sunday to 5 AM MST Monday for IDZ019-023-025. Winter Storm Warning until 11 AM MST Sunday for IDZ018-031. &&
3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
About 4 to 6 inches of snowfall combined with high winds caused Idaho Highway 32 to be closed from Ashton to Tetonia on the 6th and Idaho Highway 31 to be closed from Swan Valley to Victor.
Snow amounts of 4 to 6 inches combined with high winds caused Idaho Highway 31 to be closed from Swan Valley to Victor on the 6th.
Strong winds and snow created difficult conditions. 4 to 8 inches of snow fell in the region with 6 inches in Bern. A snowmobiler was lost on the evening of the 5th due to the poor visibility and stayed overnight in a make shift shelter in a snow cave and was rescued on the 6th.
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, March 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: 689078, 689079, 689080.