A cold air funnel touched ground between 225 and 235 PM MST on the bench between Idaho Falls and Ririe near highway 26. Several photographs were downloaded onto social media of the tornado.
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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.
A cold air funnel touched ground between 225 and 235 PM MST on the bench between Idaho Falls and Ririe near highway 26. Several photographs were downloaded onto social media of the tornado.
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 Nov 17, 1:50 PM MST, 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 150 PM MST Fri Nov 17 2017 .SHORT TERM...Tonight through Monday. Satellite imagery was showing a low pressure trough working east across SRN Idaho early this afternoon with clearing skies west of the trough axis and ongoing snow showers east of the axis. Numerical models all appear to support the development of a convergent snow band developing across the upper valley later this afternoon which quickly dies off early this evening. Thus have maintained a short period of high probability snowfall across the area (especially the eastern highalnds) early this evening with rapid clearing towards midnight. Advisory level winds have been a little slow to develop this afternoon although guidance still supports stronger winds across the Eatern Magic Valley and Lower Snake River Plain. It may be difficult to realize those winds across the Upper Snake River Plain especially if a convergence event is expected to push out of the CNTRL mountains. Thus have cancelled the advisory for the upper valley. A modest ridge of high pressure builds across the NW states Saturday with cool and mostly clear skies across the region. The next Pacific storm system tops the ridge Sunday night and digs SE into Idaho by Monday morning with attending snow showers spreading from NW to SE across the region during the day. This appears to be a fairly progressive system which should help to limit accumulations. Daytime temps are expected to run at or slightly above climatic norms through the period. Huston .LONG TERM... && .AVIATION... && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 8 PM MST this evening for IDZ017-021. Winter Weather Advisory until 8 PM MST this evening for IDZ019-023- 025. &&
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
115 PM MST FRI NOV 17 2017
IDZ017-019>021-023-031-032-172315-
Lost River/Pashimeroi ID-Big and Little Wood River Region ID-
Caribou Highlands ID-Upper Snake Highlands ID-
Upper Snake River Plain ID-Lower Snake River Plain ID-
Eastern Magic Valley ID-
115 PM MST FRI NOV 17 2017
...A BAND OF SNOW SHOWERS SPREADING EAST ACROSS THE SNAKE RIVER
PLAIN THIS AFTERNOON...
At 110 PM MST, Radar was indicating a band of snow showers spreading
east across the Snake River Plain. A brief period of light to
moderate snowfall will accompany this band as it spreads into the
eastern highlands later this afternoon. Motorists traveling through
the region should be prepared for slick road conditions and reduced
visibility.
Locations impacted include...
Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Rexburg, Blackfoot, Rigby, Driggs, Ashton,
Swan Valley, Felt, Ririe Reservoir, Chesterfield Reservoir, Goshen,
Blackfoot Reservoir, Wayan, American Falls Reservoir, Terreton,
Marysville, Lorenzo, Palisades Reservoir and Chubbuck.
LAT...LON 4286 11293 4347 11372 4362 11308 4429 11161
4431 11110 4413 11109 4412 11105 4289 11105
TIME...MOT...LOC 2010Z 180DEG 0KT 4414 11106 4412 11162 4394 11209
4342 11300 4345 11358
HustonThe Pocatello radar (KSFX), 85 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:25 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A cold air funnel touched ground between 225 and 235 PM MST on the bench between Idaho Falls and Ririe near highway 26. Several photographs were downloaded onto social media of the tornado. A destroyed metal picnic table was the only reported damage from the tornado.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Idaho, 2017Warnings in Idaho, November 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: 726638.