Thunderstorms brought over 60 mph wind gusts to southeast Idaho .
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
Thunderstorms brought over 60 mph wind gusts to southeast Idaho .
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 Aug 1, 1:36 PM MST, 1 hour 54 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 236 PM MDT Wed Aug 1 2018 .DISCUSSION...Today Through Next Wednesday. We continue to monitor multiple weather hazards today. CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER: Red Flag Warnings remain in effect until 9 PM this eve for large portions of the forecast area due to expected scattered t-storms. Frequent lightning and strong t-storm winds in excess of 50 MPH will be the greatest fire-weather related hazards. In addition, while the strongest cells may produce heavy downpours, continued dry air at the surface will evaporate some of the rain as it falls and will likely keep precip amounts light at most locations. See the FIRE WEATHER section below for more details. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS: T-storms are just starting to develop across the Central Mntns and along the MT border. We once again used the HREF ensemble CAMs as a general guide for t-storm coverage and placement today, but these models had decent support from the NAM12, RAP, and HRRR as well. We increased PoPs yet again in two favored corridors for convection: the Central Mntns and and northeast CWA north of a line from Ketchum, to Arco, to Rexburg, to Driggs, and across the Southern Highlands and Bear Lake region, where at least scattered t-storm coverage is expected. Isolated t-storms will still be possible in between these two zones. NAM forecast soundings this afternoon continue to display inverted-V soundings featuring dry air in the low-levels, LCLs at or just above the melting layer, and DCAPE values of 1,000 to 1,500 J/kg, indicating the potential for strong downdraft/outflow winds potentially in excess of 50 MPH with the stronger cells. Instability is somewhat skinny up in the hail growth zone, and overall shear and MUCAPE values do not favor very large hail, but with PWATs increasing to 0.75 to 0.95 inches, could see a few heavy downpours and at least some small hail with the most robust updrafts. Frequent lightning is expected as well. MORE HEAT: Projected temperatures once again bring us very close to Heat Advisory criteria this afternoon across the Lower Snake Plain, eastern Magic Valley, and Southern Highlands, with rather marginal relief tonight as lows may only drop into the upper 60s in some areas. However, real estate reaching advisory criteria encompass less than half of any given forecast zone, and any clouds and showers/t-storms this afternoon will bring localized relief from the hot temperatures. Thus, we will not be issuing an advisory this afternoon. Those who are working or recreating outdoors or are otherwise sensitive to the heat will want to take precautions, however, including frequent breaks in the shade or air conditioning and continuous hydration. High temps Thurs will likely come in a few degrees cooler than today. Another round of showers/t-storms are expected Thurs afternoon and eve from Mackay, Blackfoot, American Falls, and Oakley eastward. Breezy conditions are also expected during the afternoon across the entire region. Friday will be drier but again breezy. The combination of stronger winds and areas of low RH values may bring portions of the region very close to critical fire weather conditions again Thurs-Sat. Dry weather is currently on tap for the weekend and next week for SE Idaho as we transition back into a ridge of high pressure across the western US. - KSmith/TW && .AVIATION... Upper level high pressure ridge is moving east allowing moisture to move into our area. Best chance of vicinity thunderstorms is at KSUN, KIDA and KDIJ. Late afternoon development is possible at KBYI and KPIH, but with lower confidence. Expect a Trace to around 0.05 inches of rain, but CIG/VIS probably remain VFR. Breezy winds develop on Thursday, affecting all TAF sites in the afternoon. Winds will be a little stronger on Friday. - TW && .FIRE WEATHER... Upper level high pressure ridge is moving east allowing moisture to move into our area. Thunderstorms will likely produce a Trace to 0.08 inch rain fall amounts for most areas, but still less than a wetting rain. Red Flag Warning remains in effect until 9 pm MDT for the Salmon-Challis NF, the Snake Plain, and the Southern Sawtooth NF and Caribou NF areas. Thunderstorms remain a threat for the Caribou-Targhee NF Thursday afternoon just before the front comes through. Dry air will increase behind the front and late afternoon winds will begin to increase. Zones 476 and 422 look like they will reach critical RH/Wind values at lower elevations of 7000 and 6500 feet respectively. With warnings already out, decided to hold off on additional statements at this time. Strongest winds and lowest RH develops Fri, all of the Central Mountains, Snake Plain, Southern Sawtooth look critical. Parts of 413 below 5500 feet probably will as well. - TW/RS && .CLIMATE... A historic, long-duration heat wave continues today across SE Idaho. Pocatello Airport (KPIH) continues to add to it's all-time record for longest streak of high temperatures at or above 90 that started back on July 4th, now sitting at 29 consecutive days as of today. Pocatello also ended the month of July in 10th Place for highest mean average temperature at 73.5 degrees. Burley Airport (KBYI) is sitting at 21 consecutive days at or above 90 as of today, now tied for 3rd Place for longest streak since records began there in 1948. Challis Airport (KLLJ) has also broken it's all-time record for longest streak at or above 90 since records began there all the way back in 1895, reaching 27 consecutive days as of Tuesday 07/31/18. July 2018 was also the hottest July ever on record at Challis for mean average temperature. This heat wave has been historic in it's persistence and duration, but not necessarily for extreme values. Only a few days have approached 100 degrees, and only 4 record high temps were tied or set this month at our 6 climate sites. These streaks may be in jeopardy at Challis today due to clouds, smoke, and a chance of t-storms holding high temperatures in check, and by Fri or Sat at Pocatello and Burley as slightly cooler air works into the region behind a trough/weak front. Stay tuned. - KSmith/TW && .AIR STAGNATION... Degraded air quality is expected to continue across SE Idaho for at least the next several days due to numerous wildfires burning across the Pacific Northwest. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (ID DEQ) currently rates air quality "Moderate" or Yellow across the entire region, meaning that air quality is acceptable, however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. Localized periods of "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" or Orange have also been observed, particularly in the Central Mntns. In general, the greatest smoke pooling will occur at night in valleys/lower elevations, and this is when the greatest impacts may be noticed. Have maintained areas of smoke in the weather grids for the entire CWA through Fri morning. Some relief is possible thereafter as a weak cold front ushers in stronger afternoon/eve winds across the region, but transport of smoke from wildfires in CA, NV, and OR may continue. - KSmith/TW && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for IDZ410-413-427- 475-476. &&
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
425 PM MDT WED AUG 1 2018
IDZ052-053-012300-
Arco/Mud Lake Desert ID-Upper Snake River Plain ID-
425 PM MDT WED AUG 1 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN FREMONT AND
NORTHWESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM MDT...
At 425 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Monteview or 8 miles north of Terreton, moving east at 40 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Terreton, Mud Lake, Hamer and Monteview.
LAT...LON 4401 11215 4397 11216 4376 11230 4390 11269
4405 11262
TIME...MOT...LOC 2225Z 285DEG 34KT 4395 11248
ValleSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Pocatello ID 430 PM MDT WED AUG 1 2018 IDZ052>054-012315- Arco/Mud Lake Desert ID-Upper Snake River Plain ID- Lower Snake River Plain ID- 430 PM MDT WED AUG 1 2018 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN JEFFERSON... SOUTHEASTERN BUTTE...WEST CENTRAL BONNEVILLE AND NORTHWESTERN BINGHAM COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM MDT... At 430 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Southeast Inl or 23 miles southwest of Terreton, moving southeast at 30 mph. Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Atomic City, Rose, Southeast Inl, Groveland and East Butte. LAT...LON 4344 11286 4369 11265 4345 11210 4319 11238 TIME...MOT...LOC 2230Z 308DEG 28KT 4358 11274 Valle
The Pocatello radar (KSFX), 60 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:32 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A 63 mph wind gust at ARL site 12 miles northwest of Atomic City.
A 62 mph wind gust was recorded by COOP Observer in Bern.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, August 2018
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: 779365, 779366.