A moist and mild storm system impacted northern Idaho during the night of December 17th and into the 18th. In the valleys most of the precipitation fell as rain and had no impact on travel.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 OTX wrote it up.
A moist and mild storm system impacted northern Idaho during the night of December 17th and into the 18th. In the valleys most of the precipitation fell as rain and had no impact on travel. The higher mountains received heavy snow from this storm system.
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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 17, 9:40 PM PST, 4 hours 20 minutes earlier.
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</html>Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Spokane WA 212 AM PST Mon Dec 17 2018 IDZ002-003-026-027-WAZ032>036-041-043-044-181015- Coeur d'Alene Area-Idaho Palouse-Lewiston Area- Lewis and Southern Nez Perce Counties- Lower Garfield and Asotin Counties-Washington Palouse- Moses Lake Area-Upper Columbia Basin-Spokane Area-Wenatchee Area- Okanogan Valley-Waterville Plateau- 212 AM PST Mon Dec 17 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North Idaho... North Central Idaho...Central Washington...East Central Washington...North Central Washington...Northeast Washington and Southeast Washington. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A wetter and warmer system is expected to impact the area Monday night and continue through Tuesday night. This system should produce even heavier precipitation with snow levels again generally above 5000 feet. The abundant precipitation will likely lead to rises on the smaller rivers and streams across the region and ponding of water in low-lying areas is possible. This system will also deliver breezy winds on Tuesday. Another round of precipitation is forecast for late Wednesday night through Thursday evening followed by breezy winds. IDZ001-004-WAZ031-037-038-042-181015- Northern Panhandle-Central Panhandle Mountains- Northeast Blue Mountains-Northeast Mountains-Okanogan Highlands- East Slopes Northern Cascades- 212 AM PST Mon Dec 17 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North Idaho... North Central Washington...Northeast Washington and Southeast Washington. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A very wet weather system will arrive late Monday and continue to deliver periods of moderate to locally heavy snow through Wednesday morning. Once again snow levels will rise to 5000 feet or higher. In the Cascades, the precipitation could start as snow in the valleys but should rise to 4000 feet or higher on Tuesday. Another weather system will bring significant mountain snow late Wednesday night through Thursday evening.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The Lookout Pass ski resort received 14 inches of new snow from this storm system.
The Silver Mountain ski resort received 16 inches of new snow from this storm system.
The Schweitzer Mountain ski resort reported 8.0 inches of new snow accumulation from this storm system.
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, December 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 792188, 792189, 793334.