Heavy snow and strong winds occurred for a three day period mainly over the weekend. The worst conditions were in the Upper Snake Highlands where two feet of snow fell in the Island Park area fell with many road closures.
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.
Heavy snow and strong winds occurred for a three day period mainly over the weekend. The worst conditions were in the Upper Snake Highlands where two feet of snow fell in the Island Park area fell with many road closures. A dust storm closed interstate 15 north of Idaho Falls on the 25th.
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 Feb 24, 3:18 AM MST, 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 318 AM MST Sat Feb 24 2018 .SHORT TERM...This Weekend...A band of light snow showers are noted on radar early this morning across the Upper Snake Highlands southward into the Caribou Highlands. Snowy roadways are noted in these areas as the band slowly meanders eastward through the morning and is forecast to dissipate. As we start the day, our forecast for the weekend has not changed and was mostly fine tuned for details for the onset of new snow bands today and tomorrow and for snow amounts. Confidence is growing that Sunday's event will be more robust than today's system; therefore it is a fair bet that a headline of some sort will continue or be upgraded for our area. Snow will arrive for the Central Mountains early this morning with upwards of a foot forecast by the day's end on the western facing slopes and on higher peaks. Likewise, these areas will see about the same totals in tomorrow's system (making another 2 ft in total!) Windier than normal conditions are forecast throughout the entire weekend (even for Idaho). Breezy conditions are already noted early this morning and are forecast to increase to 15 to 25 mph across the Snake Plain and in excess of 30 mph at mountain tops across the Sawtooth Mountains, the Salmon-Challis NF and portions of the Upper Snake Highlands today. Gusts to 45 mph are expected. These winds spread into the Interstate Corridor and into areas east and south by the evening hours and slightly improve overnight. A line of snow showers is expected to set up this afternoon and track eastward through the overnight hours, bringing varying amounts of snow for the Snake Plain and areas east/south of I-15/I-86. For Sunday, a similar pattern will set-up though winds may be even stronger and are expected to continue into the overnight hours. Because of the anticipated strong winds during each period mentioned combined with several period of snowfall, we are anticipating periods of near white-out conditions along area interstates and roadways. Travelers need to be prepared for these conditions before they head out. Visibilities can quickly reduce and you need to give yourself room between the car in front of you. NP/RS .LONG TERM...Monday through next Friday. Models are in good agreement with the next disturbance rounding the top of the eastern Pacific high pressure ridge and dropping south along the coast. A fairly moist set up with winds aloft from the west late Sunday, then shifting southwest Monday. The Caribou and possibly the South Central Highlands could see some 3 to 6 inch snow accumulations. There is a little timing difference with a surge of moisture Tuesday night and Wednesday, the ECMWF a few hours slower, but it is enough to keep a chance of snow in the forecast with focus mainly on the mountains. By Thursday, the next significant disturbance drops a little further off the coast of Washington and Oregon, enough to pick up additional moisture. There is potential for increased southerly flow into Idaho ahead of this disturbance on Thursday, raising snow levels a bit and temperatures as well. Both Thursday and Friday look pretty active days for precipitation, possibly some pretty heavy snow in the South Central and Caribou Highlands. RS && .AVIATION...With the exception of KDIJ. improved conditions will be short lived as the next round of snow reaches the mountains vicinity of KSUN by noon and brings snow to both KSUN and KBYI by early afternoon. For KDIJ, westerly flow over the mountains is already focusing some MVFR ceilings and light snow in that area. By 25/01Z precipitation should spread into KIDA, KPIH, and KDIJ. Clearing from the west begins close to midnight Saturday night. RS && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM MST Sunday for IDZ017>023-025- 031. &&
4 heavy snow, 2 winter storm, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
At the Bostetter Ranger Station SNOTEL site 11 inches of snow fell. 8 inches of snow fell at the Pomerelle Ski Resort.
The Pebble Creek Ski Resort near Inkom recorded 23 inches of snow over the weekend beginning on the 24th. SNOTEL amounts were 8 inches at Sedgwick Peak, 6 inches at Somsen Ranch, 8 inches at Sheep Mountain. 84 inches of snow reported on W Buckskin Road overnight on the 25th into the 26th 7 miles north northwest of Inkom.
Nine inches of snow fell at the Emigrant Summit SNOTEL with 13 inches at Giveout.
The following snow amounts were recorded at SNOTEL sites: 16 inches Garfield Ranger Station, 11 inches Galena Summit, 13 inches Lost Wood Divide, 9 inches Swede Peak, and 10 inches Vienna Mine. 8 to 10 inches of snow fell in the city of Ketchum from many public reports with 5 to 7 inches in Hailey and Bellevue.
Very heavy snow combined with strong winds to close the following roads on the 25th: Highway 32 from Ashton to Tetonia, Highway 87 from Raynolds Pass to the Junction of Highway 20 near Henry's Lake, Highway 20 from Ashton to the Montana border, and interstate 15 from Dubois to the Montana border. Whiteout conditions were reported with several slide offs. Snow amounts of 10 inches at Island Park SNOTEL and 25 inches at White elephant SNOTEL were reported. 7 inches was reported by the Dubois COOP observer. The Island Park COOP observer recorded 26.4 inches and Harriman State Park carried 24 inches. The Fremont County School District 215 and Teton School District 401 were both closed on the 26th due to the difficult travel conditions.
Interstate 15 was closed due to zero visibility caused by blowing dust from wind gusts of 50 mph from exits 118 through 143.
Snow and wind caused very difficult travel in the Lower Snake River Plain on Monday the 26th. Although snow amounts were only 1 inch in American Falls and 4 inches in Aberdeen as reported by COOP observers the American Falls School District 381, Aberdeen School District 58, and snake River School District 52 were all closed on February 26th.
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, February 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: 742249, 742252, 742256, 742259, 742246, 742247, 742261.