Several days of Pacific moisture brought heavy snow mainly to the mountains of central and southeast Idaho with many SNOTEL sites exceeding 2 feet of snow accumulation. Many roads closed in the 4 day period and many schools were also forced to close.
Every event with a place to put it; 20 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 PIH wrote it up.
Several days of Pacific moisture brought heavy snow mainly to the mountains of central and southeast Idaho with many SNOTEL sites exceeding 2 feet of snow accumulation. Many roads closed in the 4 day period and many schools were also forced to close.
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 12, 3:44 AM MST, 8 hours 16 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 344 AM MST Tue Feb 12 2019 .UPDATE...Updated to add current watches and warnings. GK && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 300 AM MST Tue Feb 12 2019/ SHORT TERM...Today through Thursday night. Weak short wave filters through Idaho with mainly dry weather today ahead of next wave. Moisture from next system pushes in tonight with significant mainly mountain precipitation expected all the way through Thursday. May get enough warming for any Snake River Plain precipitation change to rain on Thursday. Breezy southerly winds expected to continue both Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of the cold frontal passage Thursday night. Significant mountain accumulations of snow are likely both Wednesday and Thursday and heavy snow will occur both days with the winds causing extensive blowing snow as well. Much warmer temperatures are expected ahead of the cold front the next three days with above normal conditions expected. A series of winter storm warnings and watches have been issued with the heavy mountain snow expected. GK LONG TERM...Friday through next Tuesday. The upper level pattern evolution through the long term will be characterized by a strengthening low pressure system over the Eastern Pacific, with moist SW flow in place across the region initially on Friday. As the weekend progresses, the strong east Pacific low is forecast to migrate across the PacNW while weakening/evolving into a broad trough. By early next week the guidance consensus suggests this trough will shift eastward to the central Rockies. The next result of this will be ongoing Snow showers on Friday across SW favored slopes, such as the Sawtooths and upper Snake Highlands/Continental Divide as well as the Wyoming border region, with lesser chances across the Snake Plain. Current indications suggest Friday will be breezy as well, which may lead to areas of blowing snow. We'll continue to monitor this potential. As the trough moves overhead by the weekend, Snow Shower chances will be possible anywhere, with a likely diurnal (daytime) boost. Precipitation chances do then briefly diminish by late weekend before the emergence of yet another moist Pacific system by midweek, but guidance is not in good agreement on timing at this point. Temperatures are forecast to be around/slightly above average Friday in the southwest flow, but are forecast to fall to below average over the weekend as the trough moves overhead, with little to no Temperature recovery into early next week. AD/GK AVIATION...VFR conditions have emerged for the SE Idaho TAF sites as drier air gradually builds in beneath a weak shortwave ridge. This condition will be short-lived, however as conditions will quickly deteriorate towards 06Z. KSUN should see SN first, with a good chance for IFR CIGS/VIS developing shortly after 06Z. There is decent potential for LIFR and possibly airfield minimums being met by 12Z Wed in SN/+SN. Expect deteriorating conditions for IDA by around 09Z Wed with IFR conditions possible before 12Z Wed in - SN/SN. For BYI, PIH and DIJ, stout southerly flow (180@20-30kt in the sfc to 1000kft AGL layer) will likely lead to a downslope/drying component, so we may see more of a dominant MVFR/occasionally IFR condition here. Will continue to refine the details through the day. AD/GK && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Watch from late tonight through late Wednesday night for IDZ056-057-059>061. Winter Weather Advisory until 5 AM MST early this morning for IDZ064>066-072-073. Winter Storm Warning from 5 PM this afternoon to 11 PM MST Wednesday for IDZ071>075. Winter Storm Warning from 11 PM this evening to 5 AM MST Thursday for IDZ062>066. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
20 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snow and strong winds caused US Highway 20 to be closed on both the 13th and 15th between Carey and Arco. US Highway 20 was also closed from Idaho Falls to 19 miles east of Butte City on the 14th.
The Bear Lake School District number 33 was closed on the 14h due to snow and winds making for extremely hazardous travel conditions. Snow amounts in the valley ranged from 4 to 10 inches.
Extremely heavy snow fell with the Emigrant Summit SNOTEL recording 20 inches and the Franklin Basin SNOTEL recording 30 inches. The Bear Lake District 33 Schools were closed on the 14th.
The Pine Creek Pass SNOTEL recorded 11 inches of snow. The Teton County School district number 401 closed schools on the 13th and 14th due to heavy snow and winds causing extremely hazardous travel conditions.
Heavy snow fell at high elevations with the following SNOTEL amounts: Bear Canyon 21 inches, Garfield Ranger Station 14 inches, Smiley Mountain 27 inches, Stickney Mill 12 inches, and Swede Peak 24 inches.
Snow and wind affected the Blackfoot Mountains. Soda Springs School District 150 closed on the 14th. Idaho Highway 34 was closed from 10 miles north of Soda Springs to the Wyoming border for several days. The Sheep Mountain SNOTEL recorded 7.2 inches of snow during the storm.
Idaho State Highway 34 was closed from 10 miles north of Soda Springs to the Wyoming border for several days due to snow and wind. SNOTEL amounts were the following: Giveout 4.4 inches, 10.2 inches at Slug Creek Divide, and 8 inches at Somsen Ranch.
Extremely heavy snow fell over the four day period in the Island Park area and Centennial Mountains. The COOP observer at Island Park recorded 34.4 inches of snow. The total at the White Elephant SNOTEL was 34.1 inches for the storm. The Fremont County School District 215 was closed from the 12th through the 14th due to extremely hazardous travel due to snow and blowing snow. Idaho Highway 47 was closed from Ashton to 2 miles north of Warm River. Milepost 1 to milepost 12. US Highway 20 was closed from Ashton to the Montana border. Idaho Highway 87 was closed from US 20 to the Montana border.
The Mill Creek Summit SNOTEL recorded 14.7 inches of snow.
The Preston school district 201 and West Side School District 202 were closed on the 14th due to heavy snow and winds. The Preston COOP observer recorded 8.5 inches of snow and Malad City recorded 6.0. The Oxford Springs SNOTEL recorded 16.2 inches of snow. Interstate 15 closed on the 13th due to whiteout conditions from milepost 16 to milepost 27.
The Meadow Lake SNOTEL recorded 9 inches of snow and the Moonshine SNOTEL recorded 7 inches.
Snow and strong winds caused US Highway 20 to be closed on both the 13th and 15th between Carey and Arco.
The Marsh Valley School District 21 was closed on the 14th due to heavy snow and wind causing hazardous travel. The Sedgwick Peak SNOTEL recorded 19 inches of snow and the Wildhorse Divide SNOTEL recorded 8 inches.
A multi day storm brought heavy snow and wind to the Raft River region. By the afternoon of the 13th, 5 miles northwest of Holbrook, 8 inches of snow had already been recorded. More snow likely fell in the data sparse region.
Very heavy snow fell in the muli day Pacific storm system. The Stanley COOP observer recorded 17 inches of snow while an incredible 46 inches fell at the Vienna Mine SNOTEL site.
US highway 20 was closed for several days from the 13th through the 15th due to snow and strong winds from Carey through Arco. The Richfield COOP observer recorded 10 inches of snow.
The Bostetter Ranger Station SNOTEL recorded 26.6 inches of snow and the Howell Canyon SNOTEL recorded 30.1 inches.
All Blaine County schools were closed on the 13th due to heavy snow causing extremely hazardous travel. The Ketchum Ranger Station COOP site recorded 18.7 inches of snow with the system. The following SNOTEL amounts were recorded: Chocolate Gulch 20 inches, Dollarhide Summit 26 inches, Galena 25 inches, Galena Summit 33 inches, Hyndman 16 inches, and Lost Wood Divide 26 inches.
Snow and strong winds caused extremely difficult travel in the Teton Valley for several days. Teton County School district was closed on the 14th. Idaho Highway 33 was closed for several days from Newdale to Tetonia. Idaho State Highway 32 was closed from Ashtong to Tetonia. Idaho Highway 47 was closed from Milepost 1 to Mile post 12.
Blaine County Schools were closed on the 13th. The Bellevue COOP observer recorded 12.8 inches of snow and the Picabo COOP observer recorded 10 inches of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, February 2019
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: 810146, 810148, 810150, 810163, 810167, 810169, 810179, 810184, 810186, 810191, 810192, 810193, 810195, 810197, 810202, 810205, 810208, 810217, 810240, 810242.