Highway 75 closed on the afternoon of the 20th due to an avalanche which closed the road from Galena Summit to Smiley Creek.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
Highway 75 closed on the afternoon of the 20th due to an avalanche which closed the road from Galena Summit to Smiley Creek.
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 20, 2:21 PM MST, 39 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 221 PM MST Wed Feb 20 2019 .SHORT TERM...Tonight through Friday night. Snow continues to fall across the eastern portions of the Snake Plain, aided at least in part by upslope flow. We'll continue to see this through the evening although accumulation on pavement will likely be limited through the daylight hours. We are beginning to see a little more of a convective element to the snow showers, a sign that lapse rates are steepening a little. This could locally enhance snow rates through the evening, causing some additional travel concerns. Will continue to carry the Winter Weather Advisory from the interstate corridor to the southeast corner of the state. The diminishing snow trend will occur through the early Thursday, save for the Bear Lake are where some wrap around may move back in. Thursday will be mostly dry, but with the low density nature of the fresh snow, stronger northerly winds will cause some blowing and drifting, particularly through the Snake Plain. Friday will start off very cold, with morning lows dependent on remaining cloud cover. It will be a dry and relatively sunny day, which will serve as a pleasant break from the recent storminess. TAX .LONG TERM...Saturday through Wednesday. Expect snow return Saturday mainly to the mountains but both GFS and European backing off the system a bit but have precipitation in grids Saturday into Wednesday. Think there is the potential the central mountains and eastern highlands could again see some significant snowfall but confidence is not very high right now. Models now significantly warming up the Snake River Plain with temperatures well above freezing by Sunday and continuing through Wednesday. Began trend in grids of warming it up but not to the extent yet of GFS model but did drive Snake Plain above freezing by Monday and added in at least a rain snow mix to the precipitation. Will wait another model run or two before completely jumping on the warmup early next week. GK && .AVIATION... Light snow has continued this afternoon at BYI, PIH, IDA and DIJ with ceilings improving to MVFR conditions. Generally expect improving conditions later this afternoon and evening. Could see the light snow persisting through 00Z at many of the sites. Expect VFR conditions to overspread the sites from 00z through 05z. Expect VFR conditions on Thursday to continue. GK && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 11 PM MST this evening for IDZ051- 053>065. &&
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
1157 AM MST WED FEB 20 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1156 AM HEAVY SNOW POCATELLO ARPT 42.92N 112.60W
02/20/2019 M5.1 INCH POWER ID OFFICIAL NWS OBS
OFFICAL STORM TOTAL OF 5.1 INCHES AT POCATELLO REGIONAL
AIRPORT.
&&
GKAISERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
230 PM MST WED FEB 20 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1030 AM HEAVY SNOW 2 SW ST. ANTHONY 43.95N 111.73W
02/20/2019 M6.5 INCH FREMONT ID TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
NPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
231 PM MST WED FEB 20 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0131 PM HEAVY SNOW E CHUBBUCK 42.92N 112.46W
02/20/2019 M6.0 INCH BANNOCK ID PUBLIC
&&
NPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
232 PM MST WED FEB 20 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0132 PM HEAVY SNOW 1 NNW CRYSTAL 42.65N 112.49W
02/20/2019 E9.0 INCH POWER ID PUBLIC
8 TO 10 INCHES REPORTED AT MINK CREEK ROAD,
IDAHO.
&&
NPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
233 PM MST WED FEB 20 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1133 AM HEAVY SNOW 2 E INKOM 42.80N 112.21W
02/20/2019 M8.0 INCH BANNOCK ID NWS EMPLOYEE
&&
NPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
240 PM MST WED FEB 20 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 AM SNOW 2 E ST. ANTHONY 43.97N 111.64W
02/20/2019 M4.0 INCH FREMONT ID COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION ID-FM-7, 2 E ST. ANTHONY.
0825 AM SNOW 4 ESE AMERICAN FALLS 42.77N 112.79W
02/20/2019 M4.5 INCH POWER ID COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION ID-PW-4, 4 ESE AMERICAN
FALLS.
0700 AM SNOW 8 WNW NEELEY 42.79N 113.02W
02/20/2019 M3.2 INCH POWER ID COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION ID-PW-1, 8 WNW NEELEY.
0700 AM SNOW 3 NNE HOLBROOK 42.22N 112.64W
02/20/2019 M2.1 INCH ONEIDA ID COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION ID-ON-1, 3 NNE HOLBROOK.
0700 AM SNOW 4 ENE UCON 43.62N 111.88W
02/20/2019 M1.9 INCH BONNEVILLE ID COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION ID-BV-6, 4 ENE UCON.
0600 AM SNOW 1 NNW PICABO 43.31N 114.07W
02/20/2019 M2.0 INCH BLAINE ID CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION PICI1, PICABO.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
Highway 75 closed on the afternoon of the 20th due to an avalanche which closed the road from Galena Summit to Smiley Creek.
Highway 75 closed on the afternoon of the 20th due to an avalanche which closed the road from Galena Summit to Smiley Creek.
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: 810284, 810285.