An avalanche in the Baker Creek area in Blaine County killed a 50 year old man of Jerome Idaho. Two snowmobliers were caught in the avalanche at about 9,000 feet in elevation and only one survived.
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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.
An avalanche in the Baker Creek area in Blaine County killed a 50 year old man of Jerome Idaho. Two snowmobliers were caught in the avalanche at about 9,000 feet in elevation and only one survived.
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 Jan 15, 1:31 PM MST, 9 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 131 PM MST Wed Jan 15 2020 .DISCUSSION...A pair of systems will be moving through the region. The first one arrives tonight. This will bring snow mainly to the central Idaho mountains roughly from Bellevue to Stanley. Forecast amounts came down slightly, but still looks like 2 to 6 inches with the heaviest amounts on mountain passes and ridgetop level. The second system is much more widespread and arrives Thursday night and persists into Friday. This system will bring wind to the area beginning around daybreak on Friday. Blowing and drifting will most likely be problematic with road closures once again possible, especially in those areas still recovering from the last series of storms. Forecast snow amounts came down for this next system as well as the NAM has really backed off on the amounts, probably because this system is pretty fast-moving. Still, looking at 2 to 6 corridor from Bellevue to Stanley, as well as along the eastern highlands. Probably less than 2 inches elsewhere. Even though there is some uncertainty with the snow amounts, we are very confident in wind developing and likely causing problems for eastern Idaho. Therefore we will be issuing a winter weather advisory for much of east Idaho to specifically address potential blowing and drifting snow issues. The parade of storms ends by Saturday as a ridge of high pressure develops. Could see some light snow in the central mountains and upper snake highlands on Saturday as moisture rides over the top of the ridge. But, the ridge will amplify on Sunday and persist through early next week. Valle && .AVIATION...After days of low CIG and occasional low VSBT due to snow, eastern Idaho will get a break until 16/06Z tonight, when the next low pressure moves in and starts to develop mid- and high level CIGs. A weak impulse will develop isolated snow showers in the central Idaho mountains, affecting KSUN, but otherwise nothing impactful happens until Thu night in terms of CIG/VSBY. However, an approaching front will mean some potential low level wind shear with strong south to west wind aloft while surface wind is north to east. It appears as though during the morning on Thu that these strong southerly wind will come into alignment as the inversion disappears. Messick && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 9 PM this evening to noon MST Thursday for IDZ072>074. Winter Weather Advisory from midnight Thursday night to midnight MST Friday night for IDZ052>054-058>067. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
An avalanche in the Baker Creek area in Blaine County killed a 50 year old man of Jerome Idaho. Two snowmobliers were caught in the avalanche at about 9,000 feet in elevation and only one survived.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche, Sun Valley Region | 2020-01-15 | 50 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, January 2020
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: 873776.