An arctic front moving in from Canada collided with moisture from a trough off the Pacific Coast from the afternoon of March 13th into the morning of March 14th. The cold air seeping through the Idaho northern valleys brought areas of terrain channeled strong winds, which downed numerous trees, many of which damaged homes, and produced thousands of power outages.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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.
An arctic front moving in from Canada collided with moisture from a trough off the Pacific Coast from the afternoon of March 13th into the morning of March 14th. The cold air seeping through the Idaho northern valleys brought areas of terrain channeled strong winds, which downed numerous trees, many of which damaged homes, and produced thousands of power outages. Near Sagle, a tree fell on a trailer home and injured a child.
The interaction of the cold air with the moisture also created a frontal boundary along which generally 2 to 4 inches fell with locally higher amounts.
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 Mar 13, 1:34 PM PST, 7 hours 26 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind, 1 heavy snow, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Local media reported numerous trees down in the Sandpoint area due to high winds. Many trees damaged homes and a local utility company reported up to 10,000 customers without power.
A local television station reported that a 100 foot tall tree fell on a trailer home in Sagle, Idaho destroying it. An eleven year old boy was trapped inside the trailer home and was injured.
A member of the public reported 5.0 inches of snow accumulation near Round Lake State Park.
A trained spotter reported a 30 foot spruce tree was blown down by local channeled winds in Dover. Scattered power outages were also reported in the area.
The remote weather station at Windbag Marina near Sandpoint recorded a 66 mph wind gust.
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, March 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 881293, 881290, 881291, 881287, 881289.