A severe thunderstorm caused damage near the town of Carey.
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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.
A severe thunderstorm caused damage near the town of Carey.
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 May 19, 12:52 PM MST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 152 PM MDT Tue May 19 2020 .SHORT TERM...Tonight through Thursday. Showers and thunderstorms will gradually increase in coverage as the low lifts northeast across the state through tomorrow. There is a risk of strong/isolated severe thunderstorms through this evening, especially over the central mountains where SPC has expanded the Marginal risk area today. In reality, any storm today could easily produce strong winds over 40 mph and/or small hail. Outside of showers and storms there could be some gusty winds at times overall. There might be a better chance tomorrow across the Snake Plain, where localized blowing dust might occur. Snow levels still drop to near 7000-7500ft across the Sawtooths southern highlands, while they will be closer to 8000-8500ft near Island Park and the Wyoming border. We could see some brief accumulations in the Stanley Basin and on our highest summits, but impacts will not be widespread or last too long as melting will eventually take over. If you are venturing to our highest peaks, then you will need to worry about having winter gear as some lingering accumulations are possible. For tomorrow night and Thursday, we will be in between storms. Lingering showers and possible thunderstorms are forecast across the mountains, especially the Sawtooths and east of I-15. Snow levels will be lower overall, 6500-7500ft, Thursday morning. Trace amounts of snow are possible down to those levels, but again nothing impactful is anticipated. Winds will be gusty in the afternoon, but lower than Wednesday so any impacts would be very isolated. Keyes .LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY... Fri continues to look quite wet as a pronounced shortwave rotates into the area with an attendant cold front progged for Fri eve. Instability should be somewhat hampered by high temps only making it into the upper 40s/mid 50s, but based on the favorable diurnal timing of the front and upper-level dynamics, will continue to carry mention of thunder with no severe wx currently expected. QPF amounts in excess of 1/2 inch will be possible across the srn/ern highlands into the Island Park region, with a couple inches of snow possible above 6,000-7,000 feet CWA-wide with those colder temps. At this time accumulations should remain high enough in elevation to avoid any major impacts to travel, even at the passes. A few showers/t- storms may linger Sat, esp in the mntns. We'll also have to keep an eye on how much skies clear Sat AM, as any clearing may allow temps to fall into the low 30s with the risk for frost just about everywhere. Long-range models continue to run very dry for Sun/Mon with a broad ridge of high pres taking control. NBM guidance remains a bit sluggish to catch up and continues to carry PoPs each day, so we again trimmed these back to better mirror the GFS/ECMWF/Canadian consensus. Confidence in this drier solution is growing with decent run-to-run consistency. A better signal for clearing Sun AM means another round of frost possible. A warming trend is also expected to start Sun afternoon, with 70s returning to lower elevations by Mon. Tues, the warming trend continues, and models advertise varying degrees of longwave troughing returning across the nrn Rockies. It remains to be seen whether or not this feature will produce much precip, but it does appear to be much more progressive and short- lived compared to the stagnant cool/unsettled patterns we have frequently found ourselves in over the past few weeks. - KSmith && .AVIATION...This afternoon will not be as breezy as yesterday, but based on projected downslope flow advertised on HRRR guidance and how well this performed yesterday, we continue to carry 20G30kts at KPIH out of the S/SW (higher than MOS guidance). Elsewhere, while winds have decreased since yesterday, potential for TS has increased with high- res HREF ensemble members generating some pretty widespread activity after 20-21z along and west of the I-15 corridor (KPIH/KIDA), possibly lingering until midnight or later. Potential for a TS to hit a terminal is definitely there for KPIH/KIDA/KBYI/KSUN, but with a few differences noted between different high-res reflectivity projections and the fact that most of the activity doesn't exist yet, we continued to blanket VCTS and will have to closely monitor observational trends for the need to amend. Decent low-level moisture may take the edge off downdraft efficiency today compared to yesterday, but a few stronger storms could still squeak out small hail or erratic wind gusts. Main focus tonight will be cigs, as guidance trends all sites toward MVFR over the course of the night. At this time, greatest concern for BKN or better MVFR cigs is at KBYI/KSUN after 07-09z. We leaned into this potential in the TAFs, but will need to monitor trends in case cigs try to nudge lower, which is possible given nocturnal precip in the area. At this time IFR conditions remain unlikely. In general expect a repeat performance Wed with breezy conditions and showers/storms. - KSmith && .FIRE WEATHER...Showers and thunderstorms will spread eastward over the next two days and expand in coverage. The unsettled weather continues through at least Sat evening, then high pressure returns for Sun through Mon, at a minimum. The low coming in will bring its cold core over the central Idaho mountains by Wed; this air is cold enough to bring snow back to the higher elevations, mostly above 7500ft. Farther south is a lower concern, as the air is warmer and the terrain is lower. Temperatures will be on a cooling trend through Fri, then as the low slowly departs Sat night, skies will start clearing and temperatures will warm. With cool temperatures and abundant precipitation, humidity will remain high. With the approaching low, wind will be breezy to windy, but not as strong as Mon wind. Wind will continue to be at least breezy (10-20 mph) through Fri. Messick && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Pocatello ID 301 PM MDT Tue May 19 2020 IDZ056-192115- Southern Hills/Albion Mountains ID- 301 PM MDT Tue May 19 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL CASSIA COUNTY UNTIL 315 PM MDT... At 300 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 16 miles east of Rogerson, or 16 miles west of Oakley Reservoir, moving north at 40 mph. Half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Bostetter Ranger Station. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. && LAT...LON 4211 11428 4242 11429 4242 11410 4211 11414 TIME...MOT...LOC 2100Z 179DEG 42KT 4219 11426 ND
The Pocatello radar (KSFX), 103 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:24 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Portions of a 2 by 4 storage shed had sheet metal and wood blown across a yard 1 mile east of Carey.
Three trees along with power lines were downed across Little Wood Reservoir Road just north of Carey. It was very near N Main St or US Highway 20. 700 customers were without power in the towns of Carey, Picabo, and Gannett.
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, May 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: 892220, 892260.