Widespread snow and wind occurred across southeast and central Idaho.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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.
Widespread snow and wind occurred across southeast and central Idaho.
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 11, 2:49 PM MST, 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 249 PM MST Thu Feb 11 2021 .SHORT TERM...Today through Saturday. We still have strong northwest flow aloft over our area. Moderate west southwest winds are occurring down low for the Eastern Magic Valley and the Snake plain. Cold air is filtering over the Montana Divide bringing much cooler temperatures for our Northeast areas. There are some really cold windchills, widespread in the single digits to teens in Upper Snake plain and Upper Snake Highlands. Expect this trend of moderate to strong west to southwest winds and much cooler temperatures for our northern areas to continue through the period. In addition, a moist wave is starting to move in northwest flow this afternoon and will continue through much of Friday. The Sawtooth mountains will receive 2 to 7 inches (with locally higher amounts) of upslope snow where a winter weather advisory is in place. Bigger impacts will be for our Eastern Highlands, including the Teton Valley, Big Hole Mountains, Caribou Highlands, and the Wasatch Mountains where still expecting 5 to 10 inches of snow for valley and 8 to 16 inches of snow for mountains is expected. Winter storm warnings are still in effect for these locations. Blowing and drifting snow from strong winds will be an impact as well. A winter weather advisory remains in effect for the Island Park, Bear Lake Region, Blackfoot Mountains and Marsh/Albion mountains for 2 to 4 inches of lower elevation snow and 4 to 8 inches of higher elevation snow combined with blowing and drifting snow. Areas of uncertainty continue to be our valley areas from Pocatello to Burley. Currently, there is a tight gradient of expected snow due to temperatures. Temperatures should drop quickly, but how quickly to get accumulating snow, will continue to be the challenge. Bench areas could see a couple of inches of snow. Valleys will likely be around an inch with this system due to elevated temperatures due to winds. Localized valleys could get more. West southwest winds continue to be strong with gusts of 30 to 35 mph along the I-86 corridor with this system. These winds will likely extend east and north as well. With this strong west southwest winds there could be some freezing rain for the Eastern Highlands late this afternoon into early evening. If this occurs it will not be widespread nor last that long. For Saturday we are expecting a second system impacting our Eastern Highlands and Snake Plan as well as the Eastern/Southeast and Southern Highlands. With cold air filtering south into our whole area, lower elevations will see snow too, where 2 to 4 inches is expected. 3 to 6 inches is likely for higher elevations, especially for our Southern areas. Also, if a convergence band sets up, the Pocatello area could see higher amounts in the 3 to 6 inch range. We are holding off on advisory for these areas until this current system is mostly through. This snow will impact all travel corridors. Expect temperatures above normal for our West and Southwest areas and below normal for our northeast areas thorugh Friday and drop below normal for all areas by Saturday. Wyatt && .LONG TERM...Sun through next Thu night. Something of a break in winter storms for Sun, but another trough and associated weak cold front expected to arrive late in the day Mon and continue into Tue night. Lingering precipitation for Wed and Thu in northwesterly air flow, so it favors the east side of the Snake River plain and southeastern highlands, along with the northwest end of Custer County. The cool down and winds associated with this particular front are at this time fairly limited and the snowfall has only patchy accumulations above 6 inches; definitely a weaker storm than what is occurring in the near term. The farther east in the forecast area, the less agreement on temperatures, but timing between the GFS and ECMWF is excellent, the only differences-and they are minor-are in precipitation amounts. It is generally wetter with the ECMWF, but even that isn't true every 6 hour period. Messick && .AVIATION...Morning guidance indicating continued slower evolution of conditions with the incoming storm. However, IFR is expected at KBYI, KPIH, and KIDA, with likely airport closure at KDIJ. KSUN is in somewhat of a precipitation shadow, and will be IFR during some of the morning hours, but is actually expected to experience partial clearing by the afternoon. Limited clearing in the late afternoon for KPIH and KBYI, but no such luck for KIDA and KDIJ. Messick && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 10 PM MST Friday for IDZ058-061- 062-066. Winter Storm Warning until 10 PM MST Friday for IDZ060-063>065. Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST Friday for IDZ072. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 winter storm, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
The Swan Valley COOP observer recorded 8 inches of snow. SNOTEL estimates were: 20 inches at Slug Creek Divide and 16 inches at Somsen Ranch. Idaho State Highway 34 was closed from 9 miles east of Soda Springs to the Wyoming state line due to the snow and wind combination.
The Bern COOP observer measured 11.5 inches of snow in the multi day elongated system.
Estimated 3 day totals at the SNOTEL sites were 25 inches at Emigrant Summit and 31 inches at Franklin Basin.
The estimated amount at the Sheep Mountain SNOTEL was 10 inches. The COOP observer at Bone measured 12 inches of snow with the storm. Idaho State Highway 34 was closed on the 12th from 9 miles east of Soda Springs to the Wyoming state line.
The Crab Creek SNOTEL estimated 23 inches of snow. The Island Park SNOTEL estimated 11.7 inches of snow and the White Elephant SNOTTEL estimated 9.5 inches of snow.
Estimated snow amounts over the 3 day period at the Pine Creek Pass SNOTEL were 17 inches.
Light snow fell with only 2 inches at Bellevue but the snow combined with 30 to 40 mph winds caused hazardous travel and a multiple car accident occurred on State Highway 75 south of Bellevue where low visibilities and drifting snow was a problem. Several people were transported to a hospital in Ketchum.
Estimated snowfall at the Mill Creek Summit SNOTEL site was 14 inches.
The heaviest snowfall of the season brought difficult driving conditions to the Lower Snake River Plain. Some storm totals were 5.6 inches at the Pocatello National Weather Service Office, 6.3 inches measured by the American Falls COOP observer, and 3.3 inches in Blackfoot.
Heavy snow fell over a long period of time over the 11th through 14th. The Mink Creek Nordic area reported 12 inches. The Inkom COOP observer measured 10 inches. The McCammon COOP observer measured 10.3 inches. Estimated SNOTEL amounts were 16 inches at Sedgwick Peak and 9 inches at Wildhorse Divide.
Snowfall was estimated at 17 inches at the Vienna Mine SNOTEL. 7.1 inches fell at the Stanley COOP site.
Snow estimates in the Southern Hills mountains SNOTEL sites were 19 inches at Bostetter Ranger Station and 37 inches at Howell Canyon.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, February 2021
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: 945014, 945010, 945011, 945013, 945015, 945012, 945025, 945016, 945017, 945018, 945019, 945022.