Winter Storm in Idaho, February 4 to 5, 2021

Name: Winter Storm in Idaho, February 4 to 5, 2021
Start: 2021-02-04T23:00
End: 2021-02-05T22:00
Location: Idaho

February 4 to 5, 2021 · NWS PIH · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Five to 7 inches fell in Malad City and Preston and several cars crashed on February 5th near Malad Summit on interstate 15.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $15,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PIH wrote it up.

Five to 7 inches fell in Malad City and Preston and several cars crashed on February 5th near Malad Summit on interstate 15.

What forecasters said that day

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 4, 1:58 PM MST, 9 hours 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 4, 1:58 PM MST, 9 hours 2 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
158 PM MST Thu Feb 4 2021

.SHORT TERM...Tonight through Saturday night. Vigorous northwest
flow with several embedded shortwave features will impact East
Idaho through the remainder of the week and into the weekend.
First starts developing light snowfall across higher elevations of
the central mountains and highlands east of Interstate 15 this
evening. The snow is expected to increase in intensity during the
overnight with the bulk of the accumulations occurring during the
day Friday. Warmer temperatures in lower elevations along/south of
I-84/I-86 will complicate snow accumulations, but the I-15
corridor should see an inch or two from this system. Winds are a
further complicating factor with guidance pushing winds above
advisory thresholds for a significant portion of the region. Have
issued a Wind Advisory for the southern extent of the Snake Plain
and South Hills/Raft River regions. Winds could be breezy to windy
in other portions of the region as well, and could just as easily
be bundled into current Winter Weather Advisory areas for blowing
snow impacts. Shortwave exits the region Friday evening, but
lingering upslope may keep light snow going through current
Advisory extension time, therefore will not be adjusting
expiration at this time. Second shortwave follows first for during
the day Saturday. Snowfall amounts are not expected to be as high
as with first system, but winds still a concern particularly for
the regions that will see the very gusty winds on Friday. Will
have to play things a little bit by ear with respect to blowing
snow impacts for Saturday, depending on where the strongest winds
manifest themselves over the snowpack. DMH

.LONG TERM...Sunday through next Thursday. Strong northwest flow in
the upper levels are forecast Sunday through Wednesday. Moisture
favors Montana, northern Idaho and along and in the vicinity of the
Tetons. At this moment, we are forecast a few inches of snowfall
early next week for areas along the Eastern / Caribou Highlands
bordering Wyoming. A disturbance from the Pacific churns onshore
Wednesday into Thursday, which looks to bring additional amounts of
moisture to Idaho Thursday. The ECMWF and GFS forecast models are
not in the best of agreements regarding this feature with the GFS
model bringing in much more moisture, and bringing in the feature
slower than the ECMWF.

ND

&&

.AVIATION...Breezy conditions forecast this evening with CIG between
VFR and MVFR. CIGs will lower tonight at DIJ, IDA, BYI and PIH with
VFR expected to persist at SUN. Snow showers are most likely at DIJ
tonight and tomorrow with VCSH for IDA and PIH. CIG are expected to
begin lowering at SUN tomorrow morning.

ND

&&

.PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Winter Weather Advisory from 11 PM this evening to 11 PM MST
Friday for IDZ060-062>066.

Wind Advisory from 9 AM to 8 PM MST Friday for IDZ051-054>057.

&&

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Franklin-Eastern Oneida Region

When: February 4, 11:00 PM MST to February 5, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Franklin-Eastern Oneida Region forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.188, -112.176 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The COOP observer in Malad City reported 5.5 inches of snow with 6.5 inches reported by the COOP observer in Preston. The combination of snow and 30 to 40 mph winds caused multiple accidents and slide offs on interstate 15 near milepost 24 and Malad Summit.

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Idaho in 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings in Idaho, February 2021

Sources

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: 944903.