A strong cold front moved through eastern Idaho overnight on the 28th into the early morning hours on the 29th and brought wind gusts in the range of 60 to 80 mph. It caused power outages, several trees downed, semi trucks overturned on interstate 15, power lines down on a different part of interstate 15, and blowing dust and blowing snow in high elevations.
Every event with a place to put it; 16 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.
A strong cold front moved through eastern Idaho overnight on the 28th into the early morning hours on the 29th and brought wind gusts in the range of 60 to 80 mph. It caused power outages, several trees downed, semi trucks overturned on interstate 15, power lines down on a different part of interstate 15, and blowing dust and blowing snow in high elevations.
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 Mar 28, 1:27 PM MST, 9 hours 33 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 227 PM MDT Sun Mar 28 2021 .SHORT TERM (Tonight - Tuesday)... It's a pleasant Sunday across eastern Idaho as mild temperatures and ample sunshine are in place albeit with some breezy winds. Enjoy it while it lasts because things will change dramatically over the next 18 hours or so. A very strong cold front will push through the region late tonight and into the early morning hours on Monday. This front will bring with it a surge of very strong winds and because of this High Wind Warnings are in place across the entire forecast area. Winds have already become breezy this afternoon but expect them to increase in intensity and overall gustiness as we move later into the evening and especially during the overnight. During the overnight, low- level winds aloft will be upwards of 50kts. Forecast soundings continue to maintain an inversion just off the surface which should limit this winds mixing down to their full potential. If the inversion turns out not to be as strong as shown however then stronger winds could be realized. Either way, it will be very windy for a brief period just ahead of and along the aforementioned front. In addition to the strong winds, temperatures (and snow levels) will plummet behind the front. Expect temps to drop some 20-30 degrees within a few hours of the FROPA. This will allow for the potential for a brief period of snow squalls, especially across the central mountains and eastern highlands where precip chances will be highest. In the Snake Plain and Magic Valley, precip chances appear low although certainly not 0 so a brief period of some scattered snow showers are possible but hopefully won't be overly impactful. Given the fast movement of this system, higher terrain accumulations should be low as the window for snow will be brief but current forecast calls for 1-3 inches possible in the mountains with higher totals well above pass level. Expect Monday to be significantly cooler with highs only expected in the 30s and 40s while remaining breezy for much of the day before winds gradually start to subside by late afternoon. Some snow showers will remain possible across the higher terrain into late Monday. Tuesday's temps will remain about 10 degrees below normal but there should be ample sunshine with just a light breeze. Cooler temps will be short-lived as things warm up in a hurry by mid-week and especially the weekend. More on that below. McKaughan .LONG TERM (Wednesday through Sunday)... Dry and warm conditions will be brought on by a broad upper ridge through Saturday. Just how high will temperatures go? Well, 70 degree temperatures creep into the Eastern Magic Valley as early as Thursday, and expand into the Pocatello/Blackfoot area by Friday and Saturday. With a trough deepening in the East Pacific and ridging amplifying downstream, by Sunday we may begin to see precip work its way back into the Central Mountains. Sunday temperatures may still be warmer than normal, though models are indicating it will be a few degrees cooler than Saturday. Hinsberger && .AVIATION... A vigorous cold front will be pushing through tonight and into the early morning hours. The main challenge from this will be winds. Will lapse rates be steep enough in the overnight hours to support the intense winds projected by the models? The prevalent idea supported by the models is to see winds 30 to 35 kts with gusts up to 45 kts possible that should begin to taper off a couple hours after the front passes. Should we see lighter winds at the surface, low-level wind shear may prevail through 18Z tomorrow. Another variable to consider is blowing dust. It may be too early in the year for it, but with wind gusts to 45 kts, patches of it may be present. Models are projecting some precip along the front, but mainly over the mountains. It wouldn't be out of the question to see a brief heavy snowshower along the front. Hinsberger && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning from 3 AM to 8 PM MDT Monday for IDZ051>065. High Wind Warning from midnight tonight to noon MDT Monday for IDZ066>075. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
16 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Seventy to 80 mph wind gusts were common across the Arco Desert in the Atomic City to Craters of the Moon corridor.
Fifty to 60 mph wind gusts were widespread with a peak gust of 60 mph near Alton.
Widespread wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph occurred on teh 20th with a peak gust of 60 mph in southwest Clark County.
Widespread wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph occurred with a peak of 63 mph near Palisades on US Highway 26.
Widespread wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph occurred on the 20th with a peak of 60 mph near Lund. Rocky Mountain Power reported 429 customers without power in the Grace, Niter and Thatcher areas.
Widespread 50 to 60 mph wind gusts caused blowing and drifting snow and closed US Highway 20 from Ashton to the Montana border and closed Idaho route 87 from US 20 to Raynolds Pass. Rocky Mountain Electric reported multiple power outages in the Island Park area.
A wind gust of 65 mph was recorded just north of Challis.
Sixty to 70 mph wind gusts were widespread with a peak gust of 66 mph near Minidoka. United Electric CO-OP reported a power outage west of Paul and Heyburn.
Several high profile vehicles were blown over on interstate 15 near Malad Summit including a semi tractor trailer. Interstate 15 north bound was closed near mile marker 28.
Widespread 55 to 65 mph wind gusts occurred with a power outage reported in the Howe area by Rocky Mountain Power.
Power lines were downed over interstate 15 near Blackfoot and both north and south bound were closed the morning of the 20th. Power outages caused the following schools to close: Bingham Academy 485, Blackfoot School District 55, Idaho Science and Tech Charter School, Blackfoot Charter Comm Learning Center, Chief Targhee elementary Academy, and ShoBan High School. Several downed trees were reported across roadways with the 50 to 60 mph wind gusts very widespread.
Widespread 60 to 75 mph gusts occurred along interstate 84 southeast of Burley. The highest recorded was 75 mph at the Idaho Transportation Department Yale site.
Fifty to 60 mph wind gusts were widespread with the highest gust 60 mph at Almo.
Strong winds occurred throughout the early morning into the afternoon on the 20th. The peak gust was 63 mph 4 miles west of Galena.
Sixty to 70 mph gusts occurred with the highest recorded 66 mph at the Idaho Transportation Department site near Clementsville.
Widespread 60 to 70 mph winds caused power lines to be downed with several large trees uprooted across roads. Rocky Mountain Power reported over 14,000 customers without power in Rexburg, Shelley, Ammon, Iona, Idaho Falls, and Ririe. The Idaho Falls airport recorded a 61 mph gust and the Idaho Transportation Department site in Poplar recorded a 67 mph gust.
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, March 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: 951223, 951224, 951225, 951226, 951227, 951229, 951230, 951231, 951232, 951233, 951234, 951235, 951241, 951242, 951243, 951244.