Wind gusts of 50 mph brought dust and debris across interstate 15 between Idaho Falls and Roberts and it was shut down in both directions from 3:30 PM May 7th until 10 AM on May 8th.
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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.
Wind gusts of 50 mph brought dust and debris across interstate 15 between Idaho Falls and Roberts and it was shut down in both directions from 3:30 PM May 7th until 10 AM on May 8th.
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 7, 12:49 PM MST, 1 hour 41 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 149 PM MDT Fri May 7 2021 .SHORT TERM...Tonight through Sunday night. Frontal boundary marching east into and through East Idaho this afternoon. Radar imagery shows long thin band of showers associated with the front. Ahead of the front, gusty winds have already developed in region of ample sunshine and increasing instability. Winds have slowly increased to above Wind Advisory thresholds, and are expected to remain elevated behind the front. Thus have already expanded Wind headlines across the Snake Plain. As the line of showers works into the region of better instability, generally oriented in a Malta to Soda Springs line, and including the Bear Lake area, expect a few cells to produce stronger wind gusts that could approach severe limits. Have included Gusty Wind enhanced wording for thunderstorms for the afternoon and evening. Moving into tonight, frontal boundary shifts east of the forecast area, but leaves tightened surface gradient behind. Numerical guidance indicating winds remain elevated overnight, and could remain near or just above Advisory thresholds. Saturday turns much cooler behind the front, and with lingering light precipitation along eastern highlands for the day. Snow levels bring light snow to higher elevations, but valleys do appear to warm up enough to keep rain in the forecast. Breezy winds continue through at least mid- day until gradient begins to relax late in the day. Upper low remains centered over western Montana, so expect cloudy skies and possibly an occasional sprinkle for the rest of the area. Temperatures Saturday night could be quite cool, and will likely support some combination of Frost and/or Freeze headlines. Will hold off for now to see how guidance trends over the next 12-24 hours. By Sunday, center of upper low begins to migrate southwest toward Idaho. Shortwave feature rotating around the low looks to be enough to produce weak shower activity across the region during the day Sunday, and continuing Sunday night. There could be some improvement in temperatures, but likely not enough to preclude snow at lower elevations. Amounts are expected to remain light. DMH .LONG TERM...Monday through Friday. As upper level trof pushes east expect widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms on Monday. Temperatures will remain well below normal with mountain highs in the 40s and 50s with low elevations in the 50s to around 60. Showers and thunderstorms Tuesday will be mainly limited to the eastern highlands as drier air begins to move into Idaho. Much warmer and drier flow will set in as flow aloft turns from northerly and northwesterly to westerly Wednesday. AFter near normal high temperatures Tuesday in the 50s and 60s, highs will be in the 60s and 70 Wednesday. Flow turning southwesterly by Thursday will allow some moisture to return with isolated mountain showers and thunderstorms on Friday. High temperatures Thursday and Friday will remain very mile and 5 to 10 degrees above normal. GK && .AVIATION... Winds will be very strong across all sites this afternoon and tonight with 15 to 30 knot sustained and 25 to 40 knot gusts. Strongest at PIH and IDA where sustained 25 to 30 possible. Will continue all day Saturday before dying down Saturday night with much weaker winds Sunday. Expect 15 to 20 knots sustained with gusts 25 to 30 at DIJ. Showers and thunderstorms possible with second frontal passage today and have vicinity thunderstorms and showers at all sites this afternoon and evening. Gusts will get much higher than TAF gusts near any thunderstorms. GK && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for IDZ052>054. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gusts of 50 mph brought dust and debris across interstate 15 between Idaho Falls and Roberts and it was shut down in both directions from 3:30 PM May 7th until 10 AM on May 8th.
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, May 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: 962587.