A winter system with extremely cold air, strong winds affected much of southeastern Idaho from the 8th through the 10th.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 winter system with extremely cold air, strong winds affected much of southeastern Idaho from the 8th through the 10th.
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 7, 2:37 PM MST, 9 hours 23 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 237 PM MST Mon Mar 7 2022 .SHORT TERM...Tonight through Wednesday Night. Our next winter storm is on track to arrive starting tonight through all day Tuesday with Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories now in effect for large portions of southeast Idaho. An upper level low situated in Central Canada helps drag a deepening trough over our region starting tonight, amplifying northern moisture flow beginning in our favored upslope higher terrain before overspreading to all lower elevation zones. Widespread moderate to heavy snowfall begins Tuesday afternoon and evening, with the potential for snow squalls as an arctic front passes over the Continental Divide late Tuesday into early Wednesday. Storm total accumulations less than 6000 feet will be anywhere from 2 to 10 inches with locally higher amounts across the higher terrain greater than 6000 feet of 8 to 18 inches. Locally higher amounts in the Bear River up to 24 inches also remain possible. Winds increase throughout the day Tuesday as more moderate precipitation intensity picks up. Wind gusts up to 40mph across the Magic Valley and higher terrain will lead to widespread blowing and drifting snow, reductions in visibility, and significant travel impacts. Further northeast, wind gusts across the Snake River Plain could reach as high as 30mph with localized blowing and drifting snow impacts. Winds downsloping off of the Continental Divide throughout the event pick up late Tuesday into early Wednesday which may lead to convergence enhanced snowfall bands setting up across the Snake River Plain as much colder air descends behind the organized precipitation. Scattered light to moderate snow showers will be around throughout the day Wednesday especially further south along the Idaho/Utah border, with skies clearing and temperatures dropping far below normal headed into the long term. MacKay .LONG TERM...Thursday through Monday. Deep and cold upper low sags south of Idaho into the Great Basin Thursday, bringing an end to the precipitation threat but leaving very cold temperatures in its wake. Arctic air mass expected to threaten record lows for Thursday morning, as well as record low highs for during the day. Gusty winds lingering into the morning are also expected to produce frigid wind chills, and if trends continue, a Wind Chill headline will likely be needed for Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Cold air mass continues Thursday night into Friday, but not as cold as upper ridge begins to slide into the region with a slow warming trend. Ridge continues across the region Saturday, bringing temperatures up much closer to normal. Ensembles and ensemble clusters favor a shift in the latter half of the weekend into Monday towards a more progressive westerly flow. Fast moving feature could drive through the PacNW into Idaho as early as Saturday night, though most ensemble members hold off on precipitation moving into the region until Sunday or Sunday night. Either way, a return to an unsettled pattern is expected for the early part of next week. DMH && .AVIATION... A broad area of mid cloud cover is shifting through East Idaho ahead of the next system arriving tonight. VFR conditions will slowly give way to increased low level moisture beginning at KSUN and KDIJ overnight, and spreading across the remainder of the terminals early Tuesday. Snow is expected to begin first at KDIJ this evening, becoming heavier through the day Tuesday. Airfield minimums could be threatened after 18Z Tuesday, especially KSUN and KDIJ. Locally gusty winds late Tuesday could reduce further visibility where coincident with the snowfall. DMH && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory from 11 PM this evening to 11 AM MST Wednesday for IDZ065>067. Winter Storm Warning from 2 AM Tuesday to 5 PM MST Wednesday for IDZ058-060-062>064. Winter Weather Advisory from 8 AM Tuesday to 5 PM MST Wednesday for IDZ055>057. Winter Weather Advisory from 2 AM Tuesday to 11 AM MST Wednesday for IDZ059-061. Winter Weather Advisory from 8 AM Tuesday to 11 AM MST Wednesday for IDZ053-054. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Estimated snowfall from SNOTEL sites were the following: Giveout 15 inches, Slug Creek Divide 16 inches, and Somsen Ranch 12 inches. The snow and wind caused a semi trailer to jacknife on US Route 26 5 miles east of Irwin with multiple accidents.
Estimated SNOTEL amounts were 16 inches at Bostetter Ranger Station and 24 inches at Howell Canyon.
The Emigrant Summit SNOTEL estimated 16 inches of snowfall.
Eight to 10 inches of snow fell in the Ashton area. On March 9th Ashton Elementary School and North Fremont High School were closed due to heavy snowfall and high winds causing hazardous travel conditions. On March 10th Teton School District 401 was closed due to extreme wind chill temperatures.
The Vienna Mine SNOTEL estimated 16 inches of snowfall.
Snow, wind and extreme cold wind chill values caused the closing of Teton School District 401 on March 10th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, March 2022
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: 1013877, 1013878, 1013879, 1013880, 1013881, 1013891.