A strong cold frontal passage led to localized heavy snows and snow squalls in parts of southeast Idaho.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 frontal passage led to localized heavy snows and snow squalls in parts of southeast 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 Dec 7, 2:48 PM MST, 5 hours 12 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 248 PM MST Thu Dec 7 2023 .SHORT TERM...Today and Friday. The first of two waves of moisture has mostly moved through our area, with lingering snow along the Wyoming border especially in the Island Park area. Winds behind this wave are still strong supporting wind gusts of 35 to 50 mph. A wind advisory remains across the Snake plain and Arco desert until late this afternoon. The second wave of moisture is hitting the western Central mountains currently and will move east through tomorrow. A winter weather advisory remains in place for Central mountains, the Eastern Highlands, and the Southern Hills/Albion mountains. The Central mountains winter weather advisory ends after midnight tonight. With this next wave of moisture there is a wind advisory for the Eastern Magic Valley, Southern Hills/Albion mountains, and the Raft River region tonight into Friday mid afternoon with gusts of 35 to 45 mph, with localized higher gusts expected. The Southern Hills/Albion mountains winter weather advisory ends Friday late afternoon and the Eastern Highlands winter weather advisory ends around midnight Friday night into Saturday. All precipitation with the next wave of moisture tonight will be snow as snow levels will have dropped to the valley floor when this wave comes through. In general, valley snow will be light, a trace to 1/2 inch, for Shoshone, Raft river, Arco Desert, Big/Little lost valleys and the Beaverhead region. Expect 1 to 3 inches for valleys elsewhere, with 2 to 3 inches along the eastern benches across the Snake Plain. Models continue to show a convergence area with strong westerly winds meeting northerly, down valley, winds from American Falls to Pocatello to Idaho Falls. The most likely area for this convergence area is Pocatello. Around 1 to 3 inches of snow is expected along the benches with 3 to 5 inches on the benches. There is a lot of uncertainty here. Almost all models show the westerly winds being very strong and pushing the moderate to heavier snow east into the Eastern Highlands away for the the Snake Plain. Will continue to monitor the potential for moderate to heavy convergence snow near Pocatello. Again, models continue to go (for now) with lighter snow amounts, 1 to 3 inches, in the eastern Snake plain with 3 to 5 on the eastern benches. TW .LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH NEXT THURSDAY... The leading edge of longwave high pressure over the Pacific will build NE into our forecast area Sat into Sat eve, granting the region a brief break in our overall active wx pattern (although some stratus clouds may persist in some areas). Sun through Tue, a series of shortwave troughs riding in on WNW flow will flatten the ridge and bring periods of additional snow showers, with daytime temps in the low 30s generally keeping rain out of the forecast. Snowfall amounts during this period continue to look quite modest...perhaps 2- 5 inches in most of our mountains and a dusting to an inch in most valleys/plains...over the 3-day period, with winds not looking particularly strong either at this juncture. By Wed, ridging tries to amplify into our region once again which could set up a longer break in the pattern, but today's 12z deterministic suite of long- range models offer significant disagreement...with the GFS supporting quiet/dry conditions under the ridge, the ECMWF closing a strong shortwave off into a low to our SW, and the Canadian taking a fairly dry-looking closed low right across our forecast area...in the Thu-Fri timeframe. 500mb height cluster analysis seems to be overwhelmed by the ridge with only one cluster (and only 12 percent of the ensemble space) picking up on any kind of system for this period, so while uncertainty is there, so far we are not seeing signs of a strong, highly-impactful system. 01 && .AVIATION... Strong WSW winds will be the primary aviation impact/concern for the rest of the afternoon, with speeds gradually relaxing/decreasing over the 22z-01z/3pm-6pm window. Meanwhile, clouds are breaking up and slowly lifting back toward VFR everywhere except KDIJ, as we await the arrival of the next push of moisture. Timing this out based on the 12z HREF suite...arrival is expected 03z-07z/8pm- midnight depending on the terminal. Temps should support all snow this time which suggests greater vsby impacts compared to the earlier, first round of precip, except model-simulated reflectivity also looks much less widespread and much more showery in nature for this next round, making a predominant vsby forecast hard. Generally forecasting a return to IFR vsbys and MVFR cigs for this next round, with improvement after 08z/1am in the west at KBYI and KSUN. Impacts will likely continue much of Fri AM at KPIH/KIDA/KDIJ, however, with the two Snake Plain terminals potentially being affected by wind- convergence-induced snowfall even after the main batch of snow departs off to the east by sunrise. Confidence in exactly how this convergence activity plays out is low. Expect improving conditions Fri afternoon/eve regionwide, with winds once again a bit breezy out of the WSW, especially at KBYI. 01 && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 6 PM MST this evening for IDZ052>054. Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to 2 PM MST Friday for IDZ055>057. Winter Weather Advisory from 9 PM this evening to 5 PM MST Friday for IDZ056>058. Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM MST this evening for IDZ060- 063-064-066. e to monitor the potential for moderate to heavy convergence snow near Pocatello. Again, models continue to go (for now) with lighter snow amounts, 1 to 3 inches, in the eastern Snake plain. TW Winter Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to 10 PM MST Friday for IDZ060-062>066. Winter Weather Advisory until 3 AM MST Friday for IDZ071>074. &&
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
304 PM MST Thu Dec 7 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0145 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 3 N Taber 43.36N 112.64W
12/07/2023 M51 MPH Bingham ID Dept of Highways
ITD RWIS station ITDD7 - Tilden Flats US-26.
&&
KSmithPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
306 PM MST Thu Dec 7 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1145 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 1 WSW Poplar 43.61N 111.71W
12/07/2023 M53 MPH Bonneville ID Dept of Highways
ITD RWIS station ITD18 - Ririe US-26.
&&
KSmithPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
308 PM MST Thu Dec 7 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 1 NNE Clementsville 43.88N 111.36W
12/07/2023 M53 MPH Teton ID Dept of Highways
ITD RWIS station ITD56 - Botts ID-33.
&&
KSmithPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
309 PM MST Thu Dec 7 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 1 ENE Richfield 43.06N 114.13W
12/07/2023 M45 MPH Lincoln ID Mesonet
Mesonet station RIC.
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KSmithPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
310 PM MST Thu Dec 7 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 NW Idahome 42.44N 113.41W
12/07/2023 M45 MPH Cassia ID Mesonet
Mesonet station MALI.
&&
KSmithPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
312 PM MST Thu Dec 7 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0139 PM Snow 7 SSE Chilly 43.98N 113.83W
12/07/2023 M0.9 inch Custer ID CO-OP Observer
COOP Observer station CLYI1.
&&
KSmithThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 winter storm, 1 winter weather, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Nine inches of snow was measured in Bern by the COOP observer.
Heavy snow fell with strong winds gusting to 40 mph. 13.5 inches of snow was measured 3 miles north northwest of Lava Hot Springs with 8.8 inches 6 miles north of Inkom and 8 inches in Inkom.
Six inches of snow was recorded 3 miles north northeast of Driggs and wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph caused slick roads in Idaho Highway 32 causing a slide off of a large oversized load 2 miles northwest of Judkins.
A multi vehicle accident occurred on interstate 84 north of North Pine closing the eastbound lane with snow and winds thought to be a factor in the accidents. Winds were gusting to over 50 mph at times.
Six inches of snow was recorded 3 miles north northeast of Driggs and wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph caused slick roads in Idaho Highway 32 causing a slide off of a large oversized load 2 miles northwest of Judkins.
An estimated 11 inches of snow was recorded at the Emigrant Summit and Franklin Basin SNOTEL sites. A semi tractor trailer jackknifed on state Highway 36 near Emigration Summit along with other slide offs were reported and the highway closed around 8 AM.
Heavy snow and strong winds brought snow squall conditions from 8 to 9 am in Pocatello and Chubbuck with wind gusts 30 to 40 mph and visibility under one quarter mile in heavy snow. 3.6 inches of snow fell at the Pocatello Regional Airport with 6 to 8 inches in Chubbuck, Fort Hall and Pocatello. There was a department of Highways report of around 12 inches in Pocatello. Multiple vehicle rollovers and many accidents were reported along interstate 15 near Fort Hall as well with the heavy snow and winds.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, December 2023
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: 1153997, 1153971, 1153993, 1154007, 1192964, 1153980, 1153942.