At around 1230 PM MDT a 29 year old snowmobiler was killed when buried under 6 feet of snow due to an avalanche near Observation Peak in the Stanley Lake Creek drainage area. The elevation was about 8,500 feet.
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.
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.
At around 1230 PM MDT a 29 year old snowmobiler was killed when buried under 6 feet of snow due to an avalanche near Observation Peak in the Stanley Lake Creek drainage area. The elevation was about 8,500 feet.
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 12, 7:24 AM MST, 3 hours 36 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 824 AM MDT Sun Mar 12 2023 .SHORT TERM...Today through Monday night. A quick update this morning to remove mention of low clouds in the upper valley as none noted on satellite imagery. Also, we are seeing light radar returns showing up across the south where no snowfall was forecast so that was added to the mix. The remainder of the forecast looks on track. See the previous discussion below. Huston Expect increasing cloud cover today with some Pacific moisture working back into southeast Idaho. Will see some light snow showers mainly in the southern mountains but expect little accumulations with the best chance in the Bear River Range. Expect more widespread precipitation tonight through Monday night as a stronger surge of Pacific moisture moves into Idaho on west southwest flow aloft. Snow levels start out at valley floors today but rise to around 6 thousand feet by Monday afternoon. So the Magic Valley and Snake River Plain especially will see rain by then. Heaviest snowfall Monday and Monday night is expected to be in the central mountains and Upper Snake River Highlands and Centennial Mountains where a 50 percent chance of 2 to 6 inches will fall. Passes will see locally higher amounts than that. High temperatures will remain below normal but with the high cloud cover expected overnight lows will stay well above normal. Generally 30s and 40s for highs today and Monday with lows in the 20s and 30s with most of Snake River Plain staying above freezing Monday night into Tuesday morning. GK .LONG TERM...Tuesday through Sunday. Active weather should be ongoing on Tuesday as indicated by the presence of an upper trough on the 00Z suite of models. Snow levels start off around 5000 ft over the Snake Plain and rise to around 6000 to 6500 ft by Tuesday night. This could end up in a scenario where we start off with snow, then changing over to rain. Some areas along the I-86 corridor appear to see some precip shadowing due to a moderate downslope wind. Snow accumulations Tuesday and Wednesday will be the greatest over the Sawtooth and Lost River ranges. A cold front will push through the area on Wednesday with snow levels dropping back to valley floors, but precipitation will come to an end around that time, so little snow accumulation is expected for Pocatello/Idaho Falls. Ridging will begin to build back into the area on Thursday with little impactful weather until Sunday. Hinsberger && .AVIATION...Forecast soundings and model guidance indicate deepening low-level moisture with ceilings VFR until late this morning. However, some reduced visibility has been observed just north of IDA, and this may drift over the terminal tonight. SUN and PIH observations show ceilings hanging out around 5000 to 6000 ft. NBM indicates BYI will see ceilings drop around 16Z to 18Z today while the rest of the sites will likely see ceilings drop later this afternoon. Precip could begin by daybreak tomorrow at BYI and SUN as a shortwave lifts into the area. Hinsberger && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
1039 AM MDT SUN MAR 12 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1214 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 7 NW ACEQUIA 42.74N 113.69W
03/10/2023 M61 MPH MINIDOKA ID PUBLIC
PRIVATE WEATHER STATION RECORDED A PEAK WIND
GUST OF 61 MPH NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF W
800 N AND N 100 W.
&&
KSMITHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
1044 AM MDT SUN MAR 12 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0224 PM NON-TSTM WND GST CLAYTON 44.26N 114.40W
03/10/2023 M49 MPH CUSTER ID PUBLIC
PRIVATE WEATHER STATION RECORDED A PEAK WIND
GUST OF 49 MPH NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF
ID-75 AND KINNIKINIC CREEK RD.
&&
KSMITHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
1048 AM MDT SUN MAR 12 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1034 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 7 WNW GOLDBURG 44.43N 113.75W
03/10/2023 M49 MPH CUSTER ID PUBLIC
PEAK WIND GUST OF 49 MPH RECORDED AT FLYING
JOSEPH RANCH AIRPORT.
&&
KSMITHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
1050 AM MDT SUN MAR 12 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0319 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 16 SE GOLDBURG 44.23N 113.38W
03/10/2023 M45 MPH BUTTE ID PUBLIC
PRIVATE WEATHER STATION RECORDED A PEAK WIND
GUST OF 44.5 MPH JUST OFF OF SUMMIT CREEK
RD.
&&
KSMITHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
1052 AM MDT SUN MAR 12 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0345 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 W MUD LAKE 43.85N 112.54W
03/10/2023 M66 MPH JEFFERSON ID PUBLIC
PRIVATE WEATHER STATION RECORDED A PEAK WIND
GUST OF 66 MPH JUST NORTHWEST OF THE
ID-33/ID-28 JUNCTION ALONG N 800 E.
&&
KSMITHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
1054 AM MDT SUN MAR 12 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0359 PM NON-TSTM WND GST DUBOIS 44.18N 112.23W
03/10/2023 M50 MPH CLARK ID PUBLIC
PRIVATE WEATHER STATION RECORDED A PEAK WIND
GUST OF 49.9 MPH IN DUBOIS NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF MAIN ST AND OAKLEY AVE.
&&
KSMITHThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
At around 1230 PM MDT a 29 year old snowmobiler was killed when buried under 6 feet of snow due to an avalanche near Observation Peak in the Stanley Lake Creek drainage area. The elevation was about 8,500 feet.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche, Sawtooth-Stanley Basin | 2023-03-12 | 29 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
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, March 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: 1090814.