A band of heavy set up in Western Latah County, South of Moscow. It caused a portion of Sand Road to washout.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 OTX wrote it up.
A band of heavy set up in Western Latah County, South of Moscow. It caused a portion of Sand Road to washout.
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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 16, 10:07 AM PST, 2 hours 23 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1107 AM PDT Tue May 16 2023
.SYNOPSIS...
The Inland Northwest will experience scattered showers and
thunderstorms today, Wednesday and Thursday. Some afternoon and
evening thunderstorms will be capable of locally heavy rain, small
hail, and frequent cloud to ground lightning. Temperatures Friday
and Saturday will climb into the upper 80s and 90s, potentially
breaking records. Many rivers will be running swiftly over the
next couple of weeks as above average temperatures cause mountain
snow to melt rapidly.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Update: Increased morning pops in the basin as an area of enhanced
showers moves from northeast to southwest towards that area,
otherwise 12Z KOTX sounding shows substantial conditionally
unstable lapse rates up to about 250mb with very light winds
through most of the profile since the area is under an upper level
trof. Steering flow is unusual with convection slowly rotating
counterclockwise around the low over the area. Precipitable water
content near 1 inch is quite impressive as well thus thunderstorms
that develop will be capable of producing very heavy downpours
and small hail. Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood prone locations.
Burn scars, steep terrain and urbanized areas with poor drainage
will be especially susceptible to flash flooding with
thunderstorms. /Pelatti
&&
.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS: Slow moving showers and thunderstorms throughout the
day today. Convection is expected to be most concentrated over the
mountains this afternoon and evening, but all areas will at least
see a 10-20 percent chance for thunderstorms today. Thunderstorms
will be capable of producing very heavy downpours and small hail,
especially as surface based convection becomes established with
diurnal heating. Low ceilings and reduced visibility with
thunderstorms with marginal VFR to brief IFR conditions possible.
High resolution models show a decrease in activity near 2Z
Wednesday but not really ending and/or moving out of the area
until 06Z Wednesday.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Spokane 79 57 79 58 84 57 / 50 30 40 20 10 0
Coeur d'Alene 78 57 79 55 84 55 / 50 40 50 20 10 0
Pullman 76 54 76 55 82 56 / 60 20 50 20 10 0
Lewiston 83 60 84 60 88 61 / 70 20 50 20 10 0
Colville 82 54 82 55 85 56 / 40 50 50 30 10 10
Sandpoint 77 56 76 53 80 53 / 60 50 50 30 10 0
Kellogg 74 57 75 57 80 57 / 70 40 60 30 10 0
Moses Lake 86 59 87 61 90 61 / 20 40 20 20 10 10
Wenatchee 85 62 87 64 88 64 / 30 30 30 20 20 10
Omak 86 61 87 62 88 61 / 30 30 30 30 20 10
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Flood Watch through this evening for Central Panhandle Mountains-
Coeur d'Alene Area-Idaho Palouse-Lewis and Southern Nez
Perce Counties-Lewiston Area-Northern Panhandle.
WA...Flood Watch through this evening for Central Chelan County-Lower
Garfield and Asotin Counties-Northeast Blue Mountains-
Northeast Mountains-Okanogan Highlands-Okanogan Valley-
Spokane Area-Upper Columbia Basin-Washington Palouse-
Waterville Plateau-Wenatchee Area-Western Chelan County-
Western Okanogan County.
&&The Spokane radar (KOTX), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:32 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Latah County Sheriff reported on social media that Sand Road has been washed out near the state line. Radar estimated around half an inch fell in an hour. Radar estimated between 0.8 to 1 inch fell.
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, May 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: 1104275.