Winter Storm and Avalanche in Idaho, December 26 to 30, 2024

Name: Winter Storm and Avalanche in Idaho, December 26 to 30, 2024
Start: 2024-12-26T01:00
End: 2024-12-30T16:00
Location: Idaho

December 26 to 30, 2024 · NWS PIH · 13 events in 12 counties and zones

A long protracted Pacific flow brought heavy snow to southeast Idaho with travel impacts in between the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PIH wrote it up.

A long protracted Pacific flow brought heavy snow to southeast Idaho with travel impacts in between the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 winter storm, 5 heavy snow, 1 avalanche, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Centennial Mountains-Island Park

When: December 26, 1:00 AM MST to December 30, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Centennial Mountains-Island Park forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 44.091, -111.680 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several days of snow and rain mixed with snow brought a total of 18 inches 2 miles north of Macks Inn. A semi spun out along US Highway 20 near mile marker 367 on Ashton Hill on the 29th at 445 PM MST due to poor road conditions and a crash occurred along US Highway 20 near mile marker 372 10 miles northwest of Warm River.

Winter Storm, Bear River Range

When: December 26, 1:00 AM MST to December 30, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Bear River Range forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 42.412, -111.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Law enforcement closed Idaho Route 36 from the Mink Creek area eastward over Emigration Summit due to severe winter conditions with numerous vehicles off the highway. Well over a foot of snow fell in the Bear River Range over the storm's duration.

Winter Storm, Bear Lake Valley

When: December 26, 1:00 AM MST to December 30, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Bear Lake Valley forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.285, -111.330 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Multiple vehicles spun out on Idaho highway 36 between Preston and Ovid due to slick conditions. Total snowfall was 11 inches in Bern and 5 inches in St Charles.

Winter Storm, Blackfoot Mountains

When: December 26, 1:00 AM MST to December 30, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Blackfoot Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 43.125, -111.858 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 443 PM MST on the 28th 2 snowmobile riders 8 miles south southwest of Bone and were stranded due to extreme winter conditions and required a search and rescue. They were rescued 3 miles south of Sellers Creek Rd and 4 miles west of Blackfoot Reservoir Road. Both extracted and no injuries reported. Snow fall totaled 11 inches at Soda Springs for the event.

Winter Storm, Caribou Range

When: December 26, 1:00 AM MST to December 30, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Caribou Range forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 42.815, -111.502 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 629 AM MST on the 28th a semi trailer jackknifed on US Highway 26 westbound near Little Elk Creek Rd. 3 to 6 inches of snow fell on the 27th and 28th in the region including 5.5 inches at Swan Valley.

Winter Storm, Marsh and Arbon Highlands

When: December 26, 1:00 AM MST to December 30, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Marsh and Arbon Highlands forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 42.838, -112.256 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

At 1040 AM MST on the 27th a semi trailer jack knifed on interstate 15 northbound south of Inkom in snow. Snow totals in the event totaled 17.5 inches 5 miles north of Inkom, 13.5 inches 3 miles north northwest of Lava Hot Springs, 11 inches 1 mile east of Inkom and 4.5 inches in Downey.

Heavy Snow, Wood River Foothills

When: December 26, 1:00 AM MST to December 30, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Wood River Foothills forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 43.412, -113.980 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A total of 10 inches of snow fell in Bellevue in a multiple day storm mixed with rain at times. Hailey received 8.3 inches.

Heavy Snow, Sun Valley Region

When: December 26, 1:00 AM MST to December 30, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Sun Valley Region forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.826, -114.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow fell over a multiple day period with 16 inches in Ketchum, 14.6 inches 2 miles southwest of Sun Valley, and 18 inches at Galena Lodge.

Heavy Snow, Sawtooth-Stanley Basin

When: December 26, 1:00 AM MST to December 30, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Sawtooth-Stanley Basin forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 43.826, -114.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A total of 12.6 inches of snow fell in Stanley.

Heavy Snow, Franklin-Eastern Oneida Region

When: December 26, 1:00 AM MST to December 30, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Franklin-Eastern Oneida Region forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 42.188, -112.176 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A total of 16.3 inches of snow fell 4 miles northeast of Holbrook.

Heavy Snow, Big Hole Mountains

When: December 26, 3:00 AM MST to December 30, 3:00 PM MST
Where: Big Hole Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.644, -111.494 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A total of 11.2 inches of snow fell from 7 am on the 26th through 7 am on the 27th four miles west of Victor.

Avalanche, Centennial Mountains-Island Park

When: December 28, 11:00 PM MST to December 29, 3:00 AM MST
Where: Centennial Mountains-Island Park forecast zone
Reported by: Park/Forest Service
Coordinates: 44.091, -111.680 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center reported a report of 1 person partially buried in an avalanche in the Lionhead area near the Idaho/Montana border.

Winter Weather, Lower Snake River Plain

When: December 29, 6:00 AM MST to 11:00 AM MST
Where: Lower Snake River Plain forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 42.860, -112.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On the morning of the 29th, Idaho Power reported a weather related power outage affecting 100 customers from interstate 86 in the Neely and Coldwater areas south through Rockland and Roy. Power County police reported multiple crashes in the Seagull Bay area on interstate 86.

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Avalanche: A mass of snow sliding down a mountainside that caused a death, an injury or damage.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Idaho in 2024 Every state in 2024 This day in weather history Warnings in Idaho, December 2024

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1229789, 1229790, 1229791, 1229792, 1229793, 1229795, 1229797, 1229798, 1229799, 1229800, 1229801, 1229796, 1229794.