The fire started on July 3rd by undetermined cause.
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 OTX wrote it up.
The fire started on July 3rd by undetermined cause.
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 Jul 3, 2:31 PM PST, 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
331 PM PDT Wed Jul 3 2024
.SYNOPSIS...
Mountain showers, seasonal temperatures, and breezy winds will be in
place over North Idaho for tonight. Confidence is increasing in a
substantial long duration heatwave starting after July 4th. It is
expected to last through midweek.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
...Extended period of very hot and dry conditions starting
Saturday...
Tonight: The Inland Northwest will be under the influence of an
exiting trough and strengthening ridge for the period. Any shower
and thunderstorm activity will generally be over North Idaho. The
main impact from the thunderstorms will be lightning and brief
heavy rain. Overnight lows will be in the upper 40s and 50s.
Thursday through Wednesday: The region will be under a strengthening
ridge for the period. It will usher in several days of hot, dry
conditions. Winds will generally be light with mild increases from
the afternoon mixing. Gusts will stay below 20 MPH. The main
concern is the prolonged dry, warming period for most of the
region. Temperatures will steadily climb through the weekend and
start of next week. The highs are expected in the upper 80s and
90s. Areas of the Basin will see several days of triple digits
starting Saturday and lasting through Tuesday. Overnight lows
will be in the upper 50s to low 70s.
Ensembles begin to shift the ridge axis east and bring a southwest
flow pattern into the region. It will increase the moisture
amount in the air. This will lead to gradual decline from the
extreme high temperature period. Ensembles are not bringing much
decline though. Wednesday is still expected to have temperatures
as warm has Tuesday. /JDC
&&
.AVIATION...
00Z TAFS: VFR conditions are expected for the TAF sites for the
period. Convection is possible over North Idaho during the
afternoon and early evening with lightning probability of 10-20%.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: High confidence in
VFR conditions.
-----------------------
Confidence descriptors:
Low - Less than a 30 percent chance
Moderate - 30 to 70 percent chance
High - Greater than a 70 percent chance
For additional probabilistic information for NWS Spokane airports,
please refer to the Aviation Dashboard on our webpage:
https:/www.weather.gov/otx/avndashboard
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Spokane 55 88 58 93 61 96 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coeur d'Alene 54 84 56 88 60 91 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pullman 52 84 54 89 57 93 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lewiston 61 94 63 98 66 102 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Colville 47 85 50 90 53 92 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sandpoint 50 82 50 87 53 88 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kellogg 56 80 59 86 62 89 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Moses Lake 56 93 59 99 63 101 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Wenatchee 60 92 65 99 68 101 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Omak 58 93 60 98 63 100 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Heat Advisory from noon Sunday to 10 PM PDT Tuesday for Central
Panhandle Mountains-Northern Panhandle.
Excessive Heat Warning from noon Saturday to 10 PM PDT Tuesday
for Coeur d'Alene Area-Idaho Palouse-Lewis and Southern Nez
Perce Counties-Lewiston Area.
WA...Heat Advisory from noon Sunday to 10 PM PDT Tuesday for
Northeast Mountains-Okanogan Highlands.
Excessive Heat Warning from noon Saturday to 10 PM PDT Tuesday
for Central Chelan County-Lower Garfield and Asotin
Counties-Moses Lake Area-Northeast Blue Mountains-Okanogan
Valley-Spokane Area-Upper Columbia Basin-Washington Palouse-
Waterville Plateau-Wenatchee Area-Western Okanogan County.
Heat Advisory from noon Saturday to 10 PM PDT Tuesday for
Western Chelan County.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The Billy Creek Fire started on July 3rd by undetermined cause. It was contained on July 13. It burned 3169 acres of grassland. Two structures were lost. Cost is estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, July 2024
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: 1206828.