Strong winds brought travel headaches for high profile vehicles in Malheur County, especially during an evening cold frontal passage.
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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 BOI wrote it up.
Strong winds brought travel headaches for high profile vehicles in Malheur County, especially during an evening cold frontal passage.
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 Boise, ID wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 1, 8:33 PM MST, 6 hours 27 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Boise ID
833 PM MST Fri Mar 1 2024
.DISCUSSION...Showers, and even a few thunderstorms north of
Boise, occurred this evening within a moist and unstable
southwest flow aloft. Showers will continue through Saturday,
but the bulk of the activity will occur ahead of a cold front
before it moves through the area Saturday morning. Gusty
southwest winds will persist ahead of the front, especially near
the Nevada border where winds will locally gust up to 50 mph.
Snowfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour are possible with the
heavier snow showers in central Idaho where a Winter Weather
Advisory is in effect. Snow levels lower to valley floors behind
the front on Saturday, although the shower coverage diminishes
so there is little to no snow accumulation expected in the lower
valleys. Breezy west-southwest post-frontal winds are
anticipated in the afternoon. Temperatures will be around 10
degrees below normal. Forecast was updated to reduce wind speeds
and gusts through Saturday morning.
&&
.AVIATION...MVFR/IFR and localized LIFR in heavy snow and rain
showers through tomorrow morning. Snow levels around 4000-5000
feet MSL lowering to valley floors late tomorrow morning, with
a dusting of snow possible in Treasure Valley terminals. A stray
thunderstorm early tomorrow morning is possible (10% chance)
mainly over West Central Mtns and Treasure Valley. Mountains
obscured. Areas of low level wind shear, mainly over the Snake
River Valley tomorrow morning as the cold front passes.
Surface winds: SE-SW 10-20 kt, with gusts to 30 kt near the NV
border and becoming variable less than 10 kt after 03/03Z. Winds
aloft at 10k ft MSL: SW 35-45 kt.
Sunday Outlook...MVFR/IFR conditions mainly near KTWF-KJER and
KMYL in slight chance of snow showers over the Central ID Mtns,
Magic Valley, and near the NV border throughout the day. Surface
winds will be SE-SW 5-15 kt.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION...
SHORT TERM...Tonight through Sunday night...Shower coverage is
increasing across the area early this afternoon and have gotten
a few cloud flashes. Wind gusts to 40 mph and graupel are
possible from heavier showers/thunderstorms. The cold air aloft
and energy from surface heating will support a continued chance
of showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms into this
evening. As a large upper low remains positioned offshore,
southwest flow aloft will continue into Saturday. The strongest
winds remain positioned along the OR/NV border and higher
terrain south of the Snake Plain where winds aloft of 40-60kt
will continue overnight. Expect periods of gusty winds to 50 mph
across these areas which are covered by the current Wind
Advisory. The higher wind potential doesn't recede until
Saturday morning so extended the Advisory to catch this
potential. The mountains will see periods of snow continue with
the heaviest widespread snow falling across the w-central Idaho
and Boise mountains through Saturday. The current WWA covers the
expected 4 to 8 inches in mountain valleys and 6 to 12 inches
across higher peaks through Saturday evening in these areas.
Saturday and Sunday will bring colder temperatures at the
surface and aloft as the low extends eastward. Instability
fueled shower development will increase in coverage each
afternoon with isolated thunderstorms and graupel a possibility.
In the mountains, showers will be capable of bringing brief
heavy snow at 1-2"/hr rates. Saturday remains breezy, then winds
relax on Sunday as the flow aloft weakens. High temperatures
will be 8-15 degrees below normal with Sunday being the coldest
day.
LONG TERM...Monday through Friday...Below normal temperatures
and unsettled conditions will dominate the long term period.
Guidance continues to show a broad trough over the region
Monday/Tuesday with shortwave energy rotating through and
impacting the forecast area. Orographic precipitation in the
mountains along with daytime instability and shower development
will bring a 60-90% of snow to the mountains and mountain
valleys, especially north of the Snake Plain. Lower elevations
will have around a 40-50% chance of precipitation Monday/Tuesday
with snow or rain/snow mix in lowest valleys. Temperatures
expected to be around 10 degrees below normal.
Ensemble clusters show the pattern beginning to shift later in
the week with diverging solutions. The forecast trend is for
gradual warming late in the week although temperatures are
expected to stay below normal. Precipitation potential decreases
to around 30-50% Wednesday then to around 20-40% Thursday.
Little chance of precipitation Friday as an upper ridge is
forecast to build over the Pacific NW and northern Rockies.
&&
.BOI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST Saturday IDZ011-013.
Wind Advisory until 6 AM MST Saturday IDZ015-029.
OR...Wind Advisory until 6 AM MST /5 AM PST/ Saturday ORZ061-063.
&&
www.weather.gov/Boise
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DISCUSSION...BW
AVIATION.....SA
SHORT TERM...DG
LONG TERM....TLThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The ASOS at Rome airport measured a gust of 61 knots.
The RAWS at Riddle Mountain measured a gust of 58 knots.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, March 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: 1169006, 1169007.