Heavy snow fell in the Sawtooth, Sun Valley and parts of Lincoln County. It was a long lasting 3 to 4 day atmospheric river event with very warm temperatures and heavy snow limited to very specific areas.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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.
Heavy snow fell in the Sawtooth, Sun Valley and parts of Lincoln County. It was a long lasting 3 to 4 day atmospheric river event with very warm temperatures and heavy snow limited to very specific areas.
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 Jan 31, 2:47 PM MST, 9 hours 13 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 247 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025 .SHORT TERM...Tonight and Saturday Afternoon satellite imagery shows widespread cloud cover across the area as our multi-day atmospheric river event is now underway. For the higher elevations of the central mountains and east/southeast highlands, not much has changed with the forecast and Winter Storm Warnings remain in place with snowfall totals in the warned areas likely to be quite high (6-18 inches, locally higher at the highest peaks) between now and Sunday AM. See the Winter Weather headlines for specifics. The biggest challenge in the short term is for snowfall (and amounts) across the Magic Valley and Snake Plain. Areas around Pocatello are currently downsloping with temperatures in the lower 40s this afternoon. The HRRR seems to have the best handle on the current downsloping in the Magic Valley and lower Snake Plain. That being said, model soundings suggest that as the initial onset of precip falls into drier low-level air, we should see some wet-bulbing in the valleys allowing temps to drop back closer to the freezing mark by later this evening and throughout much of the overnight. Just how much though is the biggest question mark and we're basically at the point where we just need to now-cast based on trends and observations. All that being said, valley snowfall amounts have trended down a bit from the previous forecast but still show some accumulation across all of the Snake Plain, Arco Desert and Magic Valley. As such, will keep the Winter Weather Advisories in place, as is, but just know that this the p-type forecast (and accumulations) are LOW confidence even though we're just a few hours away. This is certainly a scenario where some of the bench areas around Pocatello COULD end up with a few more inches of snow than parts of town just a few hundred feet lower in elevation. Time will tell. Unfortunately, we're gonna play this game again tomorrow in the valleys as daytime temperatures will support rain or rain/snow mix and then overnight cooling will bring the chance for more accumulating snow. Expect another low confidence snowfall forecast in the valleys again tomorrow, unfortunately. McKaughan .LONG TERM...Sunday through next Friday The long-duration atmospheric river event will continue to bring moderate to heavy snow to our mountains and light snow, as well as rain and mixed precipitation to our valleys, through late next week. Our first round of Warnings and Advisories will expire early Sunday, although more headlines are anticipated for early next week as the next round of moisture shifts inland. Additional snow accumulations for each 24 hour period Sunday through Tuesday look to be another 7 to 12 inches in the central mountains and 5 to 15 inches above 6,500 feet elevation in the eastern mountains. Locations elsewhere will receive Trace to a couple of inches during each period. Transport of warm Pacific air will raise temperatures with daytime highs peaking in the 30s and 40s on Tuesday. Rising snow levels will mean increasing chances for mixed precipiation and rain in our valleys heading into early next week. However, widespread snow chances will return later week when temperatures drop by 10 or so degrees Wednesday as the next system arrives. Cropp && .AVIATION... Precipitation associated with a long-duration atmospheric river event will continue through late next week. Confidence is very low in precipitation type and timing of any transitions at KPIH and KBYI, with models having a difficult time determining the rain/snow line. Aside from Pacific air increasing temperatures through the weekend, daytime warming will likely limit snow accumulations in the valleys with the overnight hours being the best chance for accumulations at the aforementioned terminals. Winds will increase tonight into Saturday, with 25 to 35 kt gusts impacting KPIH, KIDA, and KBYI. Cropp && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 5 AM MST Sunday for IDZ051>057-059. Winter Storm Warning until 5 AM MST Sunday for IDZ058-060>066. Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST Saturday for IDZ069. Winter Storm Warning until 5 PM MST Saturday for IDZ071>075. &&
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
707 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 PM Snow Bellevue 43.47N 114.26W
01/31/2025 M3.3 Inch Blaine ID CO-OP Observer
Snowfall since around noon.
&&Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
1112 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0917 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 17 WSW Marion 42.17N 114.20W
01/31/2025 M59 MPH Cassia ID Mesonet
Mesonet station CRII1 Cotton Ridge.
0700 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 1 NW Niter 42.52N 111.74W
01/31/2025 M47 MPH Caribou ID Mesonet
Mesonet station GREI 1 NW Niter.
0350 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 11 WSW Atomic City 43.40N 113.02W
01/31/2025 M47 MPH Butte ID Mesonet
Mesonet station SUM Big Southern Butte.
1004 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst Heyburn 42.55N 113.77W
01/31/2025 M45 MPH Minidoka ID ASOS
ASOS station KBYI Burley Municipal Airport.
&&Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
1157 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1155 PM Snow Ketchum 43.68N 114.37W
01/31/2025 M6.0 Inch Blaine ID Public
Webb Landscape snow stake storm total so
far.
&&
CMPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
1200 AM MST Sat Feb 1 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1155 PM Snow Galena 43.87N 114.66W
01/31/2025 M9.0 Inch Blaine ID Public
Galena Lodge snow stake storm total so far.
&&
CMThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 heavy snow, 3 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
The Stanley Ranger Station COOP site measured 23 inches of snow over a 3 day period.
The Shoshone COOP site recorded 10 inches of snow and 8.2 inches was recorded at the Richfield COOP site.
The Craters of the Moon COOP site recorded 16 inches of snow.
A storm total of 28 inches was reported 3 miles west southwest of Hailey. The Bellevue COOP observer recorded 11 inches and the Picabo COOP observer recorded 13 inches.
The Ketchum Ranger Station COOP station recorded 17 inches of snow over the long event. Galena Lodge recorded 33 inches over the 3 to 4 day event.
Pomerelle Mountain ski resort recorded 14 inches of snow.
An avalanche blocked Warm Springs Road near Frenchman Bend. Road was not reopened until February 6th.
A large avalanche ran down Della Mountain between 6 AM and 9 AM briefly blocking the Big Wood River.
A large avalanche near Board Ranch slammed into the back of a house near Penny Lake. No injuries or significant damage reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, February 2025
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: 1238927, 1238951, 1238959, 1238972, 1238975, 1238976, 1239143, 1239149, 1239153.