Strong winds occurred behind a cold frontal passage in southeast Idaho.
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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 PIH wrote it up.
Strong winds occurred behind a cold frontal passage in southeast Idaho.
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 May 18, 4:45 AM MST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 545 AM MDT Sun May 18 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Rain with accumulating high mountain snow expected. - Windy conditions today, especially across the eastern Magic Valley, Raft River region, and lower Snake Plain. - Frost/freeze conditions possible tonight/Monday morning. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Issued at 127 PM MDT Sat May 17 2025 An upper level trough with an upper level low and surface cold front will move through the area today. Rain and high mountain snow will continue this morning into early Monday morning. High resolution models have backed off on rain amounts (in some places rainfall forecast was cut as much as 1/2 as previous forecast) across the area. Isolated thunderstorms are possible this afternoon, especially in areas that have any break in clouds today. As the upper level low drops down over our area today look for winds to increase starting early this morning. Expect strong westerly winds across our southwest areas. Still have a wind advisory out this evening until 9 pm for the Eastern Magic Valley, the Pocatello area (especially just west of town) and the South Hills/Albion Mountains. There will be areas, like ridge tops across the southwest and areas near Yale and Idahome, that will push just into HIGH WIND WARNING criteria, over 60 mph. The upper level low will help create a convergence band this afternoon into early Monday morning across the Snake River plain where northerly winds (at surface and aloft) will combine with westerly winds. Still expect light accumulating snow down to 6000 to 6500ft, though heavier bands may drop snow levels another 500 ft or so. Above 8000ft, and especially above pass level...6" or more of wet/slushy snow is possible in some places. We should see clearing skies across most of eastern Idaho tonight, except for along the Wyoming border and with the convergence band. This will allow temperatures to drop into the 20s and 30s. Have issued a frost advisory for the Arco desert, the Snake River plain, Shoshone area, and the Eastern Magic Valley for Monday morning. The Arco desert and Upper Snake river plain will have some areas drop below 33 degrees. These freezing temperatures may become widespread enough for a freeze warning for the Arco desert and the Upper Snake river plain but have held off on a freeze warning for now. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... Issued at 127 PM MDT Sat May 17 2025 Overall will be undergoing a pattern change with the flow aloft becoming much more zonal and will see a warming trend with temperatures reaching seasonal normal then above normal by mid week. Will see lingering showers and thunderstorms Tuesday with a week wave propagating through Idaho mainly in the mountains. Grids have dry conditions Wednesday then another weak wave and isolated showers and thunderstorms Wednesday night and Thursday. Then only isolated mainly eastern mountains showers Friday through Sunday, but most areas will be dry in the long term period after Tuesday. Highs will bed in the 50s and 60s Tuesday, then 50s and 60s mountains Wednesday and 60s to lower 70s valleys. Thursday through Sunday will be mainly 60s mountains and 70s valleys. Will have breezy conditions Tuesday behind exiting system, with moderate winds but not windy conditions Wednesday through Saturday in the zonal flow aloft. && .AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z MONDAY/... Issued at 523 AM MDT Sun May 18 2025 Expect extensive MVFR to IFR ceilings today as upper level trof moves east of the state by 00Z. Should see periods of rain at PIH, IDA, DIJ and SUN. For now only have vicinity at BYI. Other impact besides the rain and low ceilings will be strong winds behind the cold front that has moved into Wyoming. Sustained winds will increase to 20 to 25 knots at BYI with gusts 35 to 40 knots. Expect 20 knots sustained at PIH with gusts to 30 knots after 18Z and 15 knots sustained with gusts to 25 knots at IDA. Winds will gradually die down overnight and TAF sites should return to VFR conditions outside of DIJ which will likely keep lower ceilings through tonight. && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for IDZ051-054>057. Frost Advisory from 2 AM to 9 AM MDT Monday for IDZ051>055. && SHORT TERM...TW LONG TERM...GK AVIATION...GK
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph were widespread in the Raft River Region with the peak of 59 mph near Idahome. Black Pine also recorded 58 mph.
Fifty to 65 mph wind gusts occurred through the day on the 18th. A peak of 63 mph was measured at Connor Summit.
Widespread 50 to 60 mph wind gusts occurred on the 18th with a peak of 59 mph at the burley ASOS.
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, May 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: 1269641, 1269642, 1269643.