An avalanche occurred at around 2 pm on February 22nd in Carrot Canyon in the Centennial Mountains. Four snowmobilers were buried with 3 escaping but one fatality did occur.
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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.
An avalanche occurred at around 2 pm on February 22nd in Carrot Canyon in the Centennial Mountains. Four snowmobilers were buried with 3 escaping but one fatality did occur.
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 Feb 22, 12:54 PM MST, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 1254 PM MST Sun Feb 22 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Warmer temperatures peak tomorrow afternoon - Rain, snow, and wind Tuesday and Wednesday - Above average temperatures throughout the week && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 1225 PM MST Sun Feb 22 2026 Dry weather persists through tomorrow morning across eastern Idaho. Even with the approaching storm and some increase in higher clouds, we should see highs peaking tomorrow...at least for the early part of the week. Highs in most lower valleys hit 45-55 tomorrow. By afternoon a few pockets of light rain and snow cross the Salmon River into the central mountain. Tomorrow night through Wednesday afternoon looks wet for a good chunk of central and eastern Idaho, with windy conditions developing tomorrow night and Wednesday. This storm, like most of our storms this winter, will be on the warm side and focus, on the Sawtooths/surrounding ranges, eastern highlands and Bear River Range. While we may see some lighter snow accumulations between 6000-6500ft for that 48 hour period, most of the accumulation will occur above 7500ft and highest amounts above pass level. Where we are expecting all or mostly rain, upslope/downslope impacts are expected. We have 0.10" or less for some of the central mountain valleys and the upper end of the Snake Plain. From Blackfoot south and west across the Snake Plain and Magic Valley, we have anywhere from 0.15" to almost 0.50" (highest across the Magic Valley). Similar amounts for the valleys south of I-84 and I-86 are possible. There is a 10-20% chance of more than 0.50" across those areas down low. The Wood For valleys where some snow (3" or less) is expected (Island Park, Teton Valley, Wood River Valley, and Stanley Basin), we are looking for 0.40-0.80", with a 10-40% chance of exceeding 0.80". For higher elevations in favored areas, we are looking 0.50-1.20" of moisture (snow melted to water measurements). There is a 20-50% chance of more than that across the Big Holes and around Lionhead (including the Tetons), spine of the Sawtooths, and the Bear River Range. Looking at snowfall totals, snowfall under 7500ft is limited to 6" or less over 2 days. Snowfall in the mountains OUTSIDE of favored locations at/above 7500ft, is generally 6" or less as well. For the Bear River Range, we are currently looking at 6-10", 8-16" for the Big Holes and around Lionhead, and 8-18" for the Sawtooths/surrounding ranges. Some spots may try and push 2ft. The other factor with this event will be wind, especially later Tuesday into Wednesday. Strongest gusts in most areas will be 30-50mph, with a few spots surpassing that. The winds right now are the driving factor for potential headlines since snowfall is for 48 hours. We will hold off on any headlines for the moment until we see if trends are up or down in the next 24 hours. Beyond that, the forecast is mostly trending drier. We do have another system clipping the area on Friday, which will produce more showers. The Blend of Models is showing some uncertainty in terms of how wet or dry it might, but the overall trend is drier. Friday looks like another windy, and we might actually remain breezy through next weekend. Temperatures do dip a bit with the incoming low, but still running above average. A warming trend returns for the last half of the upcoming week. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/... Issued at 1024 AM MST Sun Feb 22 2026 VFR conditions are expected with only FEW060-090 today during max afternoon heating. Winds remain light and turn downvalley overnight. We start to see increased moisture move into the region Monday afternoon. SUN the first to see increased cloud cover during the afternoon but conditions should remain dry. && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...Keyes AVIATION...DMH
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
An avalanche occurred at around 2 pm on February 22nd in Carrot Canyon in the Centennial Mountains. Four snowmobilers were buried with 3 escaping but one fatality did occur.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche, Centennial Mountains-Island Park | 2026-02-22 | 21 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, February 2026
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: 1320942.