Extremely strong winds occurred behind a strong cold front in the southern mountains.
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The episode as NWS PIH wrote it up.
Extremely strong winds occurred behind a strong cold front in the southern mountains.
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 Mar 4, 10:16 PM MST, 1 hour 44 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 1016 PM MST Wed Mar 4 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - A cold front tonight will bring gusty winds and a sharp drop in temperatures. - Rain transitions to snow by Thursday morning for most, creating a messy commute with a 25-50% chance of 1" of snow in the Snake Plain. - Mountain passes east of I-15 should see 5-10" of snow through Thursday night, and Winter Weather Advisories remain in effect. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 146 PM MST Wed Mar 4 2026 Satellite imagery depicts a closed low off the PacNW coast shifting inland, with deep southerly flow across East Idaho. Gusty winds have already developed today especially portions of southern highlands spilling into the snake plain. The southerly flow helping to boost temperatures ahead of the precipitation, currently over eastern oregon early this afternoon per regional radar imagery. Progression of the system still looks very similar to previous forecast. Cold front shifts east through the evening, shifting gusty south winds to the west and increasing slightly through the overnight hours and into Thursday. Will maintain the Wind Advisory as currently highlighted, and have nudged forecast winds above NBM deterministic ranges toward the 75th and 90th percentiles, in line with current observations and anticipated increase. A rapid drop in temperatures is expected overnight, bringing snow levels to valley floors and making the Thursday AM commute messy for some. HREF projections for accumulations through Thursday afternoon vary significantly, but the probability of more than 1" of snow in the interstate corridors of the Snake Plain is generally 25-50%, increasing to 40-65% north and east of Idaho Falls. Believe ground temperatures are likely warm enough to limit significant accumulations for most of the commuting region. Higher elevations especially across the east and south see the higher accumulations as light snow continues into Thursday night and possibly Friday as the upper low transitions east of the region. Will also maintain the Winter Weather Advisories already in effect for these areas, with generally 5-10" accumulation at pass level, slightly higher for the Bear River Range/Emigration Pass and elevations above pass level. Upper ridge tilts over the region for Saturday. Unsettled conditions return for Sunday and beyond as flow aloft flattens with series of fast moving shortwaves for the remainder of the forecast period. This pattern will be conducive for showery conditions mainly over higher elevations. Mild temperatures and breezy to windy conditions are expected for most days next work week. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 1007 PM MST Wed Mar 4 2026 Aviation will have a tough time tonight. Temperatures are running colder than the forecast, and so expect more low VSBY in SN/BR, although do not see anything below 1SM at this time. CIG is lower in KSUN than expected, below 800ft AFL, so low confidence that any of the TAFs will hold, despite liberal use of TEMPO and PROB30. The coldest part of the day, Thu 12Z to 17Z, appear to be the toughest. Expect a change over to RA/BR to help at KBYI, KPIH, and KIDA by late morning/afternoon. KSUN appears to be done early with precipitation as soon as a northwest wind develops in the Wood River valley and scours out the current stratus and BR/FG. KSUN should have unlimited CIG/VSBY by 05/14Z, so just as it opens. Finally, KDIJ appears to have a return of problems with SHSN returning during the early evening hours, reducing VSBY the most. Breezy to windy, especially for KSUN and KBYI, with G30KT for KSUN and G40KT for KBYI. KIDA and KPIH will also experience G30KT, but it should be right down the main runways. && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 8 PM MST Thursday for IDZ055-056. Winter Weather Advisory until 2 AM MST Friday for IDZ060. Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST Thursday for IDZ064. Winter Weather Advisory until 3 PM MST Thursday for IDZ066. && DISCUSSION...DMH AVIATION...Messick
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Widespread 50 to 60 mph wind gusts occurred in the Raft River region. The peak gust was 59 mph near Idahome.
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, March 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: 1327325.