Winter Storm — Lower Snake River Plain, Idaho

2023-02-13 to 2023-02-15 · Lower Snake River Plain, Idaho

Event narrative

Heavy snow and strong winds caused extreme travel difficulties. The following schools were closed on the 14th and 15th due to road conditions: Pocatello/Chubbuck District 25, Snake River District 52, Blackfoot District 55, Aberdeen District 58, Firth District 59, Shelley District 60, and Shoshone Bannock District 537. Some snow amounts were 5 inches at Pocatello Airport, 7 inches in town Pocatello and Chubbuck, 10 inches Pocatello benches, 7.5 inches Blackfoot, 6.5 inches Fort Hall, and 8 inches Aberdeen. A major accident on interstate 15 near Pocatello closed interstate 15 southbound for nearly 3 hours at 4 pm on the 14th. It involved two semis and another vehicle and road conditions were considered a factor.

Wider weather episode

A powerful Pacific storm system brought a combination of heavy snow and strong winds to southeast Idaho with many areas receiving 6 to 14 inches of snow with wind gusts over 40 mph. Several roads and schools were closed on the 14th and 15th due to the snow and wind combination causing very hazardous travel.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1083366. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.