Winter Storm — Centennial Mountains-island Park, Idaho

2024-03-01 to 2024-03-04 · Centennial Mountains-island Park, Idaho

Event narrative

A strong Pacific system brought heavy snow and strong winds brought road closures at times for several days. Snow amounts were 17 inches at the Island Park COOP site, 12 inches at Harriman State Park and 11 inches at Warm River. Idaho Highway 27 closed on the 2nd from the US Highway 20 junction to the Montana border. Idaho Highway 47 closed on the 4th from Ashton to Bear Gulch. US Highway 20 closed from Ashton to the Montana border on the 2nd.

Wider weather episode

An extreme winter storm affected all of southeast Idaho the first 4 days of the month. Extreme amounts of Pacific moisture combined with several short waves and a cold frontal passage brought widespread snow amounts over a foot. With temperatures near freezing, widespread damage occurred due to the heavy wet nature of the snow especially in the Snake River Plain. Although there was a break in the snow late on the 2nd, it returned on the 3rd and continued into the 4th. Strong winds were also a common feature with the multi day storm with widespread gusts over 40 mph causing blowing and drifting snow and low visibility by the 3rd and 4th when colder temperatures arrived. Road closures were widespread. Thunderstorms occurred with the cold frontal passage early on the 2nd. School closures also occurred on the 4th as well.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1169939. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.