Flood — Latah, Idaho

2012-03-26 to 2012-03-27 · near Cornwall, Latah, Idaho

Event narrative

The combination of heavy rain and snow melt caused several creeks and streams to flood causing minor damage to multiple roads between Genesee and Moscow. The most significant damage occurred along Blaine, Eid, Danielson, Swenson, and Troy-Genesee Roads. The South Latah Highway district estimated repair cost to these roads at 50 thousand dollars, primarily to procure, haul, and replace material to restore the roadways for safe travel.

Wider weather episode

A negatively tilted upper-level trough lifting through the Inland NW on the evening of March 25th through the morning hours of the 26th tapped into subtropical moisture resulting in moderate to heavy convective rainfall for central portions of the Idaho Panhandle. The heaviest rain was observed across the Idaho Palouse, Lewis-Clark Valley, and Central Panhandle Mountains. Twenty-four rainfall amounts across these locations ranged between three-quarters and one and a half inches. Several days earlier, moderate to heavy snowfall fell across these same locations. The combination of heavy rainfall and snow melt led to sharp rises and flooding along the Palouse River and its tributaries. The most significant flooding occurred along Paradise Creek, within the city of Moscow, Idaho.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (46.6813, -116.9350)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 367625. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.