High Wind in N Nez Perce County, Idaho

A major winter storm moving across the inland Northwest brought strong wind to the Idaho panhandle on the morning of December 15. The wind followed moderate to large accumulations of powdery snow the evening before, leading to snow drifts of 3 to 5 feet. The Pullman/Moscow Airport measured peak wind gusts to 63 mph (55 knots) from the southwest between 430 and 530 AM PST. The Nez Perce County Airport near Lewiston measured a peak wind gust to 59 mph (51 knots) at 932 AM PST. The Coeur D'Alene Airport measured peak wind gusts to 49 mph (43 knots) from 300 to 600 AM PST. This brought wind chill values into the zero to ten below range. The wind caused several trees to fall into power lines in the Idaho Palouse, causing spotty power outages. A home under construction just east of Coeur D'Alene had its walls torn apart. The combination of snow drifts and wind brought about the closure of many highways including: US Hwy 95 from Craigmont to Winchester and from Lewiston to Moscow, ID Hwy 7 north of NezPerce, and ID Hwy 54 between Athol and Spirit Lake.