Thunderstorm Wind — Kootenai, Idaho

2014-08-02 · near State Line Vlg, Kootenai, Idaho

Event narrative

Coeur D Alene Press reported that thunderstorms brought high winds and downed trees across portions of Post Falls, Hayden, Spirit Lake, and northern Coeur D'Alene. The Stateline Speedway and several other businesses on Pleasant View Road lost power and were forced to cancel the Idaho 200 race. The storm and strong winds also sparked a quick grass fire causing Love's Travel Center to evacuate. The storm was also blamed for a house fire on Cimmaron Street in Post Falls and another one at Fir and 13th Street caused by downed power lines.

Wider weather episode

A strong upper-level ridge during the end of July and beginning August helped fuel a moist and unstable air mass over the region. The ridge broke down on the 1st of August and was overrun by two weak midlevel impulses on August 2nd. As the second impulse passed over Northeastern Washington and Northern Idaho strong storms developed. Meanwhile, dewpoint depressions over Northern Idaho had spread between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The rain and hail cooled outflow winds from storms over Northeastern Washington and North Idaho put out damaging outflow winds which moved northwest to southeast and gained momentum while tracking off the Selkirk Mountain Range. Winds ranging between 50 and 70 miles per hour blew through Priest Lake, Sandpoint, Lake Pend Oreille, and Prichard. Meanwhile, isolated thunderstorms were developing along a decaying outflow boundary tracking west to east across the Washington, Idaho border, each producing local tree damage. Priest Lake, Sandpoint, and communities surrounding Lake Pend Oreille were the hardest hit areas.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (47.7118, -117.0401)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 534613. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.