Heavy Snow — Northern Clearwater Mountains, Idaho

2021-12-11 · Northern Clearwater Mountains, Idaho

Event narrative

Heavy snow, with rates in excess of one inch per hour, was observed in Elk River, Grangemont, Headquarters, and in higher elevations areas of the northern Clearwater Mountains. One to two feet of snow was measured by area SNOTEL sites, with nine inches of snow being reported in Elk River. 264 residents in Elk River lost power, likely due to snow loading.

Wider weather episode

Strong southerly winds developed in Grangeville on December 11th as a Pacific cold front moved into eastern Oregon and Washington. Peak wind gusts in excess of 50 mph were observed, with limited damage to property and power infrastructure. Heavy snow impacted the northern Clearwater Mountains, leading to areas of power outages.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 997241. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.