It’s a rare occurrence that weather forecasters speak of tropical weather affecting Idaho, but that’s what happened Monday. Remnants of the Tropical Storm Hilary brought flood warnings and wind advisories to the western part of Idaho.
Hurricane Hilary made landfall in Baja, California, over the weekend before it proceeded to batter Southern California with heavy rains, winds and flash floods. Hilary is the first tropical storm to hit California since 1939. The storm traveled north into the northern Rockies where it caused record rainfall in Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Idaho.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, Idaho’s rainfall record increased from one inch to two inches, though the data is preliminary. The previous record was caused by Hurricane Olivia in 1982.
Though the storm was devastating in many parts of Mexico and California, Jay Breidenbach of the National Weather Service told Boise State Public Radio it could alleviate the impact of wildfires in the northwest that have caused hazardous air pollution levels in Oregon and Washington.
Regardless, flood watches are still in effect in parts of Western Idaho.
