Weather News

Second ‘rare’ tornado in less than a month touches down in eastern Idaho

Residents near Pocatello saw a rare occurrence on Friday: a tornado. It was the second such “rare” occurrence in less than a month.
Residents near Pocatello saw a rare occurrence on Friday: a tornado. It was the second such “rare” occurrence in less than a month. Photo via @NWSPocatello

A rare weather event happened Friday in eastern Idaho, marking at least the second such occurrence in recent weeks.

Around 12:30 p.m., a tornado touched down on flat land between Soda Springs and Grace, two towns in eastern Idaho near the Wyoming and Utah borders.

The tornado was confirmed by the National Weather Service.

Tornadoes consist of quickly rotating air in a narrow column, and often appear dramatic. They are usually caused by storms with rapidly increasing wind speeds or when storms change direction, meteorologist Greg Kaiser with the Weather Service’s Pocatello office told the Idaho Statesman.

Kaiser said that tornadoes are “rare” in Idaho.

In May, another tornado touched down southeast of Twin Falls.

Kaiser said he thinks tornadoes sometimes go unreported because they occur in unpopulated areas, and nobody sees them.

This story was originally published June 24, 2023 at 3:47 PM.

Ian Max Stevenson
Idaho Statesman
Ian Max Stevenson covers state politics and climate change at the Idaho Statesman. If you like seeing stories like this, please consider supporting his work with a digital subscription. Support my work with a digital subscription
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