Tornado Touched Down Near Jerome

Special weather statement

National Weather Service – Boise, ID

3:35 pm MDT, Wed, Mar 16, 2011

Brief tornado touchdown near Jerome

Just after 3 pm MDT public and local law enforcement reported a brief touchdown of a small tornado about 10 miles southwest of Jerome.

Sustained winds were reported near 50 mph with gusts near 60 mph at nearby observation sites. Rain and pea-sized hail and local blowing dust were also reported on interstate 84 near milepost 168.

These conditions were associated with the passage of a cold front. They are known as gustnadoes and are technically tornadoes, but not in the classic sense, associated with thunderstorms.