BOISE, Idaho — A powerful thunderstorm rolled through the Treasure Valley, bringing patchy rain and 176 lightning strikes from Parma and Wilder to Bruneau in roughly a 4-hour span.
The National Weather Service says it was one of the most active lightning events the region has experienced in decades. Despite arriving during the heart of wildfire season, the storm did not ignite any significant new fires.
“If you look back to the year 2000, it's the 5th most ever in a single day of any day since the year 2000,” National Weather Service Coordination Meteorologist Jay Breidenbach said.
WATCH | Why 176 lightning strikes didn’t ignite significant new wildfires in the Treasure Valley
Breidenbach said the storm was even more unusual for July.
“So that's an amazing amount, and just anytime in the month of July, it would be the 2nd most for a single day,” Breidenbach said.
Idaho News 6 viewers experienced widely different conditions across the valley. Joanne reported heavy rain in Boise’s Collister neighborhood, while Linda saw no rain in Parma. Near Bruneau, Judy said a brief shower evaporated quickly.
Breidenbach said measured rainfall totaled less than one-tenth of an inch, but the moisture was enough to raise relative humidity to approximately 60% and dampen the area’s fine grasses.
“The relative humidity came up to about 60%. And the fuel around the area, it's made up of fine grass,” Breidenbach said. “They moisten up and don't burn quite as well, very fast. And so we think that probably played a role in the spread of the fire last night, that and the crews responding were able to really get a handle on it quick."
Boise’s air traffic control tower became an unofficial fire lookout post as several fires became visible from the National Weather Service offices.
Conditions were different farther west. Moisture from the monsoon weather system did not reach Oregon as easily, and several new fires started there following the storm.
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