Eastern Idaho was hit by a heavy snowstorm Monday, April 15, and today with up to eight inches dumped in some areas.
The snowfall amount surprised meteorologists who had not predicted that much snow would be dumped in the late spring storm.
Besides breaking limbs off trees, slowing motorists, and stopping planters, the storm did little else.
It was estimated to only raise the snow-moisture levels in the Upper Snake River Valley by 2 percentage points to 75 percent of normal.
With growers keeping an eye to the sky for every drop of moisture they can get, the storm was welcomed. While it may not leave much in the way of runoff for storage, it was a multi-million-dollar deluge for grain crops.
It will also greatly aid sugarbeet planting when it can get under way in another week. While the ground has been very dry and everything was soaked up, it will give just-planted beets moisture to germinate and perhaps delay the first irrigation.