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08:55 PM MST on Friday, January 30, 2004

John Masters
KTVB.COM

BOISE – A powerful storm blew through the Treasure Valley this morning, uprooting trees, causing rockslides, downing power lines and wreaking havoc with motorists.

Idaho 55 was closed between Banks and Cascade for about three hours due to a rock and snow slide that left one person hospitalized. The Boise County Sheriff reports that 64-year-old Kenneth Pattan had to be Life-Flighted from an accident near Banks after a rockslide slammed into his vehicle. Pattan's wife was not injured. Idaho 55 was reopened shortly after noon Friday.

courtesy Billy Wilcox A powerful storm brought lightning, rain and heavy winds to the valley Friday morning.

NewsChannel 7 Meteorologist Larry Gebert said a vigorous cold front came through the valley around 8 a.m. bringing severe lightning, thunderstorms, hail and wind gusts between 50 and 60 miles an hour.

The Stage Stop just east of Boise reported winds at 60 miles an hour. In Boise, a construction worker was hurt while working on the roof at the new Pepper Hills Elementary School near Overland and Cloverdale roads. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

KTVB Scaffolding collapsed when high winds blew over Pepper Hills Elementary School. One worker was hurt.

In Boise and Payette, there were reports of trees falling on a house. In Eagle, one resident said their fence blew over.

Near Hansen, strong winds blew a semi-truck off the Hansen Bridge. The bridge was closed for a while, but has since reopened. Twins Falls County deputies were hampered by snow and wind in their efforts to reach the truck, which crashed several hundred feet below on rocks near the banks of the Snake River. The driver died at the scene.

Near New Meadows, Idaho State Police reported an accident on the Goose Creek grade tied up traffic near the U.S. 95 – Idaho 55 intersection. An ISP dispatcher said traffic was pretty much at a standstill in the area. Traffic has also slow going on State route 52 from Emmett to Horseshoe Bend.

Gebart said the storm has weakened but will bring more cold air to the valley this weekend. Temperatures on Saturday and Sunday will only be in the mid-30s, with a chance for snow on Sunday. There is a snow warning for the mountain areas.