CARIBOU COUNTY, Idaho — According to the National Weather Service in Pocatello, a confirmed tornado touched down in southeast Idaho Friday afternoon.
The tornado touched down around 12:30 p.m. on the flats between Soda Springs and Grace. NWS Pocatello received videos and pictures from Idahoans in Caribou County as the brownish funnel moved across the plain.
KTVB Meteorologist Sophia Bliss said in order for a tornado to occur in Idaho, there needs to be a lift in the atmosphere, some spin in the atmosphere and moisture for stronger storms. Friday's rotation will likely be classified as a 'landspout' tornado, as it wasn't associated with a supercell thunderstorm.
Tornadoes are rare for the Gem State, but they are known to happen. Idaho will average between three and six tornadoes a year, and most will end up on the lower end of the scale of tornados, or the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale.
The scale goes to EF-5 and the rating is determined based on wind speeds and tornado-related damage, according to the National Weather Service. When a confirmed tornado happens locally, it typically lands as an EF-0 or an EF-1.
In a video posted on Facebook and shared in KTVB's Idaho Weather Watchers group, the sight was called a "guitar tornado," due to the tornado's unique shape.
NWS Pocatello received reports of the funnel forming early in the afternoon on Friday in the Bancroft area. A lift and rotation in the atmosphere combined with moisture and thunderstorms made for quite the viewing experience:
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