Record rainfall for eastern Idaho in October

Several areas in the region broke their October rainfall records this year, according to the National Weather Service.

Pocatello, Burley and Stanley broke their rainfall records, with 3.23 inches, 2.95 inches and 4.23 inches respectively. Idaho Falls tied their record at 1.77 inches.

Corey Loveland, a hydrologist at the National Weather Service, said the increased rain saturates the soil. With it saturated, by the time spring rolls around and the snowpack begins to melt the water will instead trickle down into things like reservoirs and streams.

However, there is a negative side to the increased rainfall.

“If we get record snowpack or real big snowpack and with the soils already saturated — then we could get potential flooding in the spring as well,” Loveland said.

That scenario would happen if we have both above normal snowpack and rapid snow melt in the spring.