A Sky Full of Holes: Weather Records Aim to Undercut Kohberger’s Alibi
It was a dark and cloudy night—literally. According to records from the National Weather Service, that’s not just a dramatic opener—it’s the kind of detail Idaho prosecutors say could help dismantle Bryan Kohberger’s defense. On November 13, 2022, Kohberger allegedly left his apartment in Pullman, Washington, around 4 a.m., drove a short distance to Moscow, Idaho, and fatally stabbed four University of Idaho students inside their off-campus home.
He says he was just out for a drive. A moody, late-night cruise through the Palouse to clear his head and maybe catch some stars. But the government is now pointing to a cloudy, foggy, and unusually cold morning as evidence that his story doesn’t quite match up with the conditions outside.
Prosecutors want to introduce detailed weather data into the upcoming trial, pulling from the National Weather Service records in the area during the night in question. And they’ve got expert analysis to back it up. FOX Weather meteorologist Andrew Wulfeck reviewed the observations and found that visibility was reduced due to fog, with low clouds that wouldn’t have made for much of a stargazing experience. Not a blackout-level fog, but enough to paint the night sky with a dull, overcast haze. As Wulfeck put it, “not the greatest night” for a celestial joyride.
The timing and purpose of Kohberger’s alleged drive have been a central piece of his defense. In court filings, his attorneys describe a routine behavior—driving in the early morning hours to run, hike, or take in the sky. But prosecutors aren’t buying it, and the weather records could help them argue that the conditions were inconsistent with that kind of activity.
Wulfeck explained that temperatures on both November 12 and 13 were lower than seasonal averages, due to a ridge of high pressure in the region. Sky conditions, wind speeds, and even sunrise and sunset times all added up to one thing: a cold, cloudy night with no real celestial action overhead.
The nearest weather station is located at the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport—almost exactly between Kohberger’s apartment and the King Road crime scene. That location reported fog and reduced visibility but not enough to cause official alerts. Still, the takeaway is clear: if someone was out that night looking to hike under the stars, they would’ve needed a serious imagination—or night vision.
And just to top it off, there was no eclipse, no supermoon, no cosmic event to give a stargazer any real reason to be out there. It was just a dull, gray sky—pretty much the last place you’d want to be if the stars were what you were chasing.
This seemingly simple data point—weather—may become a strategic strike in the larger case against Kohberger. Prosecutors are challenging his alibi in court and want the records, along with other evidence, admitted at trial. That includes Amazon purchase history that allegedly ties Kohberger to a Ka-Bar knife and sheath, the same kind of sheath found under one of the victims, with Kohberger’s DNA allegedly recovered from its snap.
The defense, unsurprisingly, wants all of that kept out. Weather data. Amazon records. Anything that could further paint a picture they’re trying hard to dispute.
Kohberger is accused of four students in the early morning hours of November 13. Six hours after the killings, Kohberger allegedly took a smiling selfie in front of an empty shower. His attorneys say he was just out for a drive. Prosecutors say the clouds don’t lie.
Jury selection is set to begin July 30, with the trial expected to start August 11.
#BryanKohberger #IdahoFour #TrueCrimeTrial #KohbergerCase
Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj
Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
