Founded early in 2003 by University of Idaho student and former Southern Idaho semi-pro player Jerry Lema, the Palouse Thunder became the first northern Idaho team to play in a Washington-based semi pro league.  "We were talking about how much we missed playing down in Southern Idaho and we wondered what it takes to start up a team," Lema said.  "So, I investigated it."

After some searching, Lema got in contact with Chuck Love, commissioner of the Inland Northwest Football League.  Lema learned what it takes to start up a team and began the process of joining teams like Walla Walla Stars, Yakima Scorpions, and Moses Lake Bulls in the INWFL.

Through fliers and word of mouth, Lema spread the news about the Thunder.  Soon he had a roster of almost thirty players.  The Thunder had a rough go since their inception, not fielding a winning season in it's history, but always seems to be one of those "hang in there" and scare you teams.  The INWFL collapsed after the 2004 season, and the teams themselves reorganized as the Evergreen Football League in 2005.  In 2006, Lema and the Thunder opened the season 2-0 and got their dream game with a southern Idaho team and defeated the Snake River Sabercats in a non-league North-South battle.  The season fell apart from their though as Palouse lost the next eight games of the season.  In the May 19, 2007 shoot-out with Spokane, Thunder QB Andy Adkinson was named GNFA Offensive Player of the Week going 22/34 for 411 yards 5 TDs against 1 INT.

Renamed the "Hell's Canyon Thunder" in 2009 at the same time the EFL became the Washington Football League, the team struggled to a one-win season, and could not travel for their final home game when players left.

Returning to the Palouse name for 2010, the season started off with a stunning win over the 2009 WFL runners-up Spokane Wolfpack.  High hopes were quickly dashed the following week by Yakima and Palouse dropped to the lower tier once again, but tripled their win output from the previous season.  Numbers again became a problem and they failed to make their final road trip to Okanogan.  2011 through 2015 were consecutive one-win seasons for the Thunder as numbers continued to drop off.

The 2014 and 2015 Thunder teams, with contraction happening to the eastern Washington league at a rapid pace and diminishing games, found themselves as 1-win teams in the playoffs.  Both years they would face the Spokane Wolfpack who soundly trounced Palouse to end their season.  2015 would mark the end of the Thunder as well as the eastern Washington league as a whole, with the remaining teams being absorbed into the Pacific Football League or Western Washington League.  One thing the Thunder could claim was an 8-2 franchise record over the Moses Lake/Columbia Basin teams losing only in 2008 and 2009.

Defensive Coordinator Augie Stevens made his mark overseas as a head coach and offensive coordinator on a number of European Teams like the Marberg Mercenaries (Germany).

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