Jan. 18 turned out to be snow day for the Treasure Valley after all — and it's not just the snow on the ground in the cities that earned us that designation.
Enough snow fell at Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation area Wednesday for the front half of the mountain to finally open for business Thursday morning.
Chairs 1, 2, 4, 7 and the Magic Carpet will open at 10 a.m. Thursday.
"We just made the decision," said Mike Shirley, general manager, after a meeting at 2:25 p.m.
The north-facing slopes should be fine, he said, however, some of the south-facing slopes may be "scratchy."
As of 2:30 p.m., the National Weather Service reported that 5 inches of snow had fallen at the Boise Airport — and Treasure Valley residents could see as much as an inch an hour fall until early afternoon.
The College of Western Idaho is canceling all classes after noon Wednesday because of lousy weather. Idaho City schools also are closed.
Boise State University is open and plans on staying open Wednesday, but two BSU night classes at the Mountain Home Air Force Base are canceled, as the base has been closed to all but essential personnel.
Eastbound Interstate 84 was closed at LaGrande from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Several semi trucks spun out and blocked all eastbound lanes at Ladd Canyon.
Snow began falling hard about 7 a.m. — and was still coming down at 12:30 p.m., causing traffic headaches all over the Treasure Valley. Local law enforcement have been sent to dozens of slid-offs and other minor traffic crashes all morning long — including a school bus slide-off on Warm Springs Avenue around noon.
The bus got stuck near Windsong Drive. Several students were on the bus at the time but were not injured, according to reports. Boise police had to put sand down to help dislodge a different school bus that got stuck on Maple Grove Road earlier Wednesday morning.
It didn't take long for the snow to pile up on city streets Wednesday morning. Main roads were relatively snow-free at first, as morning commuter traffic kept them clear. But as much as one-half to three-quarters of an inch had accumulated by 7:30 a.m. and traffic slowed down all over the Boise area.
Idaho State Police said traffic was pretty slow on Interstate 84 in the Boise and eastern Treasure Valley areas. As of 1:30 p.m., ISP reported 32 weather related crashes — mostly slide-offs on I-84.
Ada County dispatchers reported 106 crashes on county roads since 6 a.m., five more crashes where people were injured, and 69 slide-offs. Ada County law enforcement has also taken 44 reports of vehicles with stalled motors. Some motorists reported trouble while driving up the hills on Vista Avenue, Federal Way, and Glenwood Street in Boise.
A car collided with a school bus at Palmer and State streets in Eagle shortly after 8 a.m. but no one was hurt in that crash, Ada County Sheriff's officials said.
Elmore County dispatchers say I-84 is slippery, especially between Mountain Home and Boise, but they have only had a few weather-related crashes.
The 12-mile stretch of Idaho 21 between the Grandjean Junction and Banner Summit will close at 4 p.m. Wednesday due to avalanche danger. Transportation officials say they have concern about strong winds and snowpack instability.
This section between the Grandjean Junction turnoff and Banner Summit — called "Avalanche Alley" — has about 60 avalanche chutes and 90 percent of the avalanches in the state that affect highways.
For the latest road conditions, motorists should call Idaho Traveler Services at 5-1-1 or check online for updates at 511.idaho.gov.
Forecasters said several inches of snow could fall in the Treasure Valley today, with as much as three feet or more falling in the mountains around Boise and at Bogus Basin ski area.
Bogus Basin Mountain Resort Spokeswoman Gretchen Anderson said Thursday morning the mountain had nine inches of new snow as of 1 p.m. and that it was accumulating at more than an inch an hour.
Expect heavy snow this morning, with that tapering off somewhat in early afternoon and then mixing with rain as warmer air moves into the Treasure Valley, according to National Weather Service reports.
Expect a rain/snow mix overnight and rain on Thursday in the Boise area.
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The Boise Basin School District closed all schools in Idaho City Wednesday because concern about possibly treacherous roads. A school district employee said the decision was made by the school board Tuesday night.
"We did the phone tree thing last night," said Laura Shields, a secretary at the high school office. She said she thought everyone had been notified of the closure by 11 p.m.
So now kids out in Boise County are free to spend the day making snowmen and sledding at Steamboat Gulch, which hadn't had enough snow to sled until today.
"There's plenty now," said an employee at City Hall in Idaho City. She said city and county offices are open today. Shields said there was about an inch of snow at her house at about 6 a.m., but close to 4 inches by 8:30 a.m.
