The winter of the Boise deep freeze continued Monday morning when the National Weather Service reported a low temperature of -3 just after 6 a.m. — the coldest temp in Boise since Dec. 9, 2009, when it got down to -4.
The -3 also means the Boise area dipped into subzero temperatures for the third day in row, with recorded lows of -1 on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Boiseans who are not thrilled with the frigid weather should be thankful they don't live in Ontario, which got down to -9 Monday morning. Both Caldwell and Nampa got down to -2, according to National Weather Service reports. Caldwell hit -6 Sunday morning, so -2 constitutes a warm-up.
When will this end? Wednesday. Maybe.
Boiseans are welcoming in the new year with goosebumps from three solid weeks of frigid temperatures. All but two days in January have been below normal — and not just a little. We're talking average daily temperatures that have been 10 to 24 degrees below normal.
In fact, the city is on track to record the fifth coldest January on record since 1865, according to the National Weather Service. The average temperature for the month is 16.6 degrees, which is 13.9 degrees below normal.
Stagnant air means diminishing air quality. The Department of Environmental Quality issued an orange alert for Monday — those in sensitive groups, including children, the elderly and those with lung conditions, are advised to limit time outdoors. All open outdoor burning is prohibited throughout Ada and Canyon counties.
If Santa didn't bring you some long underwear for Christmas, now might be a good time to get some.
A high ridge of pressure is keeping a cold air mass parked over the western United States, meteorologists say. Inversion conditions have kept cold air trapped on the floor of the Treasure Valley, and the snow on the ground is helping keep conditions frigid. Tuesday morning is expected to be just like the day before, with temperatures that might dip below 0.
The good news: A system coming through Wednesday could shake things up a bit, possibly pushing out the stagnant air in the Valley. There could be snow associated with that system, but forecasters say that's iffy at best. Temperatures could reach the mid-30s on Thursday.
Dense fog reduced visibility down to 3/4 of a mile or less in parts of the Treasure Valley Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Katy Moeller: 377-6413
