Boise cold snap breaks 3-year temperature streak

On Sunday morning, temperatures at the Boise Airport hit 0 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time in over three years, breaking a 1,105-day streak, according to the Boise branch of the National Weather Service.

Temperatures dipped to 0 at 8 a.m. on the dot, said meteorologist Korri Anderson. That was the low for the day, with temperatures hanging at 0 for a few minutes.

The last time the airport registered a temperature that low was Dec. 9, 2013, according to the NWS. Anderson said it’s not unusual for the airport and Boise to see yearslong streaks of temperatures above zero. “A couple of streaks have gone 4,000 days or more,” Anderson said.

To the west, Caldwell and eastern Oregon tend to see lower temperatures thanks to their lower elevation in the valley, Anderson said.

Still, the frigid temperatures are out of the ordinary for this time of year, when the average low is 23 degrees. Anderson attributed the unusual cold to an arctic cold front system that brought cold air down over the Rocky Mountains.

According to Anderson, this winter is actually expected to produce above-average temperatures.

“But that’s not panning out so far,” he said.

In addition, this winter is forecast to bring above average precipitation — and Anderson said the Treasure Valley can expect more come Tuesday, when snow, freezing rain and sleet are projected.

This story was originally published December 18, 2016 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Boise cold snap breaks 3-year temperature streak."