Vote for snow, Boise? It’s on the way Wednesday, and forecast is for more than flurries
Treasure Valley residents will wake up to a fresh layer of snow on Wednesday morning, less than 24 hours after lining up for the polls on a 50-degree day.
The National Weather Service in Boise issued a winter weather advisory for much of south-central Idaho and southern Oregon starting late Tuesday afternoon. The advisory, which runs until 11 a.m. Wednesday, forecasts 2 to 4 inches of snow, with higher totals in the mountains.
National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Groenert told the Idaho Statesman on Tuesday night that downtown Boise should expect accumulations on colder surfaces of about 2 inches.
Groenert expects rain to move into the Boise area between 9 p.m. and midnight, and the Weather Service forecasts precipitation in the form of rain up to a quarter of an inch. Rain should transition to snow at around 3 a.m., Groenert said, and it should stay cold enough for snow to continue through noon.
“It’s going to be right around commuting time that it’s changing or has changed to snow,” Groenert said. “Initially, I don’t know how much the roadways are going to be impacted — definitely visibility-wise.”
Groenert said the roads wouldn’t be as affected in the Treasure Valley because of recent warmer temperatures, resulting in any initial snow melting upon contact.
Wednesday’s high temperature is expected to be 39 degrees, meaning any snow will likely melt on impact later in the day, too. But colder surfaces, such as grass and vegetation, will accumulate snow more easily.
“The colder surfaces, we’ll see higher accumulations with this one,” Groenert said.
Snow accumulations in the Boise Foothills above 4,000 feet will reach up to 4 inches, Groenert said, while 5,000 feet and above will pick up as much as 8 inches.
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 7:05 PM.
