‘Rare’ thundersnow could rumble above Boise this weekend. Here’s full Treefort forecast
As pop, soul, dance and every other imaginable form of music flows through downtown Boise this weekend during Treefort, the skies above could be rockin’ and rollin’ to their own tune.
Wind-blown snow punctuated the end of Thursday night’s festivities, and Friday afternoon brought the rare chance for thundersnow in Boise, as the weekend weather dashes the notion that Treefort welcomes the start of spring.
As snowflakes fall from the sky, high temperatures in the low 40s provide the slight chance for thunder and lightning to pierce the festivities.
“(Thunder snow) is pretty rare,” National Weather Service meteorologist Stephen Parker told the Idaho Statesman on Friday morning. “It’s hard to be that unstable to create strong enough convection to have processes that lead to lightning going on when you’re cold enough at the surface for snow to happen.”
Friday: Snow and thunder
The Weather Service forecast a 50% chance of snow throughout Friday, with total accumulations of less than half an inch.
Parker said the storms would be scattered and emphasized that it will definitely snow in some parts of Boise and the Treasure Valley, but only about half the population will see it.
“Even though the venues are close together, you could have a snow shower at one venue and not another,” Parker said. “Which is very different from a typical wintertime system, where the whole area is either going to get it or not.”
Similarly, there’s only about a 15% chance of thundersnow for a specific area — but that’s incredibly high compared to typical chances. It’s estimated that only 0.7% of snow showers also include thunder.
With thunder comes lightning, and it’s just as dangerous in the snow as it is during a regular thunderstorm.
“It occurred to me that a reader might get the impression, ‘Oh, I don’t need to worry about that,’” Parker said about the 15% chance for thundersnow. “I certainly don’t want to give that impression. Because a lightning strike today is going to kill you or hurt you just the same as it would in summer.”
As with a regular thunderstorm, Parker recommended staying inside for at least 30 minutes if you see lightning or hear thunder.
The best chance for thundersnow was between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday, Parker said, but snow chances continued throughout the evening until 11 p.m.
Forecast for the rest of the weekend
The less-than-ideal weather for outdoor concerts won’t disappear after Friday. Snow chances will continue throughout Saturday but diminish to 30%, with accumulations of less than an inch.
Festivalgoers and organizers will hope for the snow to remain away from Treefort’s main stage in Julia Davis Park. The grass surrounding the venue has already turned muddy in spots, and 0.8 inches of overnight snow on Thursday night into Friday morning added further moisture to the ground.
The low-pressure system putting a damper on Boise’s festival weekend will finally move out of the area Saturday night, setting up a rain-free Sunday and a high of 43 degrees for the final day of Treefort.
This story was originally published March 24, 2023 at 11:48 AM.
