La Niña expected to push colder temperatures, more snow into Idaho this winter
As the first frost of the season is expected in Boise this week, the Gem State can expect winter temperatures to shift through the end of the year.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released their winter outlook on Thursday, Oct. 17, showing that Idaho can expect slight changes in the normal winter temperatures as La Niña is expected to influence conditions for winter across most of the country.
Here is what to expect.
How does La Niña affect the weather?
A La Niña is when the temperature of the sea is cooler in the eastern Pacific Ocean, leading to less evaporation, weaker storms and less moisture in the atmosphere, according to NOAA. The Pacific Ocean’s colder waters move up to the surface, pushing the jet stream farther north toward Alaska before dipping southward into the northern United States.
“La Nina conditions are expected to develop later this fall and typically lead to a more northerly storm track during the winter months,” according to the 2024-2025 winter outlook from NOAA.
While the southern United States is expected to have a drier and warmer winter, northern states like Idaho can expect temperatures slightly below normal and slightly more precipitation.
What are the impacts for Boise?
According to Les Colin, a senior forecaster at the National Weather Service in Boise, between November and January, the northern and central areas of Idaho can expect slightly colder weather and more precipitation.
However in Boise and the rest of southern Idaho, precipitation is expected to be normal for this time of year and residents can look forward to slightly warmer temperatures.
“What this suggests is that we would have more snow than normal, because normal temperatures would bring certainly a lot of snow into the mountains, and the extra precipitation would make more than normal amounts of snow,” Colin said in a phone interview with the Statesman. “So what it’s showing here is normal or slightly above normal temps in southern Idaho, but more than normal precipitation would equate to more than normal snowfall, especially in the mountains.”
Colin said he also expects excess snow in the mountains and northern Idaho, as the temperatures will be colder and below freezing temperatures. There is also a chance, he said, that this weather pattern may continue into March of next year.
