Weather News

Boise sees record-high temperature in a century. Another record could be coming

Frost covers the ground and and fog settles in the air in Meridian on Dec. 4, 2024. The Boise area has seen frost and slight snow, but nothing measurable as the National Weather Service recorded a record high temperature on Wednesday. Another inversion could be on the way.
Frost covers the ground and and fog settles in the air in Meridian on Dec. 4, 2024. The Boise area has seen frost and slight snow, but nothing measurable as the National Weather Service recorded a record high temperature on Wednesday. Another inversion could be on the way. smiller@idahostatesman.com

Boise saw the hottest Dec. 18 in recent history Wednesday afternoon, beating out a high temperature record that stood for more than a century, according to the National Weather Service’s Boise office.

The agency measured temperatures at 59 degrees Wednesday afternoon. The previous record, set in 1917, was 58 degrees. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Boise office said “breezy southeast winds” kept temperatures warmer this morning, and sunshine throughout the day turned the temperature up.

The 2:30 p.m. post said there was still time for temperatures to rise even more, but meteorologist Korri Anderson told the Idaho Statesman in a phone interview shortly before 4 p.m. that the temperature peaked at 59 degrees.

The average high temperature in Boise on Dec. 18 is 38 degrees, according to National Weather Service data.

Anderson said temperatures will remain in the low 50s tomorrow, but Boise won’t see the same wind pattern that contributed to Wednesday’s warming.

Anderson said the forecast is showing little chance of a white Christmas. He said precipitation is in the forecast beginning Saturday and tapering off around Christmas Day, but temperatures will likely be too high for snow.

Boise could see another inversion in the coming week, Anderson added.

With snow unlikely, Anderson said Boise could be moving toward a new record for the latest first snowfall of the season. The only measurable snow the Boise office has recorded thus far is one-tenth of an inch. This is the latest first snowfall since 1958, when the first snow fell on Dec. 30. The average first snowfall date is November 22.

This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 4:37 PM.

Nicole Blanchard
Idaho Statesman
Nicole Blanchard is part of the Idaho Statesman’s investigative and watchdog reporting teams. She also covers Idaho Outdoors and frequents the trails around Idaho. Nicole grew up in Idaho, graduated from Idaho State University and Northwestern University with a master’s degree in journalism. Support my work with a digital subscription
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