Blame Canada: Mother Nature is bringing some bitter cold to Boise for 3-day weekend
A cold air mass air is moving south from Canada into the U.S. this weekend, causing temperatures in Southwest Idaho and all across the region to drop below normal.
In Boise, high temperatures are expected to be barely above freezing this weekend and into early next week, according to the National Weather Service in Boise. It will be even colder at the popular Idaho ski areas.
The bad news for snow lovers is that there’s no precipitation on the horizon for the lower half of Idaho, even in the mountains.
How cold, windy will it get in Boise?
As the cold front is moving south, the Rocky Mountains in Montana and Wyoming will block off the main part of the air mass, according to meteorologist Kori Anderson, leaving it to hit the east side of the Rockies and the upper Midwest.
“The high pressure off the coast is diverting the jet stream up into Alaska, and then it moves south, down along the Rockies, right over us,” said Anderson. “There are some strong winds that will peak Friday night, but then it should be pretty light winds on Saturday afternoon and then Sunday as well.”
The Friday night winds should clear out the stagnant air mass that’s been in the area, but also keep subfreezing temperatures and wind-chill values across the region, according to a post from the NWS Boise.
“Temperatures are expected to be about 5 to 10 degrees below normal,” said Anderson. “Our normal in Boise right now is 39 degrees, and the normal low 26.”
It all makes for a cold three-day holiday weekend; Monday is Martin Luther King Day.
The forecast high temperature on Saturday is 35, with a low of 19. Then it will only get colder. Sunday should see a high of 34 and low of 17, with Monday being a high of 31 and low of 15.
The skies will be mostly sunny on each day, though, the weather service said.
If you are heading for the ski areas this long weekend, expect it to be even colder. Lows at Tamarack, Brundage Basin in McCall and in Sun Valley are expected to be close to zero every day, with highs barely hitting 20.
