It’s summer? Boise to see 30-degree temperature drop. Blame the Gulf of Alaska
Anyone who thought Boise had officially settled into a long, hot summer had better think again.
At the end of this week, a cold front is expected to bring a 30-degree temperature drop to the Treasure Valley.
Temperatures will remain in the 90s through Wednesday, then start cooling into the 80s on Thursday, according to Jerry Yang, Boise-based National Weather Service meteorologist. Yang said Friday will see a significant drop, with highs in the 70s, before temperatures slide into the 60s on Saturday and Sunday.
“The pattern is this pretty strong low-pressure system moving in,” Yang told the Idaho Statesman by phone.
That system also is likely to bring plenty of precipitation, thunderstorms and gusty winds, according to the National Weather Service. Weather models predict that the first wave of rainfall will begin in the early morning hours of Friday, then continue throughout the day, according to Yang.
Smaller amounts of precipitation are expected to last throughout the weekend in the Treasure Valley, totaling only about 0.12 inches, National Weather Service meteorologist Wasyl Hewko calculated.
Starting Saturday, precipitation will concentrate in the mountains and bring snowfall to higher-elevation areas, particularly around Valley County and above Stanley, according to Hewko.
Yang blamed the unseasonable weather on the Gulf of Alaska. The low-pressure system originated there and is moving through the Northwest and into southeastern Oregon and Southwest Idaho.
“Those very large and strong systems tend to form over there frequently,” Yang said. “A lot of weather dynamics go on over there, like a strong Coriolis force, and then also a very strong westerly wind. Those different wind patterns and shifts combine to form a lot of lows.”
