Several inches of snow could fall in Boise on Wednesday night. Here’s what to expect
Boise could receive up to 3 inches of snow starting Wednesday night through Thursday morning, according to meteorologists.
The National Weather Service in Boise issued a winter weather advisory Wednesday morning for much of southeast Oregon and Southwest Idaho, including the Treasure Valley. The advisory lasts from 2 p.m. Wednesday until 5 p.m. Thursday.
Snow won’t start in Boise until about midnight, Weather Service meteorologist Korri Anderson told the Idaho Statesman, but areas farther west, such as Caldwell and Ontario, should see snow a couple of hours earlier.
Snow could fall in Boise until about noon on Thursday, Anderson said, causing dangerous road conditions for the morning commute. There’s also a small chance of rain on Wednesday night before it transitions over to snow, potentially creating icy roads.
“We’ll have slick roads in the morning for the morning commute, and slowing down on I-84 is a big deal,” Anderson said. “We always have a lot of accidents when we get snow-covered roads on I-84 because people go too fast.”
As of Wednesday at noon, the Weather Service was predicting about 1.8 inches of snow for Boise, but Anderson said totals for the city could range up to 3 inches, depending on conditions.
️Winter weather advisories have been issued for much of the region as widespread snow moves in tonight through Thursday. Check out the forecast totals and probabilities!
Use caution when traveling, roads will be slippery during the Thursday morning commute! #idwx #orwx pic.twitter.com/r5J2onVkVE— NWS Boise (@NWSBoise) January 18, 2023
“There’s a lot of factors that can vary into (the accumulation range),” Anderson said. “The snow has to fall through dry layers first when it initially starts, and it can evaporate before it hits the ground.
“And then you have the temperatures and wind flow over the terrain. When the wind flows southeast, like in Boise, it can work to evaporate the snow as it’s falling. So that can lower the amounts as well.”
The last time Boise received measurable snow was Dec. 24, when the city recorded 0.3 inches. Boise received 1.1 inches on Dec. 23.
Any accumulating snow will melt throughout Thursday, with the high temperature in Boise forecast to be 38. Temperatures will slowly fall through the week, with another slight chance of snow forecast for the region on Saturday night.
