Winter Storm Warnings for local mountains

August 2024 · 2 minute read

A hyperactive weather pattern is about to move into Idaho. This will bring a lot of snow to our local mountains this week. Even the Treasure Valley has the potential of seeing periods of snow and accumulations of snow and it all begins on Tuesday. At first, the valley will see a mixture of rain and snow. However, subsequent storms will bring periods of snow on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Saturday storm has the potential to bring heavy amounts of snow to the region as it appears to be the strongest storm of the current cycle. The computer models keep the pattern quite unsettled through next week as well. Due to the frequency of storms, the models are constantly changing the timing of the onset of these storms. So this forecast will be changing from one day to the next. Just know that "hyperactive" is the best way to describe what we'll see through at least this weekend.

This is the first time this year we have seen Winter Storm Warnings for our local mountains. Between now through Wednesday, some of our ski resorts could see between 1-2' of snow. Also, gusty winds of 40 mph will be an issue which could bring blowing and drifting of snow to the mountains and passes. Avalanche danger will be on the rise as well. Please be extra careful if you are planning on driving Highways 95, 55, 21 and 20. The area of Banning Summit can be particularly dangerous by the end of the week. With our snowpack levels running 50% of normal, this storm cycle will be what the doctor ordered. However, the frequent cycle of storms presents a whole new set of problems that must be respected. This can be the type of situation that road crews have a difficult time keeping up with. Winter driving will become a challenge especially in the mountains and passes. Here in the Treasure Valley it won't be nearly as bad if patience is part of your commute. Stay tuned.

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