Idaho Daily Snow

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By Coleen Haskell, Meteorologist Posted 6 years ago September 22, 2017

Fall Begins with a Taste of Winter

Summary

What a nice way to round out the last week Summer with a taste of Winter for our Ida”Snow” ski areas. This week brought the first snowfall of the season across the state beginning on Tuesday and several more reruns through today. Our neighbors in the Tetons and Bitterroot Ranges further east saw a couple feet of snow that closed mountain passes and delighted snow lovers. Overall, what became the season ending event for our mountain wildfires, is now the season starting event to re-charge the soil moistures. Unfortunately, this pattern won’t last because a warming trend is on the way for next week.

Short Term Forecast

Winter Teaser Photo courtesy Visit Sun Valley

I’m dusting off the keyboard, eager for another year of snow forecasts. For those who are new to Idaho Daily Snow, here’s what this is all about. Be sure to share with friends and get your OpenSnow All-Access Pass now so you don't miss any powder alerts.

Today through Sunday

It’s not unusual for us to get snow in September, but this system has hung around quite a while and brought several days of mountain snow showers down below the 6,000-foot level, which IS pretty low for the early season. 

The storm will exit the region this weekend, making way for a warming and drying period next week. Here is today’s view from satellite showing the movement of the storm away from us but we’re still getting some bonus precipitation. This water vapor imagery depicts the highest areas of moisture in dark blue colors over Montana and the drier air in black shades in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Notice how the storm over Idaho is spinning counter-clockwise, and we are now about to get what is called the “wrap around” precipitation.

GOES-West Water Vapor Satellite Imagery, Courtesy NOAA

 

Next Week

The switch is going to flip by early next week, back toward weather that is more typical of early Fall thanks to a ridge of high pressure that will build over the western U.S.  This will bring mountain temperatures back into the 50s and 60s each afternoon. This pattern will stick around for a while due to a stalling trough over the south-central U.S. Our friends in the Rockies will continue to get high mountain snowfall but the west will be dry.

GFS Ensemble (GEFS) Forecast of Upper-Level Weather Features

Friday, September 22 through Sunday, October 1, Courtesy TropicalTidbits.com

Extended Forecast

October Preview

Here’s how the monthly outlook is shaping up from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. There is decent agreement in the computer models, so confidence is high with this forecast. From this warmer than normal prediction, it looks like there will be plenty of time to get your ski legs ready for the season. Check out all the pre-season activities and events that are sure to get you jazzed.

NOAA’s Courtesy Climate Prediction Center October Outlook

Temperatures (Above Normal in Orange) and

Precipitation (Above Normal in Green)

 

I’ll be updating the Idaho forecast weekly, but for a bigger picture look, please refer to:

https://opensnow.com/dailysnow/usandcanada

Thank you for Reading!  

 

Coleen

Announcements

Tomorrow evening: Teton Gravity Research “Rogue Elements” Ski and Snowboard Film Premiere at Boise’s Egyptian theater.

https://www.tetongravity.com/films/rogue-elements/tour/boise-premiere-of-rogue-elements

 

Through September 30: Bogus Basin Season Pass Deal https://secure.bogusbasin.org/passes/ItemList.aspx?node_id=1147855

 

Saturday, October 14: Sun Valley Opera House film: Good Company’s: “Guest List”

http://news.lineskis.com/2017/08/17/good-company-presents-guest-list/

About Our Forecaster

Coleen Haskell

Meteorologist

Coleen has over 30 years of weather forecasting experience as a Meteorologist with the Air National Guard, the National Weather Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. She currently lives in Boise, Idaho and spends as much time as possible skiing (alpine and nordic), as well as biking and hiking.

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