Idaho Daily Snow

Heads up, there may be fresher snow! Read the latest Idaho Daily Snow

By Steve Stuebner, Forecaster Posted 1 year ago November 30, 2022

Major blizzard in Idaho Wed-Thurs., 1-3 feet of new snow coming!

Summary

The snow god Ullr is delivering the goods to Idaho Wednesday and Thursday, with full-on blizzard conditions statewide, Winter Storm Warning, and light fluffy snow dropping at a rate of 1"/hour. A foot of new snow is forecast Wednesday from N. Idaho to Sun Valley, another foot Thursday, and residuals to follow. Hope the snowplows can keep up!

Short Term Forecast


Rider at Schweitzer Mountain Resort enjoys nearly a foot of new snow on Tuesday. Schweitzer is forecast to get another 8-12" on Wednesday, and 2-6" on Thursday. (photo courtesy Schweitzer Mountain Resort)

This will be a storm system that Idaho skiers/riders remember. The timing is great to jump-start the ski season with a major powder bang. A vertically stacked low pressure trough is creating a perfect storm of conditions with moisture on top of cool air to bring us a ton of light snow. High winds are forecast with the advance of the storm front both Wednesday and Thursday, tapering more Thursday afternoon. Bundle up! 

 
Max snow quantity map through Friday shows more than 2 feet of snow falling in a band from Brundage and Tamarack to Bogus Basin, Soldier Mountain and Sun Valley. At Schweitzer and Silver Mountain, the main event will be Wednesday with about 12" of new forecast, and 6" on Thursday. Lookout could get up to 2 feet by Thursday night. 

Weather models are showing several waves of storms coming through the West Central Mountains, Boise Mountains and the Sun Valley area through Friday. With a Southwest flow in place, the storms are forecast to keep dumping snow at a heavy rate from Wednesday to Thursday night and Friday morning. 


Bigger-picture snow forecast map courtesy Alan Smith, OpenSnow US and Canada outlook. 

Snow quantities look strongest at Brundage, Tamarack and Sun Valley through Thursday night, with 1-2.5 feet of snow possible through Friday morning, maybe more. Snow forecasts for Bogus Basin are showing 7"-15" of new snow through Thursday, with the expectation that the storm fronts won't hit Bogus quite as hard. Given the SW flow, I think it's likely they could get more snow than forecast, depending on how things play out.  

Bogus reopens on Thursday morning, by the way, and Brundage will be reopening on Friday with likely more terrain and lifts open. Watch for announcements from Tamarack in case they move up their opening date.

Southern Idaho ski areas like Pomerelle, Magic and Pebble Creek are not forecast to get as much snow from the Wed-Thurs. storm system. But they could get 3-6" by Thursday night. 

Extended Forecast

After the Wed-Thurs. storm cycle, another wave of snow is possible on Friday-Saturday as another low pressure trough moves down the Pacific Coast. Smaller quantities of snow are forecast with that event, but 4-6" are possible to freshen the base. 

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is calling for a continued cold and snowy December. Both the 8-14 day precip forecast and 30-day forecast are showing wetter than normal. 



Thanks for reading! My next forecast will be on Friday, Dec. 2. 

Steve Stuebner, Idaho Daily Snow 

Announcements

Lookout Pass  is open Monday, Nov. 28. It'll close mid-week and then reopen on Friday, Dec. 2.

Schweitzer Mountain is open 7 days a week. 3 lifts in operation, 7 trails and 1 park. 29" base.   

Sun Valley is operating daily. 32 trails open, 22 groomed, 5 lifts operating, on the River Run side of the mountain. Wood River xc trails are open! See more details here

Bogus Basin is closed until it reopens on Thursday, Dec. 1, for daily operations for the winter of 2022-23. Night skiing begins on Dec. 9. Nordic trails reopen on Thursday, Dec. 1 for daily operations.   

Pomerelle will be closed until Friday, Dec. 2, when it will reopen for weekend operations. Night skiing begins on Dec. 27. 

Silver Mountain is operating on weekends only.   

Brundage Mountain  is closed. It will reopen on Friday, Dec. 2. More ski runs may open if the storms this week deliver as expected.  

Tamarack Resort plans to open Dec. 9. 

Little Ski Hill plans to open Dec. 17. Bear Basin xc ski area is half-groomed and open for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing. 

Soldier Mountain plans to open Dec. 15.

Pebble Creek plans to open Dec. 16. 

About Our Forecaster

Steve Stuebner

Forecaster

Steve Stuebner has a big appetite for outdoor fun. When he's not providing snow forecasts for Idaho, Steve works on web videos, press releases, blogs, and social media, with a specialization in natural resources, outdoor travel, and tourism.

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