BOISE, Idaho — An unseasonably warm and abundantly sunny Thursday across our area today, with temperatures jumping into the mid- to upper 80s in SW Idaho as southerly flow ramps up ahead of a cold front that will march through early Friday. Winds will remain relatively light today but are set to increase in a big way overnight and into tomorrow as the front approaches from the north.
There is very little moisture associated with the incoming system, so precipitation chances are nearly nonexistent in the lower elevations, but a few isolated showers could pop up early Friday in NE Oregon and the West Central Mountains of Idaho. While temperature are set to plummet by a good 15° on Friday - taking us down into much more typical spring territory - the big headline with this system will be the blustery winds that will start howling as early as breakfast-time in some spots tomorrow. Gusts could reach 45mph or greater east of Boise into the Magic Valley, with 30-35mph gusts possible in the Treasure Valley, and will likely stick around through sunset, so bear that in mind as you're making outdoor plans Friday afternoon and evening.
There is a WIND ADVISORY in place for much of the Treasure Valley, Magic Valley and the Camas Prairie from 9 am to 9 pm tomorrow. Both wind gusts (up to 50 mph) and wind speeds (25-35 mph) have the potential to be on the higher side. Wind speed describes how fast air is moving past a certain point for an extended period of time. A wind gust is a brief increase in wind speed, usually lasting 20 seconds or less. Both wind speeds and wind gusts have the potential to be damaging if they're strong enough. But, in our area it tends to be wind gusts that cause more damage because they're often stronger.
With the winds in mind, there are several prescribed burns happening across the state right now, so more areas may be seeing a light haze as the smoke spreads tomorrow.
A bit of a mixed bag for the weekend as temperatures will rebound a few degrees on Saturday under mostly sunny skies, then are set to drop again by a good 10° on Sunday, reaching just the mid-60s in Boise to round out the weekend. Mornings will be chilly this weekend, with lows down around 40° each morning, so grab the blankets or extra layers if headed out to an early-morning soccer game or for a morning jog.
Even with the up-and-down temperatures, sunshine abounds through the weekend and into next week, with temperatures hovering right at or just below normal for the first part of the new work week. Rain chances finally look to make a return on Wednesday as another Pacific storm system takes aim at the Gem State late next week.
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KTVB Weather Team
- Idaho's Chief Meteorologist Rick Lantz began his broadcasting career in 1975 working in both radio and television in Weiser, Caldwell, Nampa, and Boise. He has been bringing you the weather each weeknight for 40 years on KTVB.
- Meteorologist Sophia Bliss has been a part of the KTVB team since December of 2019. She started producing for the Wake Up Idaho team and continues to work as a producer. Additionally, Sophia is a meteorologist. She writes special weather stories and forecasts as a member of the First Alert Weather team. She loves the science of weather and enjoys the opportunity to explain how “magic” of the science works.
- Meteorologist Rachel Garceau joined KTVB’s First Alert Weather team as a broadcast meteorologist in May of 2023. While Rachel started her news career behind the scenes as a producer, she eventually moved in front of the camera as a news anchor and fill-in weather anchor. After spending some time on the green screen, Rachel realized she had a passion for the “why” behind the weather, and especially for the challenges presented by forecasting Idaho’s four distinct seasons. You can catch her forecasts every weekday morning from 5-7am on Wake Up Idaho.
- Weather Anchor Hector Mendoza joined KTVB in June of 2023 as a Multi Skilled Journalist and became a member of the First Alert Weather team shortly thereafter, in July of 2023. Hector started off as the weather anchor for KTVB's Saturday Morning News but rang in 2024 by also taking over weather duties for the News at Noon. Whether planning for the week ahead or just wondering what's in store for the weekend, Hector is excited to help keep Idahoans informed about the conditions that matter most to them. You can catch him on Saturday mornings from 8-10am and on the News at Noon Tuesday through Friday.
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