With this record-breaking winter we've had so far, the concern turns to flooding once the temperatures rise and how some who live in a floodplain could be affected.
Tuesday night FEMA officials hosted an open house at their first stop in Canyon County to show residents what they can expect moving forward.
"The biggest difference is what's happening at the lower elevations," said Boise State University Hydrology Professor Jim McNamara. "Usually this time of year when precipitation comes it's rain down low and snow up high."
That hasn't been the case so far. McNamara says the snow in the mountains is 120 percent above average, begging several questions.
"What can I do with my property, with my structure, my home or the property itself to offset some of that flood risk," said David Ratte, FEMA regional flood engineer.
And will this be the year that the 1 percent chance of catastrophic flooding from places like the Boise River and Nine Mile Creek could actually happen?
"It's a higher likelihood than normal," said McNamara. "I wouldn't say that we're at that level yet. The more snow we get the more likely it is but it's still unlikely."
FEMA officials say they've been using what's called Lidar data to determine the floodplain, which is the best estimate of where that potential flood water could go.
Middleton shelled out $20,000 to have FEMA review their area.
"They identified about 200 residents that have been paying for flooding insurance and have been in a historic flood plain which are actually not in flood plains," said Middleton Mayor Darin Taylor.
On the other hand, around 200 residents that were not in a floodplain, now are.
"I think they would be interested to know why what changed," said Ratte.
Ratte says the new technology has given them a more in-depth look at terrain elevations, which is why some may find themselves outside a floodplain when they were inside before.
McNamara also says a lot is going to depend on what happens in the spring. He says it's not just about the amount of snow, but also how fast the snow melts and at what point in the season that happens.
There will be two more open houses this week. The one on Wednesday will be at the Ada County Courthouse, and the open house on Thursday will be held at Lowell Scot Middle School. Both will be held from 6-8 p.m.