BOISE, Idaho — The sun made a short-lived appearance Monday morning, but clouds quickly took over the sky as a cold front started its approach from the west. Rain and snow showers fired up by mid-afternoon across eastern Oregon and far SW Idaho, with the light precipitation quickly marching across the area throughout the evening.
While most of the showers will taper off by Tuesday morning, a few flurries are possible all the way down to the Boise foothills Tuesday morning. A bit snow will accumulate in the mountains with this system, though totals will generally be light. 1-2" are possible in our mountain valleys by late Tuesday, with 2-6" possible above 5,500'. Rain totals for the lower elevations will likely be less than 0.10".
While a few showers could linger through midday Tuesday, it will likely be the cold, blustery wind that is the bigger weather worry on Election Day, as a frigid northwest wind will gust up to 40mph at times across the I-84 corridor. That, combined with chilly temperatures, will keep wind chill or "feels like" readings in the 20s and 30s throughout the day in the Treasure and Magic Valleys. That means anyone headed to the polls on Tuesday will want to bundle up bigtime, especially if you find yourself waiting outdoors at your polling place.
A high pressure ridge begins to increase in strength on Wednesday, locking in the colder air in valleys and setting the stage for a chilly and dry stretch. From Wednesday through the start of the weekend, mornings look particularly frigid, with lows in the 20's in the valleys, meaning extra layers at the bus stop or for your morning walk will definitely be needed.
While skies remain clear overhead and temperatures hold steady in the upper 40s each afternoon through Friday, inversion conditions may develop as the high pressure ridge traps that colder air at the surface. Stagnant conditions could allow for haze/fog to develop in some spots through Friday, with a system coming in over the weekend likely scouring out any inversion conditions that do develop.
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KTVB Weather Team
- Chief Meteorologist Rachel Garceau joined KTVB’s First Alert Weather team in early 2023 and was promoted to Chief Meteorologist in September of 2024. 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 Rachel's forecasts Sunday through Thursday evenings at 5, 6 and 10pm.
- 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.
- 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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