textproduct: Boise

KEY MESSAGES

- Mountain snow showers bringing 1-2" of snowfall through this evening

- Wind gusts up to 30-45 mph in open areas and ridges weaken tonight

- Warming and drying trend Friday into early next week

SHORT TERM /Through Saturday Night/

A potent low pressure system moves east today, as gusty winds and showers continue behind last night's cold front. With snow levels 3000-4000 ft MSL, most areas will see snowfall or partially melted flurries, with a 15% chance of thunder and graupel/small hail. Snow showers in mountains will be terrain driven, and could continue to up to 1-2" before dissipating later this afternoon. Due to continued accumulation, the Winter Weather Advisory has been allowed to continue, though the ending time has been made earlier to fall in line with shower dissipation. Post-frontal winds across the area have increased. In most areas, gusts are 20-30 mph, but in the Magic Valley and Camas Prairie, gusts up to 40-45 mph are possible. Thus a Wind Advisory has been issued in these zones, ending this evening as winds come down over night. Temperatures are about 10 degrees below normal today, and will be sub-freezing throughout the region Friday morning.

High pressure will develop over the region tonight into the weekend. The ridge will bring a pronounced drying and warming trend, with temperatures near normal on Friday and 5 degrees above normal Saturday. However, drying conditions will keep morning lows below normal and chilly.

LONG TERM /Sunday through Thursday/

A building upper ridge over the western US will bring a distinct warming and drying trend Sunday. Temperatures will be approximately 15 degrees above average Sunday through Tuesday, with highs in the low-mid 70s common throughout the lower elevations. The first meaningful shot of precipitation will occur late Wednesday into Thursday, as a shortwave trough digs over the Pacific northwest, ahead of a stream of moisture emanating off the California coast. NBM guidance and the official forecast don't quite reflect the potential for rainfall during this period as much as some deterministic models, including the ECMWF-AIFS and AIGFS 12Z runs which show 0.1-0.5" of total QPF. Currently, the probabilities of those amounts occurring are roughly 15%. Regardless, cooler temperatures closer to normal are likely during this period, while winds reflect typical afternoon breeziness.

AVIATION /18Z Thursday through Friday/

Issued 1124 AM MDT THU APR 2 2026 Scattered rain/snow showers with gusty winds through early Thu evening. Isolated thunderstorms develop between 20-01Z with small hail/graupel over southwest Idaho. Brief MVFR-IFR conditions in heavier showers. Mountains obscured. Precipitation ends early Friday morning from west to east with improving ceilings and weakening winds. Surface winds: WNW 15-25 kt with gusts 35-45 kt in southeast Oregon and southern Idaho. WNW 10-20 kt with gusts to 30 kt elsewhere. Becoming W less than 10 kt early Friday morning.

KBOI...Mainly VFR with brief MVFR. Scattered intermittent rain/snow showers through 02Z. Isolated thunderstorms develop between 22-01Z with a 30% chance of impacting the terminal. Graupel and brief variable/gusty winds with any thunderstorm. Conditions improve early Friday morning. Winds will be WNW 10-20 with gusts to 30 kt through late evening, before weakening early Friday morning. VFR conditions Friday.

Weekend Outlook...Building high pressure will bring a dry and clear weekend, with winds SW-SE under 10 kt through Saturday/Sunday. Patchy fog possible in sheltered mountain valleys Saturday morning.

BOI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

ID...Winter Weather Advisory until 6 PM MDT this evening for IDZ011. Winter Weather Advisory from 9 PM this evening to 6 AM MDT Friday for IDZ011. Wind Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for IDZ016-028-030. OR...None.