textproduct: Boise

UPDATE

Updated aviation discussion.

KEY MESSAGES

- Light mountain snow showers and breezy winds today.

- Widespread frost and areas of freezing temperatures late tonight into Saturday morning.

- Remaining unsettled through the weekend and into early next week. Temperatures will gradually warm toward normal by mid week.

SHORT TERM /Through Sunday Night/

Issued 238 AM MDT FRI APR 24 2026 An upper low will remain over the Northern Plains / Southern Canada through the short term. A weak shortwave trough will dive down the backside of the low today and clip the northern part of our area. This will produce scattered snow showers across the west-central Idaho mountains with dry conditions elsewhere. Despite snow levels on mountain valley floors, any accumulations will be minimal. Highs today will be 5-10 degrees below normal. Winds will be breezy this afternoon across southern Idaho with gusts 20-35 mph. With a cool airmass in place, light winds, and mostly clear skies, temperatures will dip to near or below freezing tonight in agricultural valleys. A Freeze Watch remains in effect for these areas.

Additional shortwave energy dropping down the backside of the low will merge with a broad upper level trough over California over the weekend. The resultant broad trough over the Pacific Northwest will keep temperatures cool with a 20-50% chance of showers over the higher terrain along with a 10% chance of thunderstorms each afternoon. Snow levels will be 4000-5500 feet, with minor accumulations possible on higher peaks. Winds will be lighter on Saturday, then breezy again Sunday as surface low pressure moves over eastern Idaho. Areas of frost will develop Saturday and Sunday nights, but lows should not be as cold as tonight.

LONG TERM /Monday through Friday/

Issued 238 AM MDT FRI APR 24 2026 A broad upper level trough will remain over the Pacific Northwest on Monday and Tuesday, followed by upper level ridging Wednesday through Friday. A 20-50% chance of showers, highest chance over the mountains, and a 10% chance of thunderstorms will continue on Monday. Precipitation chances will begin to trend lower Tuesday, then settle at around 20% over the mountains each afternoon late week with lower chances elsewhere. Ridging will bring warmer temperatures, increasing to near or slightly above normal by mid to late week. Winds will be lighter under this pattern.

AVIATION /12Z Friday through Saturday/

Issued 544 AM MDT FRI APR 24 2026

Mainly VFR. Scattered snow showers today over the west-central ID mtns, mainly east of KMYL. Brief MVFR/IFR conditions and mountain obscuration in snow showers. Surface winds: NW-N 10-20 kt, gusts to 30 kt KMUO east to the Magic Valley terminals. Winds aloft at 10kft MSL: NW-N 15-30 kt.

KBOI...VFR. Surface winds: NW 10-15 kt with gusts up to 25 kt.

Weekend Outlook...Generally VFR. Scattered showers developing over the higher terrain each afternoon. Brief MVFR/IFR conditions and mountain obscuration in showers. Isolated rain showers over the valleys. Slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms near the NV border. Snow levels 4-6kft MSL. Surface winds: variable 10 kt or less Saturday, W-NW 5-15 kt Sunday with gusts to 25 kt KMUO east to the Magic Valley terminals.

BOI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

ID...Freeze Watch from late tonight through Saturday morning for IDZ012-014-016. OR...Freeze Watch from late tonight through Saturday morning for ORZ064.