textproduct: Boise

KEY MESSAGES

- Cool and breezy Tuesday, then warming temperatures with mountain rain and snow starting Wednesday.

- Gusty winds through the long term, with precipitation chances favoring the northern areas each day.

SHORT TERM /Through Wednesday Night/

Tuesday is cool and breezy as the region remains under westerly flow at the base of a broad trough. Passage of a minor upper wave on Tuesday will enhance shower development across the mountains of e-central Oregon and w-central Idaho. By afternoon, we're carrying a 40-60% chance of snow showers in these zones, which could bring quick accumulations of up to 2 inches. The showers will have a small footprint so the heavier accumulations will be localized. Southeast Oregon and the Boise Mtns (south of Banks-Lowman Hwy/Hwy 21) to the ID/NV border will remain dry, but breezy. Similar to today, wind gusts of 20 to 40 mph are possible across open and elevated terrain. Wednesday starts off dry and cold with sub-freezing temperatures across the region. A surge of moisture into the Pac NW will increase the chance of rain and snow over Baker County and the West Central Idaho mountains into Wednesday night. Snow levels between 4-6kft MSL will allow for minor accumulations down to mtn valley floors. This includes the Long Valley from Cascade to McCall and other interior valleys in the w-central and northern Boise Mtns. Above 6kft MSL, accumulations of 3-6 inches are expected across interior mountains (northeast of Featherville- Smiths Ferry) through Wednesday night. Southeast Oregon and portions of Southwest Idaho from the Snake Plain to ID/NV border will remain dry. Winds are lighter on Wednesday though still breezy across SE Oregon. High temperatures will warm 5-15 degrees from Tuesday to Wednesday putting them back around normal.

LONG TERM /Thursday through Monday/

Persistent upper-level ridging aloft over the Eastern Pacific and upper-level troughing over the western Canadian provinces will place the region in northwesterly/zonal flow aloft. Enhanced flow aloft, driven by a strong pressure gradient, will increase winds and wind gusts at the surface through the long term. Combined effects from daytime heating and the enhanced pressure gradient will create daily afternoon wind gusts 25-35 mph. The strongest gusts are expected Thursday and Saturday, with local enhancements of gusts to 40-50 mph (30-60% chance) in higher terrain and the Camas Prairie. Initially, precipitation chances will remain focused across the northern zones Thursday and Friday, with prominent upslope impacting the West-Central Idaho terrain. Then, the upper flow will gradually transition to be more northwesterly on Saturday as the ridge amplifies along the West Coast, broadening the precip chances across the remainder of southwest Idaho and portions of east-central Oregon. Snow levels will range between 6000-7500 feet MSL, but could briefly dip lower on Saturday/Sunday across the northern zones as cold air briefly intrudes into the region.

Temperatures should remain 5-15 degrees above normal throughout this period. Thereafter, the upper-level ridge will continue to build into the western U.S. Sunday/Monday, shifting the storm track north and decreasing precipitation chances for the southern areas. Despite the shift, surface winds will remain breezy for both Sunday and Monday, and temperatures will stay above normal.

AVIATION /18Z Monday through Tuesday/

Issued 1152 AM MDT MON MAR 9 2026 Generally VFR. Virga/light showers around KBKE-KMYL area, with some mtn obscuration. Snow levels 2.5-4kft in Eastern Oregon/Central Idaho and 4.5-6 kft MSL in Southeast Oregon/Southern Idaho. Surface winds: W-NW 10-25 kt with gusts to 20-35 kt through afternoon. Winds aloft at 10kft MSL: W 30-45 kt.

KBOI...VFR. Surface winds: NW 10-18 kt with gusts 20-30 kt. Becoming W-NW 4-9 kt after sunset.

BOI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

ID...None.

OR...None.