Bundle up, Idaho! Rare arctic air mass to bring frigid temps on weekend to pair with snow

Sally Krutzig
·2 min read

As weather experts warn Idahoans that their state is about to be hit by heavy snowstorms the next 48 hours, some skiers may already be dreaming of hitting that fresh powder.

Unfortunately for them, all that snow is expected to be accompanied by very frigid temperatures, meteorologists have warned.

Boise-based meteorologist Les Colin with the National Weather Service said an unusual arctic air mass is to blame for falling temperatures. The air mass, originating near the Arctic Circle, will be stealing south through western Canada into the northwestern United States.

This type is movement is pretty rare, according to Colin.

“Normally that cold air stays on the east side of the Continental Divide, but this time it’s coming on on both sides, including our side,” Colin told the Idaho Statesman by phone. “So we’re going to get really cold here.”

Boise is predicted to see temperatures of about 11 degrees Friday and Saturday nights, and 5 degrees on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

Bogus Basin’s mountain camera shows the slopes – speckled with shrubs and showing signs of wear on some runs – on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. Bogus has less snow than usual for this time of year, and it has struggled to make snow due to warm temperatures.
Bogus Basin’s mountain camera shows the slopes – speckled with shrubs and showing signs of wear on some runs – on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. Bogus has less snow than usual for this time of year, and it has struggled to make snow due to warm temperatures.

High-altitude towns to see brutal temps

Boise’s cold temperatures are no match for some of Idaho’s mountain towns, where thermostats are likely to show readings below zero.

Here are the National Weather Service’s predictions:

▪ Up at Bogus Basin, it’s expected to reach a low of 4 degrees on Friday night, but a freezing north wind with gusts of up to 34 miles per hour could bring the windchill to minus-9.

▪ Those hoping to get on the slopes near McCall should expect even colder weather, with meteorologists predicting it to reach minus-13 degrees Friday night.

▪ Sun Valley lows could hover between 4 below and 8 below overnight, but 21-26 mph winds may bring the wind chill there down to minus-21.

▪ Stanley, as usual, is expected to see some of the coldest temperatures in Idaho. Temperatures could fall to -15 degrees with mountain wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour, bringing the wind chill to -23. Meteorologists warn of heavy blowing snow in this area over the weekend.

If you happen to be venturing even farther north, the National Weather Service warned that it would be “bitterly cold” all weekend in Coeur d’Alene. High temperatures are predicted to reach maybe 9 degrees, with lows sinking to minus-15 — and the wind chill is expected to be 28 below Friday night.

In Eastern Idaho, Driggs is a popular mountain town for people on trips to the Grand Tetons. Driggs could get down to minus-7 over the weekend with a wind chill of 17 below.