Climate

November 2020 Weather Summary

November’s temperatures averaged close to normal.  Precipitation was generally above normal, although there were areas near the Nevada border where precipitation was less than 50 percent of normal.  A strong upper level high pressure ridge over the Intermountain Region on the 1st and 2nd weakened on the 3rd, but above-normal temperatures continued through the 6th ahead of a Pacific cold front.

On the 2nd, the highs of 70 at Burns and Twin Falls tied their records for the date. The 74 at Jerome set a new record, as did the 68 at Baker City.  On the 4th, new records were set at both Burns and Baker City with highs of 70 and 71 respectively.  On the 5th, Boise’s high of 76 set a new record for the date, as did the highs of 75 at Burns, 69 at Ontario, and 72 at Baker City.
On the 6th, the high of 67 at Ontario set a new record for the date. The high of 71 at Mountain Home tied their record.
The cold front crossed southeast Oregon and southwest Idaho on the 6th with little if any precipitation. The cold upper-level low pressure trough behind the front drifted south over California before settling over the Great basin on the 7th. At the same time, a second trough from Alaska was deepening over western Canada.
On the 8th, light to moderate amounts of snow fell as the Canadian trough joined forces with the Great Basin trough. Snowfalls in the Boise area ranged from 1 to 4 inches. The 2.7 inches at the Boise Airport set a new record for the date.
Yet another trough, this time from the Gulf of Alaska, arrived over the northwest U.S. on the 10th with only light snow. Meanwhile, a band of westerly flow aloft, aka the jet stream, was strengthening south of the Aleutians. Its arrival over the northwest coast on the 13th was preceded by a very active weather disturbance.
Rainfall amounts with this system included over two-thirds of an inch at Jerome and McCall, nearly a half inch at Boise, and a third of an inch at Burns and Ontario.
Heavy snow fell in the mountains, including 9 inches east of New Meadows, 8 inches northwest of McCall, and 10 inches near Halfway and Sumpter in Baker County.

Also in eastern Oregon on the 13th, a wind gust of 66 mph was measured north of Wagontire, and a gust of 63 mph was measured north of Andrews.
On the 15th, copious Pacific moisture accompanying a warm front brought more rain. The 0.46 inch at Boise and the 0.28 at Twin Falls were new records for the date.
More snow fell in the mountains, including 4 inches east of New Meadows and 9 inches at Cuprum in western Adams County.
Temperatures had been below normal since the 7th, but an upper-level high pressure ridge following the warm front raised temperatures above normal on the 16th.
On the 17th, a cold upper-level low pressure trough, which had been deepening off the B.C. coast, generated a strong cold front which pushed rapidly inland. The front, energized by the jet stream, was accompanied by thunderstorms with abundant lightning as it roared across southwest Idaho during late afternoon on the 18th.


Storm reports in the Boise area included brief heavy showers which produced from a quarter to a half inch of precipitation, small hail covering the ground at some locations, and wind gusts exceeding 40 mph. An inch of rain fell at Placerville and three-quarters of an inch near Horseshoe Bend.
The cold front caused only slight cooling, and temperatures remained above normal through the 19th under southwest flow aloft.
The next several days were much less dramatic as a series of relatively weak troughs and ridges crossed our area. During the morning of the 25th, a better organized trough brought light snow. One inch was measured at the Boise airport. Most of it melted during the afternoon.


By the 27th, a high pressure ridge had built over the northern Intermountain Region. As is typical of this time of year, the warm air aloft and nighttime cooling in the valleys resulted in an inversion which kept temperatures below normal from the 28th through the 30th.

On the 30th, a weather disturbance brought more light snow. It was not strong enough to break the inversion.

Snow across the mountains was well above normal for November standards.


November temperature anomaly
November precipitation departure

October 2020 Weather Statistics

October was generally warmer than normal when temperatures for the entire month were averaged. But that average gives no indication of the extremes.
October precipitation departureOctober temperature anomaly
As in September, precipitation was below normal.
From the 1st through the 9th, the ridge kept temperatures around 10 degrees above normal. As in September, smoke and haze kept highs from achieving their full potential.
On the 2nd, the high of 87 at Ontario tied their record for the date. And on the 3rd, the high of 87 at Burns set a new record for the date. On the 4th, the high of 85 at Twin Falls set a new daily record.
On the 10th, strong westerly flow aloft flattened the ridge as it carried a cold front inland from the northwest coast. As it crossed southeast Oregon and southwest Idaho, the front routed the smoke as it pushed east. Rain which followed the front washed out most of the remaining aerosols.

Seasonable temperatures followed the front, but an impending major pattern change would bring an early taste of winter.
The high pressure ridge, which had provided summer-like temperatures early in the month, shifted west off the coast and expanded north toward Alaska, resulting in northerly flow aloft over the Intermountain Region.
The first cold front from Canada crossed our area on the 21st. By sunrise on the 22nd, temperatures had dropped below 32, the first freezing readings of the season at many lower valley locations. An even stronger cold front followed on the 24th, delivering an early season blast of Arctic air from northwest Canada.
On the 25th, record lows for the date were set at Jerome and Twin Falls, with 22 and 15 respectively.
The low of 17 at Boise on the 26th set a new record for the date. The temperature dropped to a frigid 3 above at Burns, setting a new record. It was 10 above at McCall, tying their record for the date. The 10 above at Mountain Home set a new record. The 16 at both Jerome and Twin Falls broke their old records.
It is interesting to note that just last year a nearly identical late October weather pattern also resulted in record lows, along with some light snow in the lower valleys.
The high pressure ridge began to drift back over the western U.S. on the 27th, bringing a warming trend.
The 71 at Burns on the 30th set a new record.

September 2020 Weather Summary

September was warmer than normal. On the 4th, record highs of 102 were set at Boise and Burns. The 99 at Ontario tied the record for the date. On the 5th, the high of 100 at Boise tied the record for the date, and the 98 at Twin Falls set a new record.
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It would have been even warmer had it not been for widespread smoke and haze from wildfires.


It was a dry month, especially in southcentral and southeast Oregon, where totals were less than 5 percent of normal across a wide area.
September precipitation departure
September temperature anomaly
A very warm upper-level high pressure ridge anchored over the western region kept temperatures above normal during the first week of the month. By the 8th the ridge had migrated far enough west to allow a very cool upper-level low pressure trough to drop south from Canada.


The cold front ahead of the trough crossed our area on the 7th. Following the front, northwest winds in the 40-50 mph range were common. A gust of 54 mph from the northwest was measured near Boise.
https://twitter.com/NWSBoise/status/1303333613392388097?s=20
The trough kept temperatures below normal. Highs failed to reach 70 at a number of locations on the 8th.
Following the trough, the ridge built inland, and temperatures were above normal again on the 11th. The ridge dominated through the 17th, with highs in the 80s at many lower valley locations.
The northern part of the ridge gave way to a Pacific cold front on the 18th. Most locations received only light precipitation. Isolated thunderstorms generated outflow winds over 40 mph.
From the 20th through the 25th, the ridge was alive and well over the southwest U.S., while southwest flow aloft on its northern periphery kept temperatures in our region above normal.
Meanwhile, a more fall-like pattern was developing as westerly flow aloft strengthened across the North Pacific.
The upper-level winds carried a fast-moving weather disturbance inland on the 25th. While rainfall was generally light in the valleys, McCall set a record for the date with .54 inch.


Temperatures stayed below normal through the 27th. On the 28th the ridge, now resurrected over the west coast, brought a warming trend. It would guarantee above-normal temperatures through the 30th and beyond.

August 2020 Climate

August was warmer than normal across the area, and a number of record highs were set.
August 2020 temperature (2)
August 2020 precipitation

On the 15th, the high of 99 at Burns set a daily record.

On the 16th, the high of 103 at Boise set a daily record. A record of 100 was set at Burns.

On the 17th, the high of 102 set a record for the date at Boise. Other record highs include 106 at Mountain Home and 99 at Baker City.

On the 18th, the 98 at Baker City tied the daily record.

On the 19th, the 97 at Twin Falls was a record for the date.

It was drier than normal nearly everywhere, but, as mentioned in the July summary, that’s actually normal.

Monsoon thunderstorms brought more wind than rain.

On the 15th, a thunderstorm near Andrews, Oregon broke off dead tree limbs and did other minor damage. At Little McCoy Creek in Harney County, a gust of 63 mph was measured by automated equipment.

On the 17th, a gust of 70 mph was measured by a spotter. A spotter in Fields, Oregon measured a sustained speed of 44 mph with a gust of 58 mph. A spotter in Fields measured a 54 mph gust which resulted in lost power. There were numerous other reports of gusts exceeding 50 mph.

On the 18th a spotter in Oreana reported half-inch diameter hail.

As usual, the seasonal upper level high pressure ridge over the southwest states was the main source of the heat. An occasional Pacific cold front provided some respite, but there was no significant cooling Until the end of the month.

Had the air been clear, it would have been even hotter. But widespread smoke from wildfires limited high temperatures on many days. Persistent southwest flow aloft transported the smoke from its California source.

The monsoonal moisture brought high dewpoints to the region, which helped fuel afternoon and evening thunderstorms from August 24th through the 29th. Boise recorded the highest dewpoint since September 5th, 2013 on August 25th.

On August 26th, a long-lived supercell thunderstorm tracked across Owyhee County with 2″ diameter hail.

Overnight on the 29th, a dry cold front brought much cooler air from western Canada. Highs were around 15 degrees lower than on the previous day.

Northwest winds at the surface and aloft behind the front temporarily swept away most of the smoke.

On the 31st, a weather system from British Columbia brought clouds, a breezy afternoon, and slightly cooler air.

July 2020 Climate

The temperature, when averaged across the area, was slightly above normal. The greatest departures were at Baker City (+3.5 degrees), McCall (+2.5 degrees), and Rome (+2.1 degrees).
July 2020 temperature
Precipitation was below normal nearly everywhere. July is one of the two driest months of the year (the other being August), so dry is actually normal.
July 2020 precipitation
During most of the month, upper-level low pressure troughs moving inland over western Canada would play a role in our weather, as they vied for dominance with the very warm seasonal upper-level high pressure ridge over the southwest U.S.

Precipitation is usually associated with troughs, but during July they produced little if any rain south of the Canadian border, bringing only brief periods of slightly cooler weather.

Between troughs, the high pressure ridge to our south made its presence felt as it expanded northward.

Increasing amounts of monsoon moisture circulating within the ridge eventually managed to reach our area on the 22nd and 23rd, and again on the 27th and 28th, carried north ahead of weak low pressure troughs over California.

On the 23rd, thunderstorms brought locally strong gusty winds. At Rome, numerous tree branches were blown down and garbage cans were knocked over. A gust of 64 mph was measured 21 miles north of Murphy Hot Springs. Numerous other locations reported gusts in excess of 50 mph.

On the evening of the 28th, thunderstorms crossed the Owyhee Mountains, bringing spotty but locally heavy showers to the Boise area.

The ridge made a major northward expansion on the 30th and 31st, bringing the hottest weather of the summer.

At Baker City on the 30th, the high temperature of 101 tied the daily record set in 2003. And the 105 on the 31st set a new record for the date.

On the 31st at Burns, the high of 99 tied the record set in 1949. At Ontario, the high of 107 tied the record set in 1971.


Pocatello tied their all time record high temperature of 104 degrees as well.

 

 

June 2020 Climate

Temperatures varied widely during the month. Most of southwest Idaho was cooler than normal. Most of southeast Oregon had near or slightly below normal temperatures, but Baker City, Burns, and Rome averaged warmer than normal.

From the 1st through the 4th, temperatures were above normal under dry and relatively warm westerly flow aloft. On the 5th, southwesterly flow ahead of a Pacific cold front brought even warmer air.

Gusty west winds followed the cold front. Many locations reported gusts in the 50-70 mph range. The strongest was 77 mph at an automatic observing site 10 miles southwest of Hill City.

https://twitter.com/NWSBoise/status/1269481164642738178

A cold upper level trough from the Gulf of Alaska followed the front. High temperatures were as much as 30 degrees cooler from the 6th through the 8th. Tamarack Ski recorded 17″ of snow, while 15″ fell at Brundage and 8″ at Bogus Basin.

Except for northern Harney County, and a narrow strip between the Snake River and the Owyhee Mountains, June was wet, especially in a corridor from southern Malheur County across the central Idaho mountains. The Treasure Valley was the wettest area in the region. Boise had the third wettest June on record.

On the 7th, rainfall set new records for the date at McCall (1.13 inches), Ontario (.35 inch), and Twin Falls (.28 inch). During the three day period from the 6th through the 8th, McCall measured 1.75 inches and Boise 1.11 inches of rain. Much less fell elsewhere. Baker City and Burns received only traces.

Following the trough, a high pressure ridge brought dry and warmer weather from the 9th through the 12th. The high of 90 at Twin Falls on the 12th set a record for the date.

The cold front ahead of the next trough arrived on the the 12th. Following the front, west winds gusted over 50 mph at many locations. The strongest reported gust was 61 mph at Grassy Mountain 19 miles southeast of Rome.

On the 13th, an upper level low pressure trough lifted north from California, generating a band of heavy rain which was mainly confined to the Treasure Valley. Many reporting points in Ada, Baker, and Washington Counties measured just over one inch. Record rainfalls for the date were set at Boise (1.21 inches) and Ontario (.74 inch).

https://twitter.com/HeyMzWilliams/status/1271904256530907136

Rainfall from the 13th through the 17th totaled 1.81 inches at Boise, 1.11 inches at McCall, .83 inches at Ontario, and 1.31 inches at Rome. On the 13th, rainfall amounts set records for the date at Boise (1.21 inches) and Ontario (.74 inch). Outside of the heavy rain band, other locations in southeast Oregon received between a quarter and a half inch. Southeast of Boise, Mountain Home got only .11 inch and Jerome .12 inch.
On the 16th, yet another trough arrived from the Gulf of Alaska, keeping temperatures unseasonably cool through the 18th.

On the 24th, thunderstorms brought hail and strong gusts to a few locations. Four miles south of Jamieson in Malheur County, hail one inch in diameter covered the ground and caused damage to crops. Quarter inch hail fell nine miles north of Vale. Thunderstorm winds exceeded 50 mph at a few locations in Owyhee County.

On the 25th, the high of 94 at Twin Falls tied the record for the date set in 2015.

On the 27th another unseasonably cold low pressure trough was bearing down from the north.

The cold front ahead of this trough crossed our area late on the 27th. The air behind the front was much cooler and initially dry. but as the trough settled over the northern Intermountain Region, it entrained a plume of moisture from across the Pacific, resulting in moderate amounts of rain at several locations on the 29th and 30th. The most reported was .77 inch at Ontario.

At Twin Falls on the 28th, a daily rainfall record was set (.25 inch), and a record low temperature was set (42).

On the 29th, daily rainfall records were set at Ontario (.74 inch) and Twin Falls (.18 inch).

https://twitter.com/IdahoITD/status/1277704643385016320

Also on the 29th, the low of 41 at Twin Falls set a new record low for the date.

 


June 2020 temperatureJune 2020 precipitation

May 2020 Climate Statistics

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Temperatures averaged just over one degree above normal and precipitation was 40 percent above normal at Boise.

An extensive upper-level low pressure system over the northeast Pacific was the dominant feature through the 17th. It was responsible for steering weather systems into western North America. Between systems, southwest flow east of the low brought warmer air.

The first couple of weather systems, which came through on the 3rd and the 6th, brought only light precipitation. Strong west winds followed a cold front on the morning of the 6th. A gust of 48 mph was measured at the Boise Airport.

The first significant precipitation of the month came on the 14th when 0.36 inch of rain fell at the airport as a low pressure trough crossed the area.

On the 16th a much larger and colder trough from Siberia was nearing the west coast. Before moving inland on the 19th, it had deepened far enough down the coast to tap subtropical moisture southwest of California. On the 20th it was centered directly over Idaho. That day 0.80 inch of rain fell at the Boise Airport, breaking the previous record for the date of 0.56 inch in 1985. Other parts of town were drenched by even heavier rain, including 1.31 inches at Boise State University.

With a high of only 51 degrees, the 20th was the coolest day of the month. The record coolest high temperature for the date is 48 in 1902. Below-normal temperatures would continue through the 24th.

An upper-level high pressure ridge building over the coast on the 24th started a warming trend which was briefly interrupted by a weak Pacific cold front on the 26th.

Starting on the 27th, temperatures rose each day as the ridge strengthened. From the 28th through the 30th, highs were in the 90s for the first time since September. On the 30th the high of 98 tied the record for the date set in 1986. And the low of 69 broke the previous record of 65 set in 2015.

A low pressure system that had been spinning over the subtropical Pacific west of Baja finally moved inland over California on the 30th. As it progressed northward toward eastern Oregon and southwest Idaho, it was preceded by hot dry windy weather and scattered thunderstorms. Precipitation was mostly light. Only a trace of rain dampened the airport, but a few spots closer to the foothills got heavy downpours.

The peak gust at the airport was 48 mph from the east-southeast at 5:43 pm MDT. Winds were likely stronger elsewhere around the valley, as there were reports of trees damaged or blown over and power outages. There was a lot of tree damage across the region, especially in the mountains with this system where wind gusts up to 74 mph were reported. There were also some great photos of the damaged trees:

By that evening the first round of showers had moved north and east of Boise, and at 9:15 pm MDT a cold front passed the Boise Airport from the west.

There was more weather to come later that night, as the upper-level trough behind the cold front was still on its way. The arrival of the trough was announced by a thunderstorm just before 3 am MDT on the 31st. Hail one-half inch in diameter fell at the airport, but there was only 0.09 inch of total precipitation.

Thunderstorms between midnight and 6:00 am are very rare in our part of the country. At Boise the chance is only 2 percent in May and 4 percent in June.

Here are the rest of the climate graphics for southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon.

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pnw_cl pnw_cl (1)

 

April 2020 Climate Statistics

boi

Precipitation was near normal, and temperatures averaged slightly warmer than normal.

A cold upper level low pressure trough over western Canada and the Northwest states during the first three days of the month held temperatures below normal.

Southwest flow aloft ahead of a low pressure trough off the Pacific Northwest coast started a warming trend on the 4th.  As the trough moved south along the California coast on the 5th and 6th, showers spread inland, but the Boise area received only light precipitation.  The air was unstable enough for thunderstorms both days.

With our area between the low pressure system over the southwest states and the jet stream to our north and east, weak high pressure kept temperatures above normal from the 5th through the 11th.

A cool down was on the way as the flow over western Canada shifted into the north on the east flank of a high pressure ridge off the west coast of North America.

A cold front from British Columbia passed Boise during the evening of the 11th, accompanied by a wind gust of 45 mph from the north.  Temperatures the following day were 10 to 15 degrees cooler, and temperatures stayed below normal through the 14th.

Boise fared better than eastern Idaho, and much better than states to the east, where a late season arctic outbreak brought snow and winter temperatures.

After a brief warmup on the 15th, another cold front from British Columbia crossed the Boise area that evening. Compared to the previous front, the cool down was minor.  A convergence zone in the Snake River Basin near Mountain Home created show showers on the morning of the 16th.

A warming trend began on the 17th as the high pressure ridge began to move inland from the coast.

Increasing westerly flow aloft gradually weakened the ridge, and on the 22nd and 23rd a disturbance embedded in the flow brought the largest amount of precipitation for the month. Most of it fell on the 23rd with scattered convective showers, some of which produced brief heavy rain and small hail.

On the 25th and 27th a couple of weak disturbances dropped most of their precipitation over north Idaho, with only light showers at Boise.

On the 28th a strong high pressure ridge developed over the western U.S. as it amplified and drifted east, it provided the season’s warmest weather so far.

On the 29th strong southwest flow aloft on the west flank of the ridge, down valley flow at the surface, and mostly sunny skies helped boost the temperature at Boise to 88 degrees, one degree shy of the record set in 1992. Severe thunderstorms containing 1″ hail were reported in Baker City.

On the 30th the southwest flow carried an energetic weather disturbance across southeast Oregon and southwest Idaho. Late that morning a line of thunderstorms formed over Harney County.  The storms intensified rapidly as they approached Idaho. They crossed the border at about 1:45 pm, and strong outflow ahead of the storms arrived at the Boise airport at 2:30 pm.  Five minutes later a gust of 61 mph was measured just ahead of the rain, which was heavy at times.  Golf-ball size hail (1.75″) was reported at Oreana, ID (40 miles southwest of Boise).

 

The winds were likely stronger in some parts of town, as there were reports of power outages, downed trees, and other damage. Large trees across the Treasure Valley toward the Boise Mountains and Magic Valley were knocked down as a result of this storm.  Numerous large trees were knocked down from Prairie to Pine to Featherville with this storm.

 

Here are the rest of the climate graphics for southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon.  McCall was cooler than average due to a deep snow pack on the ground within the valley, which kept their temperatures lower than other areas.

ONO

MYL

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BNO

Winter 2019-2020 in Review

Winter 2019-2020 was much warmer than normal, with the greatest departures in the western portion of our County Warning Area (CWA). The average temperature for December through February at Ontario, Oregon was 7.4 degrees above normal, making it their third warmest winter on record. 

Snowfall was generally below normal, mainly because of the unusually warm temperatures, but below-normal precipitation in some areas also played a part.

Most of our forecast area had near normal precipitation for the season. Camas, Twin Falls, Gooding, and Jerome Counties, and the Owyhee Mountains, were drier than normal. Southern portions of Harney, Malheur, Owyhee, and Ada Counties were wetter than normal, as was Baker County, with the notable exception of the Baker Valley, which was significantly drier than normal.

One of the large-scale controlling mechanisms for winter weather in the Northern Hemisphere is the Arctic Oscillation (AO). It is characterized by a counterclockwise circulation of winds around the Arctic, centered at about 55 degrees north latitude. This winter it was in its positive phase, meaning that the winds were strong and consolidated.  This tends to hinder arctic air from moving south into the lower 48 states.  Most of this winter the AO was strongly positive, especially in January and February.  In fact it set all-time records twice in February.  

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New Daily Records

Dec 21 – McCall – record high temperature of 43 (old record 42 in 1906)
Dec 22 – McCall – record high temperature of 48 (old record 46 in 1940)
Jan 26 – Boise – record rainfall of .74 inch (old record .40 inch in 1970)
Feb 5 – Boise – record snowfall 2.6 inches (old record 2.1 inches in 1948)
Feb 5 – Baker City – record rainfall of .25 inch (old record .16 inch in 2010)

December

Temperatures were relatively mild, especially in the Treasure Valley. Ontario had its sixth warmest December on record. Baker City had its eleventh warmest. 

Aside from portions of Harney County, most of our CWA was drier than normal. Factors contributing to the precipitation deficit included a split in the jet stream, leaving our area between northern and southern branches. Most of the Pacific moisture moved south over the southwest states instead of east over our area. During periods of west or southwest flow over our CWA, some valleys were in the precipitation shadows of mountain ranges. This effect was especially pronounced at Baker City and Mountain Home, downwind from the Elkhorn and Owyhee Mountains. However,  precipitation at McCall was enhanced by lifting over the higher terrain to their east. 

Despite widespread below-normal precipitation, there were several storms which produced significant snowfalls. 

On the 1st and 2nd, 5 to 10 inches of snow fell in southeast Oregon and the mountains of southwest Idaho. Amounts were lighter in the Treasure and Magic Valleys, where only 1 to 3 inch amounts were reported.  

On the 8th, heavy snow fell in the mountains of Baker County Oregon and the west central Idaho and Boise Mountains. The greatest reported amount was 13 inches at Atlanta Summit and Deadwood. 

On the 12th, Bogus Basin received a 9-inch snowfall. Tamarack ski area got 14 inches, and Brundage accumulated 12 inches. The heaviest amount was 15 inches at Mores Creek Summit. 

From the 13th through the 16th there were relatively light amounts of snow across most of the area. Exceptions included 7 inches near Frenchglen in Harney County, 12 inches east of Three Creek in southern Twin Falls County, and 8 inches near Murphy Hot Springs in Owyhee County, all on the 14th. 

On the 19th, 6 inches was measured at Council in Adams County and at Placerville in Boise County, while 9 inches fell at Bear Saddle Snotel in Washington County.

On the 20th, 8 inches fell east of Meadows in Adams County and at Halfway in Baker County. Tamarack in Valley County picked up 11 inches. 

December 2019 precipitation

December 2019 temperature

January

Temperatures were above normal across nearly all of our CWA, and much above normal in the Treasure and Magic Valleys and southern Malheur County. Boise was +6.2° F above normal for the month – making it the fifth warmest January on record.

Strong westerly flow aloft maintained a progressive pattern which brought Pacific weather systems across our area at frequent intervals. This hindered the formation of long-lasting temperature inversions and discouraged arctic air from pushing south.

A persistent ridge of high pressure off the California coast steered storm systems, including a series of atmospheric rivers, into the Pacific Northwest. Atmospheric rivers are long narrow streams of air carrying large amounts of moisture. They are responsible for most of the water vapor transport outside the tropics. 

Most of our region was wetter or much wetter than normal. The mountains of central and northern Idaho and northeast Oregon saw a significant improvement in snowpack. 

Snow fell nearly every day in the mountains.

A storm on New Year’s Day dropped heavy snow on the mountains of Baker County and central Idaho. Storm totals included 14 inches at Tamarack and McCall, 15 inches at Brundage, and 5 inches at Bogus Basin. 

Strong winds were reported at many locations that day, including gusts of 67 mph  east of Van in northern Harney County, and 65 mph south of Rogerson in Twin Falls County. Elsewhere, gusts of 45 to 55 mph were common.

From the 9th and 14th, snowfall was heavy in the mountains. Even in the lower valleys moderate amounts fell. 

A storm total of 18 inches was reported at Centerville in Boise County.  In Valley County storm totals included 23 inches near Donnelly, 17 inches at Yellow Pine, and 9 inches at Cascade. In Baker County Halfway’s total was 17 inches. Featherville in Elmore County accumulated a total of 36 inches. 

Total snowfall at Boise for the six days was 8 inches, more than half the total this winter. The most on the ground was 4 inches on the morning of the 15th. 

A couple of places reported strong winds on the 14th, including a gust of 63 mph at Rome in Malheur County and 58 mph at Twin Falls.

January 2020 precipitation

January 2020 temperature

February

February was colder than January at several locations. Normally  February is around 5 degrees warmer than January. Still, Februrary was warmer than normal across most of our area. 

On the 5th and 6th a warm front, which had entrained tropical moisture from east of Hawaii, brought heavy snow to the mounains and moderate amounts of rain and snow to the valleys. 

In Baker County, 7 to 8 inches of snow fell near Baker City, and 12 inches was measured at Sumpter.  In Valley County 17 inches fell near McCall and at Yellow Pine. Near Donelly 9 inches was reported. In Adams County New Meadows got over 25 inches. The storm total at Brundage was 40 inches. 

A storm on the 16th dropped 4 to 5 inches of snow on Boise County. McCall received only 3 inches. Rain fell in the lower valleys. By far the greatest reported amount was 0.53 inch at Boise, which set a new record for the date.

During the afternoon and evening of the 23rd, gusty northwest winds followed a strong cold front. Some the the stronger gusts reported included 67 mph at Baker City, 77 mph at Wagontire in Harney County, 67 mph at Midvale Hill in Washington County, 53 mph at Burns in Harney County, 56 mph at Black Canyon in Payette County, and 65 mph near Hammett in Elmore County.

February 2020 precipitation

February 2020 temperature

Idaho 2020 Spring Flood and Water Resources Outlook

Spring Flood Potential

swe2020The risk for spring flooding due to snowmelt is near normal across most of Idaho. The exception is the Big Lost Basin and Wood River Basins where the risk is below normal due to well below normal snowpack and low soil moisture.  Relatively warm winter temperatures and a rather dry February have limited the snowpack in the low elevations which significantly reduces the snowmelt flood risk during late winter and early spring.

The primary factors in the development of spring flooding are the occurrence of persistent above normal temperatures, and rain on snow precipitation events. Even if mainstem rivers do not reach flood stage, smaller creeks and streams can still overflow their banks. Under the right scenario, spring flooding is possible even for areas that have low snowpack. Additionally, wildfire burn scars can have a significant impact on local flood potential during spring snowmelt.

Water Supply

The water supply runoff volume forecasts for the spring and summer of 2020 are near average for northern Idaho watersheds. Meanwhile, forecasts vary considerably across central and southern Idaho.  Forecasts for the Snake River headwaters region and along the Utah and Nevada border generally indicate near normal runoff volumes. Forecasts for the Middle Snake River and Central Mountain watersheds indicate below or well below normal runoff volumes. The lowest runoff volume forecasts are for the Big Wood and Little Wood basins, ranging from 33 to 55 percent of normal. Low streamflows across portions of the Central Mountains could lead to water supply concerns for those relying on natural flows. These forecasts may change considerably since seasonal snow accumulation and rainfall typically occur during March and April.ws2020

Temperature and Precipitation

A wet September closed out the 2019 Water Year, but very dry conditions dominated through the first quarter of the 2020 Water Year. Precipitation for October through December was only 40 to 70 percent of average for most of the state with the driest conditions across the Central Mountains and southern Idaho. The January storm track brought above normal precipitation to most of Idaho with the exception of the Wood River Basins and Big Lost Basin where precipitation was below normal. In February, the Clearwater and Lemhi Basins, the Salmon River Basin, and areas along the Wyoming border had near normal or above normal precipitation while the rest of the state was below normal. Water Year to date precipitation in general is normal to below normal for northern Idaho and areas along the Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada borders. For the Snake Plain and Central Mountains, Water Year precipitation is below or well below normal. After a cold October where mean temperatures were 5 to 10 degrees below normal for most of the state, above normal temperatures have dominated for the 2020 Water Year.

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Snowpack

As of March 5, mountain snowpack was near normal for most of Idaho.  The Boise River Basin was lagging at 84 percent of normal. The Big Wood and Little Wood River Basins and Big Lost River Basin had the lowest snowpack percentages ranging from 56 to 68 percent of normal.  Idaho snowpack as a whole typically builds through March and peaks in early April.

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Reservoirs

Reservoir storage across Idaho was in good shape as of early March with major reservoir systems holding near average or well above average water. Across southern Idaho, reservoir storage in the Bear River Basin and Southside Snake River Basins was 144 to 153 percent of average. Storage in West Central Basins, Wood and Lost Basins, and the Upper Snake River Basin ranged from 110 to 168 percent of average. Meanwhile, reservoir storage in the Clearwater and Panhandle Regions was 96 to 104 percent of average. Weather patterns, irrigation demand, and flood control needs will drive reservoir operations over the next several months. Wet spring weather or extended periods of above normal temperatures resulting in rapid snowmelt could result in significant increases in reservoir outflows and river levels.

Drought

After a drought free start to the 2020 Water Year, dry fall conditions followed by low snowpack led to the development of drought conditions across portions of the Central Idaho Mountains. Weather and precipitation for the remainder of winter and this spring will determine whether or not drought conditions improve or deteriorate.

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Long Range Outlook

The outlook for March through May favors above normal temperatures across the south half of Idaho while chances for either below, above, or normal temperatures are equal across the north. The precipitation outlook slightly favors above normal precipitation along the Wyoming border, otherwise the probabilities are not shifted one way or another for the rest of the state.

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MAM2020pOn-line Resources

Water Supply Volume Forecasts…
National Weather Service-Northwest River Forecast Center
www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/ws/

National Weather Service-Colorado Basin River Forecast Center
www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/

USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/id/snow/

Snowpack Information…
National Weather Service-Northwest River Forecast Center
www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/snow/

National Weather Service-National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center
www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/

USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/id/snow/

Reservoir Storage…
Bureau of Reclamation Reservoir Storage
www.usbr.gov/pn/hydromet/select.html

USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/basin.html

Drought Information…
U.S. Drought Portal
www.drought.gov

Peak Flow Forecasts…
Northwest River Forecast Center
www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/peak/

Colorado Basin River Forecast Center
www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/rmap/peak/peaklist.php

Temperature and Precipitation Outlook…
Climate Prediction Center
www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/