A Winter Storm Warning will be in effect until 11:00 PM Saturday for the Treasure Valley, eastern Oregon and the central mountains. A Blizzard Warning will be active until 8:00 PM Friday for the Owyhees, the Magic Valley, and eastern Idaho.
The arctic front will stall near the Nevada border later today, limiting snowfall to areas south of the Treasure and Magic valleys, resulting in a brief break Friday afternoon through Saturday morning. However, a warmer Pacific system will bring heavy snowfall to the valley as significant moisture overrides the cold arctic air.
Frigid air is expected to pour in behind the front, with temperatures reaching the single digits for the Snake River Plain and -10s and -20s in the mountains. Wind chills could dip as low as -40 in the central mountains. A Wind Chill Warning is in effect for the Sawtooths, the Sun Valley Region and eastern Idaho from 8pm Friday through 9am Saturday.
Strong wind gusts will continue for the mountains leading to a high avalanche risk. The Sawtooth Avalanche Center in Ketchum has issued an Avalanche Warning for The Sawtooth, Smoky, White Cloud, Boulder, Soldier, Pioneer and southern Salmon River Mountains including the mountains near Banner Summit, Stanley, Atlanta, Smiley Creek, Galena Summit, and Fairfield.
The snow begins Saturday and evening and will be heaviest after sunset. 4-8" is likely in the Treasure Valley with higher amounts in the Boise foothills. Temperatures will struggle to hit 20° on Saturday so it will be a light powdery snow that sticks to the roadways quickly.
The heaviest snow from that Saturday storm will be south of I-84 where 6"-12" of accumulation is possible.
By Sunday, the snow wraps up while scattered snow showers continue in the mountains. Sunshine peaks through, but it is a cold sunshine as highs remain in the 20s. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is going to be frigid with highs around 20° and overnight temps dipping to near 0° for parts of the valley — likely the coldest air in around a year. The next round of snow is set to arrive on Wednesday.
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