Warming temperatures, sunny skies, and light winds will persist across the Gem State as we head into Saturday. Temperatures will warm well above normal throughout the weekend, with the Treasure Valley climbing into the low and possibly mid-60s on Saturday and Sunday under abundant sunshine.
For the McCall Winter Carnival, temperatures will reach around 40° each afternoon for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Friday and Saturday afternoons are expected to be sunny and pleasant, but cloud cover will move in from north to south on Sunday. Scattered rain and snow showers will begin as early as Sunday afternoon in the mountains.
As a strong low-pressure system approaches from the northwest, precipitation remains mainly as rain for areas below 5000-5500 feet initially, with a gusty southwest breeze developing. However, a cold front moving from north to south on Monday will bring snow levels down. Accumulations of 2-5 inches are expected in mountain valleys by Monday evening, and 6-12 inches above 6000 feet. A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for the Central Mountains and Camas Prairie for the potential of slick road conditions due to heavy and blowing snowfall.
The cold front is expected to reach the Treasure and Magic Valleys sometime Monday afternoon, bringing heavy rain and strong wind gusts. A Wind Advisory has been issued for the Treasure Valley to Mountain Home from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday, with gusts potentially exceeding 45mph. A High Wind Watch is also in effect for the Owyhees, Magic Valley, Wood River Valley, and eastern Idaho, with gusts possibly exceeding 60mph. The wind will be out of the northwest behind the cold front, so use caution if traveling with high profile vehicles on west-east oriented highways. There is the possibility of damaging wind gusts, so be sure to tie down any loose objects by Sunday afternoon.
A drier airmass settles in behind the cold front, with rain and snow giving way to scattered showers, but breezy conditions will continue into Tuesday. Temperatures in the Treasure Valley will dip into the 20s by Tuesday morning with a slight chance for snow showers. A warming trend is expected for the remainder of the week, so any snow changes back to rain in the valleys. Meanwhile, snow showers will continue to accumulate in the mountains, creating excellent skiing conditions as we kick off March.
Keep checking back in to Idaho News 6 for more updates on the incoming storm throughout the weekend!
