BOGUS BASIN, Idaho — When it comes to snowpack, the 2025/2026 winter is off to a difficult start. In fact, this winter is turning out to be historically bad snow-wise for the mountains surrounding the Treasure Valley.
SNOTEL sites in the Owyhee Mountains and at Bogus Basin are showing some of the lowest snow levels ever recorded. What's even more bizarre is that we're actually above average in terms of precipitation for the winter, but most of that has fallen from the sky in the form of rain, due to persistently warm temperatures across SW Idaho.
See how warm Idaho weather is impacting ski shops
“We’ve never seen this low of snow on Bogus since they installed the SNOTEL site there,” said David Hoekema, Hydrologist with the Idaho Department of Water Resources.
The meager snowpack is hitting many winter-recreation-based businesses hard, and some local ski shops are reporting a steep decline in their ski and snowboard rentals compared to their averages. Greenwood Ski Haus, just south of Bogus Basin, usually sees hundreds of people through their shop at this time of the season, but the skis and snowboards have lain dormant on the racks.
“The main driver has been weather, you know, when it's sixty degrees in January, that's pretty insane,” said Brad Hatch, a ski technician at Greenwood Ski Haus.
January's early forecast isn't pointing in the right direction either, as dry weather is set to move in, but the hope is that Idaho sees a second-half surge of winter conditions.
“It’s starting to finally snow. There’s still plenty of season,” concluded Hatch.
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