Happy December, it's a new month and the start of Meteorological Winter!
Pack the heavy jacket this morning. Conditions are clear and cold across most of the region this morning. Otherwise, quiet weather holds today under dry northerly flow with light winds and slightly below-normal temperatures.
A new upper-level trough will slide south out of British Columbia tonight and move into our area on Tuesday. This system will reflect the weekend and bring light snow again. Most valley locations should see only a dusting to around a half-inch, while the higher terrain — especially northern peaks and far southeast Owyhee County near the Nevada line — could pick up 1–3 inches.
Road impacts below about 4,500 feet should stay minimal with mainly wet pavement. The system exits by Wednesday morning with improving skies and a shift to breezy northwest winds during the afternoon.
Now, the offshore ridge weakens late week, allowing the jet stream to sag south and open the door to a wetter pattern starting (skiers and snowboarders rejoice) Thursday night and Friday. A strong west–northwest flow develops overhead, sending periodic waves of Pacific moisture through early next week.
These systems will be milder, so expect mainly rain in the valleys and a mix of rain and snow in the mountains. The first disturbance arrives Friday into early Saturday, bumping up precipitation chances — around 40–60% for the lower elevations and 60–90% in the mountains. Snow levels rise to roughly 5,500–7,000 feet Friday night, then lower again as cooler air works in behind the warm front.
From Saturday night through Monday, snow levels average 3,500–5,000 feet, with ups and downs as each wave moves through. Valley precipitation chances run about 10–30%, while the mountains stay more active at 30–60%. Higher peaks could see moderate to even heavy snowfall totals by early next week.
Temperatures run 5–10 degrees above normal, and the active pattern brings occasional breezy conditions.
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