A pair of cold fronts will sweep through the region this weekend, bringing gusty winds, cooler temperatures, and mountain snow showers before an unsettled pattern delivers additional precipitation to the mountains early next week.
Two cold fronts bring a temperature drop and precipitation in Scott Dorval's video forecast
The first cold front will push across southeast Oregon this evening and southwest Idaho overnight. This will bring gusty winds to 35 mph at the typically windy sites along the Interstate 84 corridor between Baker City and Twin Falls. The frontal passage will be dry and result in temperatures 10 to 15 degrees cooler than today. Breezy conditions will continue during the day Saturday as the main upper trough moves into the interior Northwest.
A second cold front will accompany the trough passage Saturday night into Sunday, bringing another round of gusty winds stronger than tonight. Gusts to 35 mph are expected in the Snake River Plain east of Mountain Home on Sunday. The upper trough will support showers over the mountains of Baker County and the west-central Idaho mountains. Snow levels will briefly drop to between 4,500 and 5,500 feet Sunday morning, with light accumulation of less than an inch possible above 7,000 feet through early morning. Showers will taper off Sunday afternoon as the trough exits east. Sunday will be the coolest day of the period, with high temperatures around 70 degrees in the lower elevations and mid-50s in the mountains, about 10 degrees below normal.
Cool and unsettled conditions will continue through Thursday with temperatures around 10 to 15 degrees below normal. Another trough will move into the Pacific Northwest on Monday afternoon, bringing unsettled conditions with showers and afternoon thunderstorms through Wednesday. Precipitation totals of 0.10 to 0.25 inches are expected across the valleys, with 0.75 to 1.25 inches over the mountains. A ridge will build over the West Coast on Friday into the weekend, bringing a gradual warming trend.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. West northwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
Saturday
Increasing clouds, with a high near 77. West northwest wind 6 to 13 mph.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. Northwest wind 11 to 14 mph.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 69. West northwest wind 9 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. West northwest wind around 7 mph becoming east after midnight.
Monday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77.
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers during the evening and a low around 50.
Tuesday
Partly sunny & quite cool with a 40 percent chance of showers and a high near 73.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Wednesday
A 20 percent chance of showers before noon. Sunny & unseasonably cool, with a high near 70.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 45.
Thursday
Sunny & pleasant, with a high near 74.
Thursday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 47.
Friday
Sunny, warmer & pleasant, with a high near 80.
