A significant warming and drying trend is taking over the region this weekend, bringing plenty of sunshine and pushing temperatures into the 70s before cooler, unsettled weather returns next week.
Chilly nights and patchy fog give way to weekend sunshine
Clear skies and diminishing winds tonight will lead to chilly overnight temperatures, dropping into the 30s for most valley locations and the teens in higher elevations. Enough lingering moisture exists in the deeper mountain valleys of west-central Idaho and the Boise Mountains to allow for patchy fog development late tonight and early Saturday morning.
High pressure drives a significant warming trend
An upper-level ridge of high pressure centered off the coast is shifting eastward and will become the dominant weather feature through the end of the weekend. This transition will bring a pronounced warming trend, with afternoon high temperatures climbing 5 to 10 degrees above normal by Sunday.
Saturday and Sunday will feature plenty of sunshine and stable air with light surface winds generally under 10 mph. Highs on Saturday will reach the mid-60s in the lower valleys, warming further into the low to mid-70s by Sunday afternoon. Overnight lows will also become milder by Sunday night, staying in the upper 30s to low 40s in the valleys. No precipitation is expected through the weekend.
Warmth continues into early next week
The dry, warm, and clear conditions will hold steady through Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures during this timeframe will peak at 10 to 15 degrees above normal, making for a beautiful and spring-like start to the workweek.
My video forecast shows how our temperatures change into the wekeend and next week.
Active weather and cooler temperatures return
The weather pattern will shift Tuesday evening as a strong low-pressure system moves down the Canadian coast. Moisture from this system, combined with another low off the California coast, will fuel the development of showers across the region.
Precipitation coverage will be limited initially Tuesday through early Wednesday, but snow levels will fall from 7,000 to 8,000 feet down to 5,000 to 7,000 feet. By Wednesday evening and Thursday, the California system will move inland, increasing the chance for rain showers in the valleys and snow showers in the mountains.
Unsettled pattern lingers through late week
Temperatures will drop back to near-normal levels by Wednesday. Increasingly unsettled conditions will continue into Friday as a semi-stalled weather system remains over the region, funneling more storms down from the Gulf of Alaska and leading to consistent days of active precipitation.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 36. Wind becoming calm.
Saturday
Sunny with a milder afternoon, with a high near 67. Light wind.
Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 42. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday
Sunny & pleasant, with a high near 73. Light wind.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. Light and variable wind.
Monday
Mostly sunny & continued warmer than normal, with a high near 74.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny with a breeze, with a high near 72.
Tuesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41.
Wednesday
A 20 percent chance of showers after noon. Mostly sunny, breezy & cooler, with a high near 61.
Wednesday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.
Thursday
A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.
Thursday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 37.
Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.
