Severe thunderstorms with strong winds, hail could hit Boise today. Here’s the timeline

Shaun Goodwin
·2 min read
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Boise could face more severe weather Friday afternoon, as a low-pressure system west of Idaho is expected to bring thunderstorms into the Treasure Valley.

The Storm Prediction Center, an arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that issues weather alerts, has issued a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms for Friday afternoon for western Idaho and eastern Oregon.

A severe thunderstorm is categorized as having wind gusts of at least 58 mph or hail at least one inch in diameter, National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Wojcik told the Idaho Statesman. Boise saw severe thunderstorms last week, with quarter-sized hail falling in parts of the city.

Although a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms only equates to a 10% chance of one-inch hail or 58 mph winds, Boise could still see strong thunderstorms that don’t qualify under the “severe” category.

The National Weather Service in Boise forecasts a 60% chance of precipitation, with some storms capable of producing gusty winds and hail.

What time will the storms arrive?

Boise residents can expect the first sign of thunderstorms to move into the area around 3 p.m. at the earliest, according to Wojcik.

“It kind of ramps up later in the afternoon after that 3 p.m. time frame,” Wojcik said. “And then it looks like, looking at some of the high-resolution models, that the best opportunity for us comes in after 4 or 5 o’clock. And then it continues through the evening.”

The storms will begin to settle down around sunset — 8:25 p.m. on Friday — Wojcik said, because the heat from the sun helps keep the atmosphere unstable and primed for thunderstorms.

“After sunset, that threat would be reduced,” Wojcik said. “But there also looks like there could be a thunderstorm even after sunset here, even toward midnight.”

The stormy weather will clear out by Saturday morning, with the Weather Service forecasting a clear, sunny day and high of 79 degrees. A cold core of air will then move into the area mid-week, dropping temperatures to a low of 33 degrees early Wednesday morning and providing the chance for light snow on the valley floors.