Southeastern Idaho About to Get Slammed With Severe Winter Weather

I know it's winter and bad weather is to be expected, but this week we can expect an extra dose of winter, especially in Eastern Idaho and the South Central Idaho mountains

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch in anticipation of the up to one foot or more of fresh snow that’s expected to fall on East Idaho starting Wednesday morning.

The snow is forecast to continue through Friday morning.

Like most snowstorms, mountain areas will see the most snow and severe weather. Eastern Idaho Mountains could see a foot or more of snow accumulation over the next 48 hours.

The weather service reports that driving in East Idaho’s higher elevations Wednesday morning through Friday morning will be “extremely difficult” because of the snowstorm.

The Treasure Valley could also see snow accumulations of up to 3 inches with up to 6 inches possible in Eastern Idaho towns such as Pocatello and Idaho Falls.

And keep in mind with several road closures of I-84 between Ontario and La Grande already this winter, you could be seeing the road closing again this week, so check those road reports if you are traveling between now and Sunday.

The central Idaho Mountains are also under a winter storm watch Wednesday morning through Friday morning with up to a foot or more of snow expected there also.

Winter storm watches have been declared in much of western and northern Idaho and eastern Oregon. They call for up to 10 inches of mountain snow starting Tuesday night and possibly continuing into Thursday morning. The Boise, Mountain Home and Twin Falls areas could see up to 3 inches of snow as well as freezing rain.

As the storm approaches please pay attention to your local forecast, especially if you’re planning to travel.

Here is the actual storm warning from the National Weather Service:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE....NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOISE ID

320 AM MST TUE DEC 13 2016

...POTENTIAL WINTER STORM LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING IN EASTERN OREGON AND MUCH OF SOUTHWESTERN IDAHO... .A PACIFIC WARM FRONT WILL SPREAD SNOW...POSSIBLY HEAVY...ACROSS

EASTERN OREGON AND HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN IDAHO LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING...BEFORE CHANGING TO RAIN AT LOWER ELEVATIONS. PERIODS OF MODERATE SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE

WEDNESDAY DURING THE AFTERNOON COMMUTE WHEN GUSTY WIND MAY DEVELOP OVER THE UPPER TREASURE VALLEY...POTENTIALLY IMPACTING TRAVEL CONDITIONS WITH WORSENING VISIBILITY.

FOR THE WEST CENTRAL MOUNTANS-BOISE MOUNTAINS AND LOWER TREASURE  VALLEY...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING...

* SNOW AMOUNTS...4 TO 10 INCHES POSSIBLE AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS.

TWO INCHES POSSIBLE IN THE LOWER TREASURE VALLEY WHERE

PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN MAY ALSO OCCUR WEDNESDAY EVENING.

* SNOW LEVELS...VALLEY FLOORS AT FIRST...THEN RISING TO 4000

FEET WEDNESDAY EVENING...AND CONTINUING TO RISE WEDNESDAY

NIGHT TO 5000 TO 6000 FEET BY THURSDAY MORNING.

* WINDS...LIGHT SOUTHEAST.

* TIMING...THE CHANGEOVER FROM SNOW TO RAIN OR FREEZING RAIN IS

EXPECTED TO OCCUR WEDNESDAY EVENING.

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL PROBLEMS ON AREA ROADS. FREEZING RAIN MAY

CREATE ADDITIONAL TRAVEL PROBLEMS IN THE LOWER TREASURE

VALLEY.

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT

SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.