Is Boise On Its Way To 'Snowmageddon II'?

It was January of 2017 and the Treasure Valley kicked off the New Year smothered in the snow in what we now know as “Snowmageddon”. The Boise area alone took in 11.3 inches of snow in the first week of 2017.

Photo by Will Smith on Unsplash

Fast-forward to the end of 2021 and while not quite “Snowmageddon”, we have seen quite a bit of consistent snow in the Treasure Valley these past few days. According to the NOAA Online Weather Data and National Weather Service, the Boise area has seen 10.1 inches of snow just in the month of December which is up half a foot from the “normal” 4.9 inches expected. As wild as it may seem, the state of Idaho isn’t even in the top 10 for “Snowiest States of 2021”, sitting at number 18 in the U.S. despite averaging 36.49 inches this year according to WorldPopulationReview.com.

Photo by Will Smith on Unsplash.

Are we trending towards another “Snowmageddon” as we enter 2022? Not quite but we’re not that far off. As a matter of fact, the monthly snowfalls for December are the most Boise has had since 2017 when the Treasure Valley pulled in 9.8 inches.

December Snowfall Totals Since 2016

2016 – 14.0 inches
2017 – 9.8 inches
2018 – 4.9 inches
2019 – 2.5 inches
2020 – 1.7 inches
2021 – 10.1 inches**

**As of 12-29-2021

With December of 2016 pulling in 14 inches, it’s hard not to compare that to the current total of 10.1 inches for this month (Dec. 2021) which could very well surpass 14 inches the way things are going. As we head into January, that has the Boise area on a similar trend as we had before “Snowmageddon” in 2017.

January Snowfall Totals Since 2016

2016 – 2.2 inches
2017 – 21.5 inches
2018 – 0.1 inches
2019 – 1.5 inches
2020 – 8.9 inches
2021 – 0.5 inches

While January 2017 is in a league of its own in terms of snowfall totals for the Boise area, when you look at the December before Jan. 2017 it is eerily close to the totals we’re currently at. Will we experience “Snowmageddon II”?

Snowmageddon 2017

It was the winter that we'll never forget in the Treasure Valley -- scroll down to see these freezing cold photos

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