15 Signs That Boise Could Be In for a Harsh, Unforgiving Winter

When discussing reasons you feel grateful that you live in Boise, the fact that we experience all “four” seasons is probably a recurring theme. It’s true. We experience spring, summer, fall and winter, but any real Idahoan knows that we actually have 12 seasons. 

Normal folks would call late July/early August “summer.” In Boise, the season is actually known as “Hell’s Front Porch.” By August 2, we already experienced 16 triple-digit days with the possibility of more on the way. Our area has experienced triple-digit days as late as September 14 according to historical data from the National Weather Service. 

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When it’s 106º, being outside isn’t even fun. You feel like you’re baking and your pool might as well be bath water. Breezes aren’t refreshing. They make you feel like you’re standing inside a blowdryer. On days like that, thinking about winter isn’t so bad! 

Farmer’s Almanac Release New Extended Winter Forecast

What could winter in Boise look like this year? The famous Farmer’s Almanac recently published its extended winter forecast for 2022/2023. This year it’s given the forecast the nickname “Shake! Shiver! Shovel!” and tells people to stock up on flannels, hot cocoa and snowshoes. It’s tough to decipher EXACTLY what they think will happen in Idaho, because we’re never actually mentioned by name. Their forecast is done by region. Idaho is in region six, the “Northwest,” along with Oregon and Washington. 

Reading through the entire forecast, things don’t look exceptionally brutal for our region this year. When it comes to snow, the forecast explains:

“The Far West and the Pacific Northwest will see about-normal winter precipitation”

As far as temperatures? They say:

“The Pacific Northwest will see brisk/cool conditions, and the Southwest will be the mild area of the country, with near-normal winter temperatures.”

That seems promising. The average snowfall for December is 5.5”, January is 5.3” and February is 3.3”. The normal high temperature for December and January is 38.8º. February’s is 46º. None of that sounds horrible, but naturally, the question is…

How Much Should You Believe in This Forecast?

If you're trusting the Farmer's Almanac, just remember that you're trusting a "weather prognosticator" with a fake name. They say they give them the fake name to protect their forecasting formula. We know it includes things like sunspot activity, tidal action of the moon and the position of the planets...and the forecasts are calculated two years in advance with no edits made.

When they made their prediction for 2016-2017, the winter we affectionately know as “snowpocalypse”, they predicted that the Pacific Northwest would be “mild & stormy.” The stormy part of the prediction was correct, but mild? Hardly. We got walloped with just over 39 inches of snow and had six days that were 0º or less, the most since 1990!  So, we'd say take this way too early prediction with a grain of salt. 

We'd love to know the EXACT formula Farmer’s Almanac uses because they also shared a list of signs that a cold and harsh winter is ahead. To us, it sounds like a bunch of hocus pocus but several of our friends on social media say these are spot on. Here's a look at some of the items on that list...