A big weather change is coming to the Boise area — including rain and high winds (plus, smoke)
A low-pressure system with high winds is expected to bring showers and thunderstorms into the Boise area during the afternoon Wednesday, as smoke from the wildfires continues to affect air quality in the region.
The seven-day forecast from the National Weather Service in Boise shows a high temperature of 92 degrees Tuesday in Boise. However, during the rest of the work week the high temperature drops dramatically into the 70s and 60s, with showers and high winds likely into Thursday.
Kori Anderson with the National Weather Service said the storms are not uncommon during this time of year. The showers are the result of a low-pressure system coming from the Gulf of Alaska.
“(The low-pressure system is) going to move right overhead and bring us showers and thunderstorms and temperatures into the 60s,” Anderson said. “There’s a jet stream that’s bringing down that low-pressure system, and the jet stream has been north of our area for the last couple of months, so that’s kept us pretty dry.”
He said wind speeds are expected to reach up to 60 mph as well, and there’s a slight chance of hail in some areas.
While temperatures will warm into the 80s during the weekend, more precipitation is expected to start Monday. These lower temperatures and storms are expected to be the start of a pattern change to cooler weather heading into autumn.
The thunderstorms this week are also expected to bring scattered lightning to the region, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a fire weather watch in Boise on Tuesday morning.
More wildfire smoke expected in Treasure Valley
Smoke will continue to plague Boise and Ada County. An air quality advisory was sent Monday afternoon as the air quality index climbed.
The advisory was issued by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and will last until 3 p.m. Wednesday. The AQI topped 100 overnight at the Garden City monitor but dropped back below 100 into the yellow category by noon.
Michael Toole, a spokesman with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, said the situation will worsen throughout the week as the shift in the weather pattern moves smoke into the Treasure Valley.
“We’re going to have a low-pressure storm system push through. … It will shift the flow of the smoke,” Toole said.
Smoke from the Central Idaho mountains will continue to drain into the valley, although it will not be as prominent as it was earlier this month, he said.
Stephen Parker with the National Weather Service in Boise explained the different wind elevation levels pulled smoke from Oregon toward the east, while smoke from the central mountains was pulled into the valley.
“The upper-level winds have generally been out of the west, so that’s pulling a lot of that Oregon smoke over here,” Parker said. “At the exact same time, at night, the smoke has been draining down out of the mountains into Treasure Valley. So that’s how we can get smoke from both directions at once.”
The lightning-caused Wapiti Fire has scorched nearly 120,354 acres in Custer County and was 12% contained as of Monday.
The Nellie Fire is part of the Middle Fork Complex and has spread to nearly 58,770 acres with 30% contained, so both fires will continue to pour out smoke.
The Lava fire prompted evacuation orders in Gem County on Sunday, as the wildfire burned through 46,733 acres.
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