BOISE, Idaho — A cold front drove in cooler conditions and whipping winds for much of Friday. Thankfully, it doesn't seem like damage was reported in central and western Idaho or eastern Oregon (there were a few locations where gusts exceeded 40 mph). However, on the eastern side of Idaho, there were many reports of damage including at least "a dozen reports of downed trees and a roof that was blown off a mobile home in Pocatello." That's according to the National Weather Service in Pocatello. Gusts in some spots got close to 60 mph in that area, like in Idaho Falls.
Both wind speeds and wind gusts were on the higher side today, really making for a one-two punch wind event. Often, in our area we are mainly tracking wind gusts with lower wind speeds. But, today we had both. Wind speeds are the consistent flow of air past a point. A wind gust is a sudden, brief increase in wind speed that normally lasts only 20 seconds or so.
Temperatures were still on the warmer side, so even with the wind, it should have felt mostly pleasant outside. Highs in valleys were near 70° while mountains ended up in the upper 50's and lower 60's.
Thankfully, we'll get a brief reprieve from the wind on Saturday. Though, Magic Valley areas are still expecting gusts from 25-30 mph. So, winds will still be noticeable there, but much less than today.
Saturday morning will be a bit of a cool start with some valley lows nearing upper 30's and low 40's. Saturday afternoon will be ideal for outdoor activities because temperatures will warm to the mid 70's in valley areas and in the 60's for the mountains.
Sunday mark the return of winds and cooler conditions. High temperatures will drop about 10 degrees, putting valleys back in the 60's.
Even as temperatures bounce around this weekend, there will be mostly sunny skies. However, there are low chances of afternoon showers in mountain areas starting on Sunday.
As we head into the new work week, temperatures will hover right at or just below normal. Rain chances finally look to make a return for valleys and the mountains on Wednesday as another Pacific storm system takes aim at the Gem State mid-week.
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KTVB Weather Team
- Idaho's Chief Meteorologist Rick Lantz began his broadcasting career in 1975 working in both radio and television in Weiser, Caldwell, Nampa, and Boise. He has been bringing you the weather each weeknight for 40 years on KTVB.
- Meteorologist Sophia Bliss has been a part of the KTVB team since December of 2019. She started producing for the Wake Up Idaho team and continues to work as a producer. Additionally, Sophia is a meteorologist. She writes special weather stories and forecasts as a member of the First Alert Weather team. She loves the science of weather and enjoys the opportunity to explain how “magic” of the science works.
- Meteorologist Rachel Garceau joined KTVB’s First Alert Weather team as a broadcast meteorologist in May of 2023. While Rachel started her news career behind the scenes as a producer, she eventually moved in front of the camera as a news anchor and fill-in weather anchor. After spending some time on the green screen, Rachel realized she had a passion for the “why” behind the weather, and especially for the challenges presented by forecasting Idaho’s four distinct seasons. You can catch her forecasts every weekday morning from 5-7am on Wake Up Idaho.
- Weather Anchor Hector Mendoza joined KTVB in June of 2023 as a Multi Skilled Journalist and became a member of the First Alert Weather team shortly thereafter, in July of 2023. Hector started off as the weather anchor for KTVB's Saturday Morning News but rang in 2024 by also taking over weather duties for the News at Noon. Whether planning for the week ahead or just wondering what's in store for the weekend, Hector is excited to help keep Idahoans informed about the conditions that matter most to them. You can catch him on Saturday mornings from 8-10am and on the News at Noon Tuesday through Friday.
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