Cooler Weather is Coming Soon to the Magic Valley

Hot summers are the norm in a high desert climate, but I gather this summer will be clocked as above average for heat.  It may also be about to subside.  Some long-range forecasts predict that late next week our daytime highs won’t crack 90 degrees.  If we get some clearing from wildfire smoke as well, it should be quite comfortable for working and playing outside.  But don’t expect much moisture over the next 10 days.

Cooler Weather Won't Break the Grip of Drought

Every Thursday, the United States Drought Monitor updates its map of Idaho.  There’s very little change.  The state is very dry, and the worst remains the southern portions of Owyhee, Twin Falls, and Cassia Counties.  Cooler temperatures can help, as it reduces evaporation.

A Severe Winter is Rarely Welcome But Not This Year

I recall previous summers where we went 80 days without appreciable rain.  But in those years, we didn’t start the season already as parched as this year.  A friend in Jerome was watering his fields a couple of weeks ago, and he told me we need a winter of epic proportions to restore the balance for next year.  What’s needed is heavy snowpack in the mountains, followed by a gradual thaw in the spring of 2027.  But perfect conditions rarely exist.  My friend is a native Idahoan and has lived all but a couple of years of a long life here.  When he speaks of an epic winter, he’s talking about something we may not have seen in decades.