Parts of Southern Idaho Could Get 12 Inches of Snow in the Next 48 Hours
UPDATE: The alerts are now Winter Storm Warnings in the regions mentioned below. The timeline remains the same but snow expectations are slightly higher.
Nobody in Idaho cares what the groundhog had to say because we know that winter is far from over.
Proof: the National Weather Service has issued weather alerts in several parts of southern Idaho this week. Twin Falls can expect precipitation in the form of rain and a few snow flurries, but other parts of Southern Idaho could get hit with up to a foot of snow.
Winter Weather Advisory Alerts in Sun Valley and Stanley
The weather alerts were issued on Tuesday afternoon and will affect the Central mountains and the Lost River range including Clayton, Stanley, Ketchum, Sun Valley, Galena Summit, Hailey, Bellevue, and Picabo. According to the weather alerts, those areas are under a Winter Weather Advisory (update: these are now Winter Storm Warnings) from 5 PM Wednesday to 5 PM Thursday and can expect the following:
Total snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches for lower elevations and 8 to 12 inches for higher elevations. Some high western slopes in the Sawtooth could get up to 18 inches of snow. Blowing and drifting of snow is expected with wind gusts up to 20 to 30 mph, especially for higher elevations.
The new snowfall will create dangerous road conditions. If you have to travel in those areas during the advisory timeframe, drive with extra caution and give yourself extra travel time. You can check road conditions with the 511 app, on their website, or by calling 5-1-1.
Snow in the higher slopes in the western Sawtooth Mountains could get even more snow. Up to 18 inches is expected in select places.
The snow doesn't end when the advisories expire. More snow is expected in Sun Valley on Sunday and Monday and Stanley has snow in the forecast through Tuesday of next week.
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Gallery Credit: Marco