Next Week in Idaho Will be Feel Like Spring

Long-range weather forecasts are notoriously difficult.  I’m not talking a couple of months out, but one week.  A meteorologist I worked with years ago told me our TV station offered a week-long look because it’s what people wanted, but he admitted anything beyond three days was a crap shoot.

Weather Predictions are Fickle Weaknesses of Men

I’ve written many of these weather stories, only to have the forecast change within 24 to 48 hours. However, for now, the second week of December looks mild, with some forecasts predicting daytime highs near 60.  This is great for home heating bills, and we’re not breaking bones slipping on ice.  The trouble is, if the mountains stay above freezing, you won’t see a snowpack buildup, and that spells trouble for spring runoff.  Here in the high desert, we count on that for a growing season.

Recent winters have brought a mixed bag, and the ones that appear to have provided the most snow have provided an overabundance, whereas the dry years have tilted to another extreme.  If there’s any silver lining, it’s that many of our local communities have become stingy with water resources, but over the last 45 years, the pattern has mostly been drier than it was before 1980.

The Real Story is Still to Come

Another meteorologist friend told me the western part of the continent has had some droughts that lasted for 200 years.  Of course, there were far fewer people living in the region the last go around.  Maybe AI can stumble across a solution, but I wouldn’t put all my marbles on that bet.