...AIR STAGNATION ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM MST
FRIDAY...
* WHAT...An extended period of stagnant air, with light winds
and little vertical mixing.
* WHERE...Portions of southwest and west central Idaho and
northeast and southeast Oregon.
* WHEN...Until 1 PM MST Friday.
* IMPACTS...Periods of air stagnation can lead to the buildup of
pollutants near the surface.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
An Air Stagnation Advisory concerns itself with meteorological
conditions only. For more information on air pollution in Idaho,
visit website www.deq.idaho.gov. For Oregon, visit website
www.oregon.gov/deq.
If possible, reduce or eliminate activities that contribute to
air pollution, such as outdoor burning, and the use of
residential wood burning devices. Reduce vehicle trips and
vehicle idling as much as possible.
&&
A National Weather Service map shows an atmospheric river barreling into North America on Wednesday. Weather experts said Idaho has benefitted from some moisture from that jet stream in recent weeks, and that the state currently has above normal snowpack at a monthly meeting about the state’s water supply on Friday.
A National Weather Service map shows an atmospheric river barreling into North America on Wednesday. Weather experts said Idaho has benefitted from some moisture from that jet stream in recent weeks, and that the state currently has above normal snowpack at a monthly meeting about the state’s water supply on Friday.
BOISE — The atmospheric river slamming California has brought a little moisture to Idaho, too.
The world is experiencing a rare third year of La Niña conditions, but normally that means the jet stream wraps around a ridge of high pressure sitting out in the Pacific, said Jay Breidenbach, a meteorologist with the Northwest Weather Service. But that has been absent in recent weeks, causing the jet stream to flow unabated from the Philippines across the Pacific Ocean straight into California. The Sierra snowpack is currently at 300% of normal, he said.
Typically, more of that moisture would have made it to Idaho, Breidenbach said.
Even so, snowpack across Idaho is above normal thanks to the precipitation that did arrive in recent weeks as well as the the storm that brought precipitation and cold temperatures in late December, experts said during a monthly meeting about Idaho’s water supply and drought.
“We have something to celebrate this year with (good) snowpack to start, ” said David Hoekema, a hydrologist at the Idaho Department of Water Resources.
However, experts used terms like “gun-shy,” “cautiously optimistic” and “tempered enthusiasm” to describe their overall morale on the water outlook with most of the winter yet to come.
At last year’s January meeting, snowpack looked favorable following a wet fall, but was followed by the third-driest January through March period on record, and then a wet and cold spring that yielded healthy river flows. A hot summer precluded most of the state escape from escaping drought, as previously reported.
The Boise River Basin’s snowpack is currently is at 129% of normal, said Erin Whorton, a hydrologist with the National Resource Conservation Service. And the forecasted inflow to the river’s reservoirs — Arrowrock, Anderson Ranch, and Lucky Peak — is predicted to be 112% of normal, said Ryan Hedrick, who works for the Bureau of Reclamation.
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Even if the Boise River basin only lands in the 30-50% percentile of its normal precipitation going forward, it will still be above its median peak for snowpack, Whorton said.
But most of Idaho’s reservoirs are below normal levels, Whorton said. And while having above average snowpack bodes well, much of the state has still not exited the drought. Drought-parched, dry soils are not as good at conveying snowmelt into reservoirs, Whorton said.
The Treasure Valley area looks good, but it is something Whorton will be continuing to monitor, she said.
“So the trend is positive, we’re moving in a wetter direction, but we’re still dry,” Whorton said.
Over the next seven days, Idaho is forecast to receive some precipitation as the atmospheric river continues to send wet weather toward the area. But by Jan. 20, the atmospheric river is predicted to break up, bringing relief to California, and bringing drier weather to Idaho.
Breidenbach predicted temperatures over the same period to be near-normal, with equal chances of above and below normal.
As for whether we will see a dry spell as severe as last winter, Hoekema said it is not likely.
“We could dry out, but it would be shocking if we got that dry,” Hoekema said.
