Winter storm making roads slick
A major winter storm is impacting much of the Intermountain West this Monday with periods of heavy snow, cold temperatures and strong gusty winds.
The path of this system is unlike others we’ve had so far this season, since it will be dropping south out of Idaho and into Utah throughout the afternoon. Because of this storm-track, snow will likely linger for a bit longer across portions of East Idaho and Western Wyoming through tomorrow morning.
Impacts are being felt across Eastern Idaho. There were a few school closings for Butte and Mackay School Districts due to the winter weather.
Travel has also been very difficult across the area because of the combination of snow and wind. So far only Bingham County has reported serious accidents.
Snowfall totals have been impressive across Central Idaho where most recording sites have measured between 11-26 inches of snow near Sun Valley and the Sawtooths. As of 9am this morning, most locations in the Snake River Plain have received 2-4 inches of snow and areas across parts of Butte County and Southern Custer County have picked up over 8 inches.
Snow will continue through a good chunk of the afternoon and evening before winding down tonight.
An additional 2-4 inches of snow can be expected across the valleys over the next 24 hours with some locally higher amounts possible.
In the high country near Island Park, the Tetons and the Southeastern Highlands expect anther 4-8 inches of snow by tomorrow morning.
If traveling, remember to stay updated with the latest road conditions and closings and give yourself plenty of extra time to arrive at your destinations safely. Most roads will be slick and/or snow covered and visibility could be reduced to near zero at times.
Colder air will begin to move in overnight and will last through the week. This means roads will remain slick for a while, especially side roads. Things look to be a bit more quiet for Tuesday with only a few snow showers near the Utah and Montana borders, while the rest of the area should stay mostly dry with even a little bit of sunshine possible through the clouds.
Light snow returns back into the forecast for Wednesday thru Friday with only light accumulations.
A little warmer this weekend with much more sunshine, especially on Saturday!