Locals react to winter storm

Snow might be an inconvenience to some, but many people in Idaho Falls say they’re excited it’s here.

“Actually it’s really convenient for me, like I said it’s my life and it’s beautiful,” Mel Mendoza.

“I love this kind of snow. It’s the perfect snow to build a snowman, make angels in the snow,” Sheila Hernandez. “That’s the best thing to do really. Just go out and have fun. I think it’s wonderful snow.”

There were a couple of school closings due to the winter weather for Butte and Mackay School Districts.

Travel has been difficult across the area because of the combination of snow and wind. Bingham County has reported a few slide-offs.

Snowfall totals have been impressive across central Idaho where most recording sites 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 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 Monday 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 could mean roads will remain slick for a while, especially county 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!

Snow removal is underway follow this link for information on parking restrictions and a snow removal map.