Snow headed to eastern Idaho this weekend

RIGBY – Eastern Idaho’s first major snowfall of the season is expected this weekend.

The National Weather Service in Pocatello is forecasting snowy and windy conditions throughout most of the region beginning late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

The initial impact will occur Saturday night in the Central Mountains with winds between 25 and 35 miles per hour and gusts up to 45 mph. The brunt of the storm will happen Monday and continue into Tuesday.

Between 11 p.m. on Dec. 5 through 5 a.m. on Dec. 7, the NWS predicts Jackson, West Yellowstone, Island Park and surrounding areas will receive the most amount of snow, ranging from 3 to 6 inches.

“Highest snow totals should be in the highlands east of Interstate 15 and along the Wyoming border,” the NWS reports.

Rexburg, Driggs, Soda Springs and Montpelier will likely see between two and three inches. Up to 2 inches is expected throughout the rest of the Snake River Plain, including Rigby, Idaho Falls, Arco, Blackfoot, Pocatello, Malad and areas farther north like Leadore and Challis.

Though temperatures have been trending slightly colder, which has an impact on the amount of snow, NWS meteorologists say the chance of seeing more than a tenth of an inch is more than 60%. The likelihood of an inch or more is also fairly strong, but only in certain areas. See the breakdown in the graphic below.

“Southerly winds prior to frontal passage Monday may limit snow potential for the I-86/I-84 corridor,” meteorologists explain.

As the storm dies down on Tuesday, another round of snowfall will arrive sometime Wednesday or Thursday.

Weather cameras and current temperatures in your community are available on the EastIdahoNews.com weather page. The Idaho Transportation Department’s 511 app also identifies current driving conditions and any road closures you need to be aware of.