When Could Boise See Its First Significant Snowfall of 2022?

Boise smashed the record for the number of 100+º days in 2022. While mid-October temperatures in the upper 70ºs have been pleasant, it’s not good enough for people who really want to experience fall by bundling up in their cutest flannel. If you were one of those folks who couldn't wait for things to cool off, you’re finally getting your wish! 

Things are about to cool down and they’re about to cool down pretty drastically. We’re talking temperatures dropping more than 20 degrees by Sunday. With the cooler temperatures comes something we haven’t seen in quite some time - precipitation! 

The National Weather Service is predicting “Showers mainly before noon” on Saturday, October 22. There’s a chance of showers again Saturday and Sunday nights. But what made us do a double-take was the forecast for Monday:

“A chance of rain and snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 53. Chance of precipitation is 40%”

We’re sorry, did that say snow?! Call us skeptics, but we’ll believe it when we see it. However, reading that forecast makes us wonder "when can we expect to see measurable snow in Boise?" and “how common or uncommon is October snow in Boise?”

We dug into some historical data to find out! The National Weather Service shares records of the first and last measurable snow falls each season in Boise dating back to 1899. In that time, Boise has seen October snowfall 11 times. The earliest October snow was also the heaviest October snow. In 2008, 1.7 inches fell on October 10. Boise's seen October snows accumulating an inch or more four different years. The most recent October snow, measuring .4 inches, happened in 2019.

That said, taking into account all 122 years of data available Boise's average first snowfall happens on November 22. Over the past decade, it happened earlier than that five times. Here's a look at the dates of the first snow falls from 2012-2021.