Weather pattern shifts and wildfire-fighting efforts brought improved air quality to Boise to start the week, and meteorologists said thunderstorms that hit areas of the Treasure Valley on Monday could both clear the air more and present fire risks.
Parts of Southwest Idaho were hit by the first round of storms Monday afternoon, with some heavy showers moving toward Meridian, Eagle and Boise in the late afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Wind measurements taken at the Boise Airport reached 43 miles per hour at about 3 p.m., and at 5 p.m. a storm cell rolled through eastern Meridian and western Boise with heavy rain and wind.
David Groenert, a meteorologist with the Boise office of the weather service, predicted thunderstorms to last through sunset in the Treasure Valley and through midnight in the mountains. Winds could reach up to 60 miles with some storms.
“A surge of moisture has come up and over the area,” Groenert told the Idaho Statesman by phone. “The heat, the instability, and then that moisture all combine together to trigger some thunderstorms.”