How many times did you do a double take at the forecast for May 31? Your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. The National Weather Service has changed the predicted high temperature for Boise to 101º!
I’ve seen plenty of people share the forecast on social media and say things like “Because we just can’t wait until July to do this…” I totally agree. I tried to put off turning on the air condition for as long as I could, but when the inside of our apartment reached 86º, I caved.
The Treasure Valley is no stranger to triple degree heat. In fact, last summer we saw 20 triple digit days. We tied the record for most consecutive triple digit days at nine. We also set a record for most consecutive days above 105º in early July. The new record is five days.
Last year’s extreme heat caused some time honored local traditions to adjust their hours or relocate to indoor venues to keep organizers, vendors and attendees safe. It was also the first time we saw the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and CDC team up for an experimental HeatRisk map.
What Is the HeatRisk Map?
The goal in establishing the new map was to let people know how dangerous heat could impact activities over a 24-hour period. To make the forecast, they factor in how unusual the temperature is for the time of year, the duration of heat during the day and night and if the temperatures could pose a risk of heat-related impacts based on data from the CDC.
Making its debut last May, the map used green, yellow, orange and magenta to indicate the level of risk.
Stay Inside If You See This Color on the HeatRisk Map
Traditionally, Idahoans think that red indicates the worst case scenario on weather maps, but when it comes to this map? It’s magenta you need to worry about. It stands for “extreme” conditions which the NOAA describes as:…