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I've been hearing occasionally about these inversions in the valley. Can anyone tell me more details about this? I understand what the inversion is, what I'm interested in is how it affects quality of life. How many days per year have inversions? How many days at a stretch? Is it just overcast, or is it pea-soup fog? Does it last all the day, or just part of the day? Would you characterize Boise winters as generally sunless? Does Boise ever have those fabulously brilliant cold sunny winter days? How often?
Boise inversion answers: about 20 days per year, peaking in December. It's a thin fog, usually clear or only thin clouds overhead. Lasts several days at a stretch, until a front comes through and blows it out. The major problem is wood smoke from stoves and fireplaces. 2001 and 2002 were the worst years for this (10 and 14 days of unhealthy air). Since then, Boise has instituted a wood-burning ban when severe inversions are forecast, and that problem has gone down to an average of 2 unhealthy days per year.
References on valley air quality index: http://www.deq.state.id.us/air/aqindex.cfm
and an overview of valley inversion/AQI history: http://ppa.boisestate.edu/centerppa/...ftheRegion.pdf
In each of the winter months (Dec-Feb), Boise has on average 20 cloudy days, 6 partly cloudy, and 5 of those fabulously brilliant sunny winters days you ask about.
Ref: Western Regional Climate Center http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/CLIMATEDATA.html
There's lots more info at the link above, if you wish.
Thanks, Rod, for your helpful answer. It sounds like Boise winters could be depressing! I like cold sunny weather in between storms, but maybe that's just not a reality in Boise. Maybe we'd have to go to Colorado to find that, but boy, we sure liked Boise when we were there in the summer!
Cold sunny weather in between winter storms is a reality in Boise. Denver storms tend to be a more powerful, and the chinook winds afterwards often a lot warmer, than in Boise. Boise's climate is milder overall.
It is true that Denver gets more sun in winter, and that Spokane gets less, then Boise. You'll always find more sun east of the mountains than west, and Boise is both, so they call it the Intermountain West.
Come to Sun Valley. Why do you think they call it that?
Wish I could! Nearly everybody likes the idea of more sun....but....a quick check of a realtor website revealed ZERO (nada, zip, zilch) homes available for $150K or less....the price cap at which most of us baby-boomer retirees can realistically afford to buy a home. I'm afraid I couldn't afford a home there. Three more years and I'm outta here (Alaska) (zero degrees and 35mph winds....Brrrrr!)
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