Snow brings hint of autumn
Travelers report 3 inches of snow in Central Idaho mountains
By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer
Mother Nature gave Central Idaho her first taste of autumn this week with dramatically cooler temperatures and a bright dusting of snow in the high country on Monday morning.
Snow in August is not unheard of, but it certainly is uncommon, said Joe Miczulski, a recreation planner for the Sawtooth National Forest?s Ketchum Ranger District.
But don?t get your skis out yet. Several long-time residents said this week the early snow does not necessarily translate into a big winter.
?Certainly summer hasn?t ended,? said Ketchum resident Steve Deffe. ?We?ll have plenty of Indian Summer here in a few weeks.?
Smiley Creek resident Liese Dean, also the Sawtooth National Recreation Area?s wilderness program coordinator, said she expects plenty more weeks of shorts and T-shirt weather. She added that the Monday snow produced some beautiful scenes in the mountains.
?It can be the prettiest time of year. You?ve got flowers blooming right out of the snow,? she said. ?It?s cool and misty. It?s been spectacular, and right now things are still in bloom, so it?s kind of a mix of summer and fall.?
Dean said she awoke in Smiley Creek Tuesday morning to 32-degree Fahrenheit temperatures. On Monday, the snow line hovered at about 8,500 feet in the Sawtooth and White Cloud mountains.
Those who traversed Trail Creek Summit reported about 3 inches of snow. Deffe said a friend who was camping near 10,250-foot Warbonnet Peak in the Sawtooths also reported about 3 inches.
Dean, a 17-year resident of Smiley Creek, allowed that snow has not been common in August the last five years, but over the long haul, it is not uncom-mon at all.
Across the board, nobody appears overly anxious for winter to return.
?Personally, I don?t get too excited, despite the fact that I?m an avid skier,? Miczulski said. ?I see so many seasons. The snow comes and goes. Early snow doesn?t mean a good winter, not from my experience. It might mean good hunting, but it doesn?t necessarily mean good skiing.?
For Deffe, the arrival of cooler weather does mean improved mountain biking.
?It gets me excited for winter, but it also gets me excited for fall riding. It?s so beautiful. Your water stays cold, and the track is in good shape, and there aren?t too many people out there.?
According to the National Weather Service in Pocatello, Central Idaho is predicted to experience average temperatures and precipitation for the next 30 to 90 days. The long-range forecast through April of next year is for above average temperatures and below average precipitation.
