Up to 10 inches of snow is forecast above 7,000 feet from Saturday evening into Sunday under a winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service, with higher totals possible above pass level and gusts as high as 35 mph. Forecasters expect slippery roads across the advisory area.
Snow Totals And Timing
The NWS Pocatello winter weather advisory runs from 8 p.m. ET Saturday to 7 p.m. ET Sunday for the Sun Valley region and the Big Lost Highlands and Copper Basin, including Galena Pass. Ketchum, Sun Valley, Galena and Copper Basin all fall inside it.
Snow is limited to elevations above 7,000 feet, where the office expects 4 to 10 inches, with more above pass level. Pocatello has already extended the advisory once.
State Highway 75 crosses Galena Summit north of Sun Valley, where snowfall is expected to increase above pass level. During one March storm, a slide buried the highway there under snow as deep as 20 feet in places, and Idaho Transportation Department crews worked 31 straight hours to clear it, KTVB reported.
Studded Tires Are Already Legal
Idaho’s studded tire season opened on Oct. 1. State law bans built-in studs on public highways only from May 1 to Sept. 30, so anyone who has already swapped to studs can run them through this storm. Tires with retractable studs are allowed year-round, as long as the studs retract to the wear bar when not in use, and they may only be deployed between Oct. 1 and April 30.
Chains are permitted at any time, and Idaho also accepts other traction devices if they grip at least as well as chains in the same conditions.
Cruise Control And Lane-Keeping On Icy Roads
ITD’s winter driving guidance is direct about driver aids. It tells drivers to avoid cruise control, lane-keeping and other auto-pilot features on wet or icy roads, alongside slowing down and leaving more stopping distance, and to brake gently and steer into a skid without overcorrecting.
The department also reminds drivers that bridges and overpasses freeze first and that the safest place near a plow is a comfortable distance behind it. Drivers can check current conditions through the Idaho 511 app or at 511.idaho.gov, a resource NWS Pocatello also recommends in the advisory.
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