#boise — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #boise, aggregated by home.social.
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https://www.europesays.com/iran/261985/ Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel brings back Deli Days festival after pandemic #bench #Boise #BoiseBench #BoiseJewishCommunity #CongregationAhavathBethIsrael #DeliDaysBoise #Idaho #Israel #JewishFestivalIdaho #KosherFoodBoise #TreasureValleyEvents
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15 Best Restaurants in Boise (Updated 2024) https://www.diningandcooking.com/restaurants/14537/ #BestRestaurant #BestRestaurants #boise #CityGuides #Destinations #idaho #TravelTips #usa
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15 Best Restaurants in Boise (Updated 2024) https://www.diningandcooking.com/restaurants/14537/ #BestRestaurant #BestRestaurants #boise #CityGuides #Destinations #idaho #TravelTips #usa
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15 Best Restaurants in Boise (Updated 2024) https://www.diningandcooking.com/restaurants/14537/ #BestRestaurant #BestRestaurants #boise #CityGuides #Destinations #idaho #TravelTips #usa
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City of Boise receives $50,000 for youth-led climate action projects
BOISE, Idaho — Younger neighbors around Boise have a chance to use their imagination and make a difference…
#Climate #ClimateChange #Climate-Change #AdaCounty #Boise #boisedowntown #climateaction #climatechange #Downtown #globalwarming
https://www.europesays.com/3207716/ -
https://www.europesays.com/dk/146902/ Boise LEGO group inspires STEM learning and community building brick by brick #boise #CommunityExhibitions #GemStateComicCon #GregFastabend #idaholug #lego #LEGOGroup #mocfest #StemLearning
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Boise in colour: a 48-hour photo essay through Idaho's most characterful and underestimated city
https://matadornetwork.com/read/camera-roll-boise-color/
Over 48 hours in Boise, a photographer finds a city whose landscapes, architecture, and local character can be traced through a distinctive color palette.
#travel #boise #idaho -
Over 48 hours in Boise, a photographer finds a city whose landscapes, architecture, and local character can be traced through a distinctive color palette. #travel #boise #idaho
https://matadornetwork.com/read/camera-roll-boise-color/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into FLIPBOARD EXCHANGE FEED 🗞️ @flipboard-exchange-feed-Econopass
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Over 48 hours in Boise, a photographer finds a city whose landscapes, architecture, and local character can be traced through a distinctive color palette. #travel #boise #idaho
https://matadornetwork.com/read/camera-roll-boise-color/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into FLIPBOARD EXCHANGE FEED 🗞️ @flipboard-exchange-feed-Econopass
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Over 48 hours in Boise, a photographer finds a city whose landscapes, architecture, and local character can be traced through a distinctive color palette. #travel #boise #idaho
https://matadornetwork.com/read/camera-roll-boise-color/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into FLIPBOARD EXCHANGE FEED 🗞️ @flipboard-exchange-feed-Econopass
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Over 48 hours in Boise, a photographer finds a city whose landscapes, architecture, and local character can be traced through a distinctive color palette. #travel #boise #idaho
https://matadornetwork.com/read/camera-roll-boise-color/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into FLIPBOARD EXCHANGE FEED 🗞️ @flipboard-exchange-feed-Econopass
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Article Template: Generic Idaho News Story https://www.allforgardening.com/1914522/article-template-generic-idaho-news-story/ #Boise #garden #gardener #gardening #idaho #JuliaDavis #JuliaDavisPark #JuliaDavisParkRoseGarden #TreasureValley
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Article Template: Generic Idaho News Story https://www.allforgardening.com/1914522/article-template-generic-idaho-news-story/ #Boise #garden #gardener #gardening #idaho #JuliaDavis #JuliaDavisPark #JuliaDavisParkRoseGarden #TreasureValley
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The cute little Kootenai tomatoes are finally ripening thanks to yesterday’s 85°F high. It’s been too hot here for fruit development or pollination for the past couple of weeks. We have another coolish albeit smoky day today, then back into the oven tomorrow. #gardening #organic #vegan #zone7 #boise #idaho
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The cute little Kootenai tomatoes are finally ripening thanks to yesterday’s 85°F high. It’s been too hot here for fruit development or pollination for the past couple of weeks. We have another coolish albeit smoky day today, then back into the oven tomorrow. #gardening #organic #vegan #zone7 #boise #idaho
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The cute little Kootenai tomatoes are finally ripening thanks to yesterday’s 85°F high. It’s been too hot here for fruit development or pollination for the past couple of weeks. We have another coolish albeit smoky day today, then back into the oven tomorrow. #gardening #organic #vegan #zone7 #boise #idaho
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The cute little Kootenai tomatoes are finally ripening thanks to yesterday’s 85°F high. It’s been too hot here for fruit development or pollination for the past couple of weeks. We have another coolish albeit smoky day today, then back into the oven tomorrow. #gardening #organic #vegan #zone7 #boise #idaho
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The cute little Kootenai tomatoes are finally ripening thanks to yesterday’s 85°F high. It’s been too hot here for fruit development or pollination for the past couple of weeks. We have another coolish albeit smoky day today, then back into the oven tomorrow. #gardening #organic #vegan #zone7 #boise #idaho
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Downtown Boise’s latest property combines a European-style hotel and extended stay in one location
For Boise-bound travelers, it’s an amazing two-for-one opportunity. Two distinct hotels located one address. The AC Hotel Boise…
#Europe #EU #boise #elementbymarriott #European #grovestreet #hoteldevelopment #jaredsmith #mikewebster #oklandconstruction #pennbridgelodging #tomlewis
https://www.europesays.com/europe/98513/ -
Police arrest Boise man after attempted home robbery in Garden City https://www.allforgardening.com/1877914/police-arrest-boise-man-after-attempted-home-robbery-in-garden-city/ #AttemptedRobbery #Boise #garden #GardenCity #GardenCityIdaho #HomeRobbery #idaho
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Police arrest Boise man after attempted home robbery in Garden City https://www.allforgardening.com/1877914/police-arrest-boise-man-after-attempted-home-robbery-in-garden-city/ #AttemptedRobbery #Boise #garden #GardenCity #GardenCityIdaho #HomeRobbery #idaho
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Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field - Boise, United States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boise_Airport
https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=13/43.564400/-116.223000#KBOI #BOI #Boise #UnitedStates #airport #aviation #avgeeks #GIS
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Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field - Boise, United States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boise_Airport
https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=13/43.564400/-116.223000#KBOI #BOI #Boise #UnitedStates #airport #aviation #avgeeks #GIS
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Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field - Boise, United States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boise_Airport
https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=13/43.564400/-116.223000#KBOI #BOI #Boise #UnitedStates #airport #aviation #avgeeks #GIS
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I have arrived in Boise. The drive went quickly; I listened to an audiobook that lasted the entire drive. In fact, I listened to the last 10 minutes in a Trader Joe's parking lot. I wound up getting a hotel not far from the car dealer and pretty close to where I have to return the rental car tomorrow. The room is surprisingly nice, almost like a suite with separate sitting, working, and sleeping areas. I'm going to relax for a while and then try to find some dinner. #RoadTrip #Idaho #Boise
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I have arrived in Boise. The drive went quickly; I listened to an audiobook that lasted the entire drive. In fact, I listened to the last 10 minutes in a Trader Joe's parking lot. I wound up getting a hotel not far from the car dealer and pretty close to where I have to return the rental car tomorrow. The room is surprisingly nice, almost like a suite with separate sitting, working, and sleeping areas. I'm going to relax for a while and then try to find some dinner. #RoadTrip #Idaho #Boise
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I have arrived in Boise. The drive went quickly; I listened to an audiobook that lasted the entire drive. In fact, I listened to the last 10 minutes in a Trader Joe's parking lot. I wound up getting a hotel not far from the car dealer and pretty close to where I have to return the rental car tomorrow. The room is surprisingly nice, almost like a suite with separate sitting, working, and sleeping areas. I'm going to relax for a while and then try to find some dinner. #RoadTrip #Idaho #Boise
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I have arrived in Boise. The drive went quickly; I listened to an audiobook that lasted the entire drive. In fact, I listened to the last 10 minutes in a Trader Joe's parking lot. I wound up getting a hotel not far from the car dealer and pretty close to where I have to return the rental car tomorrow. The room is surprisingly nice, almost like a suite with separate sitting, working, and sleeping areas. I'm going to relax for a while and then try to find some dinner. #RoadTrip #Idaho #Boise
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I have arrived in Boise. The drive went quickly; I listened to an audiobook that lasted the entire drive. In fact, I listened to the last 10 minutes in a Trader Joe's parking lot. I wound up getting a hotel not far from the car dealer and pretty close to where I have to return the rental car tomorrow. The room is surprisingly nice, almost like a suite with separate sitting, working, and sleeping areas. I'm going to relax for a while and then try to find some dinner. #RoadTrip #Idaho #Boise
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Their work hit a setback after a judge determined they were late to turn in about 4,000 signatures from residents of #MinidokaCounty, located about 160 miles southeast of #Boise. The ruling, issued by District Court Judge W. Reed Cotten on June 18th
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Idaho marijuana initiative hit... -
Their work hit a setback after a judge determined they were late to turn in about 4,000 signatures from residents of #MinidokaCounty, located about 160 miles southeast of #Boise. The ruling, issued by District Court Judge W. Reed Cotten on June 18th
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Idaho marijuana initiative hit... -
Their work hit a setback after a judge determined they were late to turn in about 4,000 signatures from residents of #MinidokaCounty, located about 160 miles southeast of #Boise. The ruling, issued by District Court Judge W. Reed Cotten on June 18th
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Idaho marijuana initiative hit... -
Meridian’s Tyus Sparks drafted by Washington Capitals in 2026 NFL Draft
Former Spokane Chiefs forward Tyus Sparks, from Meridian, was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the fourth round…
#nfl #nfldraft #NFLDraft #Boise #Football #idaho #NFL #TreasureValley
https://www.rawchili.com/nfl/931451/ -
Meridian’s Tyus Sparks drafted by Washington Capitals in 2026 NFL Draft
Former Spokane Chiefs forward Tyus Sparks, from Meridian, was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the fourth round…
#nfl #nfldraft #NFLDraft #Boise #Football #idaho #NFL #TreasureValley
https://www.rawchili.com/nfl/931451/ -
Meridian’s Tyus Sparks drafted by Washington Capitals in 2026 NFL Draft https://www.rawchili.com/nfl/931451/ #Boise #Football #idaho #NFL #NflDraft #TreasureValley
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Meridian’s Tyus Sparks drafted by Washington Capitals in 2026 NFL Draft https://www.rawchili.com/nfl/931451/ #Boise #Football #idaho #NFL #NflDraft #TreasureValley
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Rain and wind storm video from 6/26/26 in downtown #Boise at the #Idaho State Capitol.
We got soaked and had to hide under the canopy with the tents and belongings, holding them down so they don't fly off.
#Palestinians have to endure the same and so much worse on a daily basis during their extreme weather.
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Rain and wind storm video from 6/26/26 in downtown #Boise at the #Idaho State Capitol.
We got soaked and had to hide under the canopy with the tents and belongings, holding them down so they don't fly off.
#Palestinians have to endure the same and so much worse on a daily basis during their extreme weather.
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Rain and wind storm video from 6/26/26 in downtown #Boise at the #Idaho State Capitol.
We got soaked and had to hide under the canopy with the tents and belongings, holding them down so they don't fly off.
#Palestinians have to endure the same and so much worse on a daily basis during their extreme weather.
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Rain and wind storm video from 6/26/26 in downtown #Boise at the #Idaho State Capitol.
We got soaked and had to hide under the canopy with the tents and belongings, holding them down so they don't fly off.
#Palestinians have to endure the same and so much worse on a daily basis during their extreme weather.
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New article: The meteorology behind the small hail that blanketed Meridian, Idaho like snow
ingallswx.com/2026/06/27/t...
#weather #IDwx #Boise #hail
The meteorology behind the sma... -
New article: The meteorology behind the small hail that blanketed Meridian, Idaho like snow
ingallswx.com/2026/06/27/t...
#weather #IDwx #Boise #hail
The meteorology behind the sma... -
New article: The meteorology behind the small hail that blanketed Meridian, Idaho like snow
ingallswx.com/2026/06/27/t...
#weather #IDwx #Boise #hail
The meteorology behind the sma... -
New article: The meteorology behind the small hail that blanketed Meridian, Idaho like snow
ingallswx.com/2026/06/27/t...
#weather #IDwx #Boise #hail
The meteorology behind the sma... -
New article: The meteorology behind the small hail that blanketed Meridian, Idaho like snow
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New article: The meteorology behind the small hail that blanketed Meridian, Idaho like snow
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New article: The meteorology behind the small hail that blanketed Meridian, Idaho like snow
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New article: The meteorology behind the small hail that blanketed Meridian, Idaho like snow
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New article: The meteorology behind the small hail that blanketed Meridian, Idaho like snow
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The meteorology behind the small hail that blanketed Meridian, Idaho like snow
On Friday evening, a severe thunderstorm moved through the Boise area in southwest Idaho. This storm brought damaging wind that blew a few trees over but the bigger headline was small hail that blanketed nearby Meridian, Idaho in a way that looked like it was several inches of snow.
These types of thunderstorm events are fairly rare in any one location but a few of them occur in the United States and Canada every year. A unique meteorological environment is required to form them including the freezing level, moisture, and wind.
Model estimated upper level conditions in Meridian, Idaho at 21:00 MT Friday. (Ingalls Weather)Ingalls Weather thanks the support it gets from donors. Please consider making a small donation at this link to help me pay for the website and access to premium weather data.
Using model data from around 21:00 MT Friday (when the storm hit), a few of these features stand out. The freezing level was around 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) and above that was a deep layer between -10 and -30ºC across several thousand feet. This is the layer where hail develops. The deeper and colder it is, the better a storm can manufacture hail.
The real key was the shape of the storm’s fuel, though, not just the amount. Meteorologists measure a storm’s potential energy as CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) which essentially tells how hard a rising bubble of air gets pushed upward. What matters for hail isn’t just how much CAPE there is but at what altitude it’s distributed through the atmosphere. It is measured in joules per kilogram (j/kg).
Weather radar image showing the severe thunderstorm moving through Meridian, Idaho at 20:57 Friday. mPING reports and severe thunderstorm warnings shown. (RadarScope)Picture two storms with the same amount of energy but one has it packed into a short, intense burst down low while the other has it stretched thin over a tall vertical column. The first forms a violent updraft that throws a few stones high to grow them into large, damaging hail. The second, which forecasters nickname “tall skinny CAPE”, is gentler.
The Meridian storm had tall skinny CAPE. The energy was modest and spread across a deep layer in the atmosphere, so the updraft was steady rather than explosive. Instead of building a handful of big stones, it acted like a slow ice factory by lofting countless water droplets fast enough to freeze and grow. This produced an enormous number of tiny stones that fell together as a dense, slushy curtain.
The last ingredient was wind. The profile showed winds turning and strengthening steadily with height. This was enough to maintain the storm’s structure and steer it along at about 20 mph (30 km/h). Rather than parking over one spot, the storm laid down a continuous ribbon of hail as it moved across Meridian. The high freezing level would normally melt small hail before it reached the ground but the sheer volume of stones and the rain-cooled core of the storm protected the mix on the way down.
A retention basin in Meridian, Idaho filled with floodwater and ice the morning after the severe thunderstorm. (Andruw Sorensen)Hail like this can enhance flooding by backing up storm drains and numerous videos from around Meridian last night showed just that. Meridian’s event was moving forward but when a thunderstorm producing significant amounts of small hail and rain like this parks over an area for a long time, flash flooding can be especially severe.
We don’t have exact data for the thunderstorms that caused the 1903 Heppner flood in Oregon but I think it’s reasonable to assume that that’s what happened in the Blue Mountains upstream of town. The flood that struck Heppner on June 14, 1903 remains the deadliest natural disaster in Oregon history and the second deadliest flash flood in the United States. While these kinds of storms bring significant novelty factor, they should not be taken lightly.
Another notable hail flooding event is recorded in the book Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson. He writes that while the book’s subject, Isaac Cline, was in San Angelo, Texas he observed “an escarpment of water” that was 15-20 feet (4.5-6 meters) high descending the Concho River, taking out a group of three people who had been crossing at the time.
The source of this flood was a mystery until over week later when visitors came into town from upstream and described “a monstrous hailstorm” that “discharged stones the size of ostrich eggs.” In this case, the hail was not a blanket of tiny stones like what was observed in Meridian on Friday evening but it carries the same point – that prolific hail events can lead to destructive flash flooding.
Beyond flooding, huge amounts of small hail like this can also cause crop damage. Several commenters on the Ingalls Weather Facebook page reported damage to plants in backyard gardens despite the small diameter of the stones. Hail that arrives in overwhelming numbers tears at everything it lands on. Immediate consequences include broken stems, ripped off leaves, and beaten or fallen fruit.
Shredded leaves make the plant less able to photosynthesize and these wounds open the door to fungus and insects. Thus, damage and disease can spread after the storm has passed. The toll is dependent on timing as leaf damage is most severe in the spring when plants are tender. A blanket of small hail also lingers, chilling the ground and the base of the plants for hours after the sky clears. Photos show piles of hail remaining around Meridian the morning after the event.
Other recent examples of small hail creating a snow-like blanket on the ground include storms in Marathon, Texas in 2024 and Vicksburg, Michigan in 2019. The high altitude of Colorado’s Front Range cities (Denver, Colorado Springs, etc.) makes them slightly more susceptible to events like this but it still remains a rare phenomenon there.
The featured image was taken during the hail storm in Meridian, Idaho on June 26, 2026. (Tanya Sorensen)
#Boise #Hail #Idaho #idwx #Weather -
The meteorology behind the small hail that blanketed Meridian, Idaho like snow
On Friday evening, a severe thunderstorm moved through the Boise area in southwest Idaho. This storm brought damaging wind that blew a few trees over but the bigger headline was small hail that blanketed nearby Meridian, Idaho in a way that looked like it was several inches of snow.
These types of thunderstorm events are fairly rare in any one location but a few of them occur in the United States and Canada every year. A unique meteorological environment is required to form them including the freezing level, moisture, and wind.
Model estimated upper level conditions in Meridian, Idaho at 21:00 MT Friday. (Ingalls Weather)Ingalls Weather thanks the support it gets from donors. Please consider making a small donation at this link to help me pay for the website and access to premium weather data.
Using model data from around 21:00 MT Friday (when the storm hit), a few of these features stand out. The freezing level was around 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) and above that was a deep layer between -10 and -30ºC across several thousand feet. This is the layer where hail develops. The deeper and colder it is, the better a storm can manufacture hail.
The real key was the shape of the storm’s fuel, though, not just the amount. Meteorologists measure a storm’s potential energy as CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) which essentially tells how hard a rising bubble of air gets pushed upward. What matters for hail isn’t just how much CAPE there is but at what altitude it’s distributed through the atmosphere. It is measured in joules per kilogram (j/kg).
Weather radar image showing the severe thunderstorm moving through Meridian, Idaho at 20:57 Friday. mPING reports and severe thunderstorm warnings shown. (RadarScope)Picture two storms with the same amount of energy but one has it packed into a short, intense burst down low while the other has it stretched thin over a tall vertical column. The first forms a violent updraft that throws a few stones high to grow them into large, damaging hail. The second, which forecasters nickname “tall skinny CAPE”, is gentler.
The Meridian storm had tall skinny CAPE. The energy was modest and spread across a deep layer in the atmosphere, so the updraft was steady rather than explosive. Instead of building a handful of big stones, it acted like a slow ice factory by lofting countless water droplets fast enough to freeze and grow. This produced an enormous number of tiny stones that fell together as a dense, slushy curtain.
The last ingredient was wind. The profile showed winds turning and strengthening steadily with height. This was enough to maintain the storm’s structure and steer it along at about 20 mph (30 km/h). Rather than parking over one spot, the storm laid down a continuous ribbon of hail as it moved across Meridian. The high freezing level would normally melt small hail before it reached the ground but the sheer volume of stones and the rain-cooled core of the storm protected the mix on the way down.
A retention basin in Meridian, Idaho filled with floodwater and ice the morning after the severe thunderstorm. (Andruw Sorensen)Hail like this can enhance flooding by backing up storm drains and numerous videos from around Meridian last night showed just that. Meridian’s event was moving forward but when a thunderstorm producing significant amounts of small hail and rain like this parks over an area for a long time, flash flooding can be especially severe.
We don’t have exact data for the thunderstorms that caused the 1903 Heppner flood in Oregon but I think it’s reasonable to assume that that’s what happened in the Blue Mountains upstream of town. The flood that struck Heppner on June 14, 1903 remains the deadliest natural disaster in Oregon history and the second deadliest flash flood in the United States. While these kinds of storms bring significant novelty factor, they should not be taken lightly.
Another notable hail flooding event is recorded in the book Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson. He writes that while the book’s subject, Isaac Cline, was in San Angelo, Texas he observed “an escarpment of water” that was 15-20 feet (4.5-6 meters) high descending the Concho River, taking out a group of three people who had been crossing at the time.
The source of this flood was a mystery until over week later when visitors came into town from upstream and described “a monstrous hailstorm” that “discharged stones the size of ostrich eggs.” In this case, the hail was not a blanket of tiny stones like what was observed in Meridian on Friday evening but it carries the same point – that prolific hail events can lead to destructive flash flooding.
Beyond flooding, huge amounts of small hail like this can also cause crop damage. Several commenters on the Ingalls Weather Facebook page reported damage to plants in backyard gardens despite the small diameter of the stones. Hail that arrives in overwhelming numbers tears at everything it lands on. Immediate consequences include broken stems, ripped off leaves, and beaten or fallen fruit.
Shredded leaves make the plant less able to photosynthesize and these wounds open the door to fungus and insects. Thus, damage and disease can spread after the storm has passed. The toll is dependent on timing as leaf damage is most severe in the spring when plants are tender. A blanket of small hail also lingers, chilling the ground and the base of the plants for hours after the sky clears. Photos show piles of hail remaining around Meridian the morning after the event.
Other recent examples of small hail creating a snow-like blanket on the ground include storms in Marathon, Texas in 2024 and Vicksburg, Michigan in 2019. The high altitude of Colorado’s Front Range cities (Denver, Colorado Springs, etc.) makes them slightly more susceptible to events like this but it still remains a rare phenomenon there.
The featured image was taken during the hail storm in Meridian, Idaho on June 26, 2026. (Tanya Sorensen)
#Boise #Hail #Idaho #idwx #Weather -
The meteorology behind the small hail that blanketed Meridian, Idaho like snow
On Friday evening, a severe thunderstorm moved through the Boise area in southwest Idaho. This storm brought damaging wind that blew a few trees over but the bigger headline was small hail that blanketed nearby Meridian, Idaho in a way that looked like it was several inches of snow.
These types of thunderstorm events are fairly rare in any one location but a few of them occur in the United States and Canada every year. A unique meteorological environment is required to form them including the freezing level, moisture, and wind.
Model estimated upper level conditions in Meridian, Idaho at 21:00 MT Friday. (Ingalls Weather)Ingalls Weather thanks the support it gets from donors. Please consider making a small donation at this link to help me pay for the website and access to premium weather data.
Using model data from around 21:00 MT Friday (when the storm hit), a few of these features stand out. The freezing level was around 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) and above that was a deep layer between -10 and -30ºC across several thousand feet. This is the layer where hail develops. The deeper and colder it is, the better a storm can manufacture hail.
The real key was the shape of the storm’s fuel, though, not just the amount. Meteorologists measure a storm’s potential energy as CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) which essentially tells how hard a rising bubble of air gets pushed upward. What matters for hail isn’t just how much CAPE there is but at what altitude it’s distributed through the atmosphere. It is measured in joules per kilogram (j/kg).
Weather radar image showing the severe thunderstorm moving through Meridian, Idaho at 20:57 Friday. mPING reports and severe thunderstorm warnings shown. (RadarScope)Picture two storms with the same amount of energy but one has it packed into a short, intense burst down low while the other has it stretched thin over a tall vertical column. The first forms a violent updraft that throws a few stones high to grow them into large, damaging hail. The second, which forecasters nickname “tall skinny CAPE”, is gentler.
The Meridian storm had tall skinny CAPE. The energy was modest and spread across a deep layer in the atmosphere, so the updraft was steady rather than explosive. Instead of building a handful of big stones, it acted like a slow ice factory by lofting countless water droplets fast enough to freeze and grow. This produced an enormous number of tiny stones that fell together as a dense, slushy curtain.
The last ingredient was wind. The profile showed winds turning and strengthening steadily with height. This was enough to maintain the storm’s structure and steer it along at about 20 mph (30 km/h). Rather than parking over one spot, the storm laid down a continuous ribbon of hail as it moved across Meridian. The high freezing level would normally melt small hail before it reached the ground but the sheer volume of stones and the rain-cooled core of the storm protected the mix on the way down.
A retention basin in Meridian, Idaho filled with floodwater and ice the morning after the severe thunderstorm. (Andruw Sorensen)Hail like this can enhance flooding by backing up storm drains and numerous videos from around Meridian last night showed just that. Meridian’s event was moving forward but when a thunderstorm producing significant amounts of small hail and rain like this parks over an area for a long time, flash flooding can be especially severe.
We don’t have exact data for the thunderstorms that caused the 1903 Heppner flood in Oregon but I think it’s reasonable to assume that that’s what happened in the Blue Mountains upstream of town. The flood that struck Heppner on June 14, 1903 remains the deadliest natural disaster in Oregon history and the second deadliest flash flood in the United States. While these kinds of storms bring significant novelty factor, they should not be taken lightly.
Another notable hail flooding event is recorded in the book Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson. He writes that while the book’s subject, Isaac Cline, was in San Angelo, Texas he observed “an escarpment of water” that was 15-20 feet (4.5-6 meters) high descending the Concho River, taking out a group of three people who had been crossing at the time.
The source of this flood was a mystery until over week later when visitors came into town from upstream and described “a monstrous hailstorm” that “discharged stones the size of ostrich eggs.” In this case, the hail was not a blanket of tiny stones like what was observed in Meridian on Friday evening but it carries the same point – that prolific hail events can lead to destructive flash flooding.
Beyond flooding, huge amounts of small hail like this can also cause crop damage. Several commenters on the Ingalls Weather Facebook page reported damage to plants in backyard gardens despite the small diameter of the stones. Hail that arrives in overwhelming numbers tears at everything it lands on. Immediate consequences include broken stems, ripped off leaves, and beaten or fallen fruit.
Shredded leaves make the plant less able to photosynthesize and these wounds open the door to fungus and insects. Thus, damage and disease can spread after the storm has passed. The toll is dependent on timing as leaf damage is most severe in the spring when plants are tender. A blanket of small hail also lingers, chilling the ground and the base of the plants for hours after the sky clears. Photos show piles of hail remaining around Meridian the morning after the event.
Other recent examples of small hail creating a snow-like blanket on the ground include storms in Marathon, Texas in 2024 and Vicksburg, Michigan in 2019. The high altitude of Colorado’s Front Range cities (Denver, Colorado Springs, etc.) makes them slightly more susceptible to events like this but it still remains a rare phenomenon there.
The featured image was taken during the hail storm in Meridian, Idaho on June 26, 2026. (Tanya Sorensen)
#Boise #Hail #Idaho #idwx #Weather -
The meteorology behind the small hail that blanketed Meridian, Idaho like snow
On Friday evening, a severe thunderstorm moved through the Boise area in southwest Idaho. This storm brought damaging wind that blew a few trees over but the bigger headline was small hail that blanketed nearby Meridian, Idaho in a way that looked like it was several inches of snow.
These types of thunderstorm events are fairly rare in any one location but a few of them occur in the United States and Canada every year. A unique meteorological environment is required to form them including the freezing level, moisture, and wind.
Model estimated upper level conditions in Meridian, Idaho at 21:00 MT Friday. (Ingalls Weather)Ingalls Weather thanks the support it gets from donors. Please consider making a small donation at this link to help me pay for the website and access to premium weather data.
Using model data from around 21:00 MT Friday (when the storm hit), a few of these features stand out. The freezing level was around 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) and above that was a deep layer between -10 and -30ºC across several thousand feet. This is the layer where hail develops. The deeper and colder it is, the better a storm can manufacture hail.
The real key was the shape of the storm’s fuel, though, not just the amount. Meteorologists measure a storm’s potential energy as CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) which essentially tells how hard a rising bubble of air gets pushed upward. What matters for hail isn’t just how much CAPE there is but at what altitude it’s distributed through the atmosphere. It is measured in joules per kilogram (j/kg).
Weather radar image showing the severe thunderstorm moving through Meridian, Idaho at 20:57 Friday. mPING reports and severe thunderstorm warnings shown. (RadarScope)Picture two storms with the same amount of energy but one has it packed into a short, intense burst down low while the other has it stretched thin over a tall vertical column. The first forms a violent updraft that throws a few stones high to grow them into large, damaging hail. The second, which forecasters nickname “tall skinny CAPE”, is gentler.
The Meridian storm had tall skinny CAPE. The energy was modest and spread across a deep layer in the atmosphere, so the updraft was steady rather than explosive. Instead of building a handful of big stones, it acted like a slow ice factory by lofting countless water droplets fast enough to freeze and grow. This produced an enormous number of tiny stones that fell together as a dense, slushy curtain.
The last ingredient was wind. The profile showed winds turning and strengthening steadily with height. This was enough to maintain the storm’s structure and steer it along at about 20 mph (30 km/h). Rather than parking over one spot, the storm laid down a continuous ribbon of hail as it moved across Meridian. The high freezing level would normally melt small hail before it reached the ground but the sheer volume of stones and the rain-cooled core of the storm protected the mix on the way down.
A retention basin in Meridian, Idaho filled with floodwater and ice the morning after the severe thunderstorm. (Andruw Sorensen)Hail like this can enhance flooding by backing up storm drains and numerous videos from around Meridian last night showed just that. Meridian’s event was moving forward but when a thunderstorm producing significant amounts of small hail and rain like this parks over an area for a long time, flash flooding can be especially severe.
We don’t have exact data for the thunderstorms that caused the 1903 Heppner flood in Oregon but I think it’s reasonable to assume that that’s what happened in the Blue Mountains upstream of town. The flood that struck Heppner on June 14, 1903 remains the deadliest natural disaster in Oregon history and the second deadliest flash flood in the United States. While these kinds of storms bring significant novelty factor, they should not be taken lightly.
Another notable hail flooding event is recorded in the book Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson. He writes that while the book’s subject, Isaac Cline, was in San Angelo, Texas he observed “an escarpment of water” that was 15-20 feet (4.5-6 meters) high descending the Concho River, taking out a group of three people who had been crossing at the time.
The source of this flood was a mystery until over week later when visitors came into town from upstream and described “a monstrous hailstorm” that “discharged stones the size of ostrich eggs.” In this case, the hail was not a blanket of tiny stones like what was observed in Meridian on Friday evening but it carries the same point – that prolific hail events can lead to destructive flash flooding.
Beyond flooding, huge amounts of small hail like this can also cause crop damage. Several commenters on the Ingalls Weather Facebook page reported damage to plants in backyard gardens despite the small diameter of the stones. Hail that arrives in overwhelming numbers tears at everything it lands on. Immediate consequences include broken stems, ripped off leaves, and beaten or fallen fruit.
Shredded leaves make the plant less able to photosynthesize and these wounds open the door to fungus and insects. Thus, damage and disease can spread after the storm has passed. The toll is dependent on timing as leaf damage is most severe in the spring when plants are tender. A blanket of small hail also lingers, chilling the ground and the base of the plants for hours after the sky clears. Photos show piles of hail remaining around Meridian the morning after the event.
Other recent examples of small hail creating a snow-like blanket on the ground include storms in Marathon, Texas in 2024 and Vicksburg, Michigan in 2019. The high altitude of Colorado’s Front Range cities (Denver, Colorado Springs, etc.) makes them slightly more susceptible to events like this but it still remains a rare phenomenon there.
The featured image was taken during the hail storm in Meridian, Idaho on June 26, 2026. (Tanya Sorensen)
#Boise #Hail #Idaho #idwx #Weather -
The meteorology behind the small hail that blanketed Meridian, Idaho like snow
On Friday evening, a severe thunderstorm moved through the Boise area in southwest Idaho. This storm brought damaging wind that blew a few trees over but the bigger headline was small hail that blanketed nearby Meridian, Idaho in a way that looked like it was several inches of snow.
These types of thunderstorm events are fairly rare in any one location but a few of them occur in the United States and Canada every year. A unique meteorological environment is required to form them including the freezing level, moisture, and wind.
Model estimated upper level conditions in Meridian, Idaho at 21:00 MT Friday. (Ingalls Weather)Ingalls Weather thanks the support it gets from donors. Please consider making a small donation at this link to help me pay for the website and access to premium weather data.
Using model data from around 21:00 MT Friday (when the storm hit), a few of these features stand out. The freezing level was around 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) and above that was a deep layer between -10 and -30ºC across several thousand feet. This is the layer where hail develops. The deeper and colder it is, the better a storm can manufacture hail.
The real key was the shape of the storm’s fuel, though, not just the amount. Meteorologists measure a storm’s potential energy as CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) which essentially tells how hard a rising bubble of air gets pushed upward. What matters for hail isn’t just how much CAPE there is but at what altitude it’s distributed through the atmosphere. It is measured in joules per kilogram (j/kg).
Weather radar image showing the severe thunderstorm moving through Meridian, Idaho at 20:57 Friday. mPING reports and severe thunderstorm warnings shown. (RadarScope)Picture two storms with the same amount of energy but one has it packed into a short, intense burst down low while the other has it stretched thin over a tall vertical column. The first forms a violent updraft that throws a few stones high to grow them into large, damaging hail. The second, which forecasters nickname “tall skinny CAPE”, is gentler.
The Meridian storm had tall skinny CAPE. The energy was modest and spread across a deep layer in the atmosphere, so the updraft was steady rather than explosive. Instead of building a handful of big stones, it acted like a slow ice factory by lofting countless water droplets fast enough to freeze and grow. This produced an enormous number of tiny stones that fell together as a dense, slushy curtain.
The last ingredient was wind. The profile showed winds turning and strengthening steadily with height. This was enough to maintain the storm’s structure and steer it along at about 20 mph (30 km/h). Rather than parking over one spot, the storm laid down a continuous ribbon of hail as it moved across Meridian. The high freezing level would normally melt small hail before it reached the ground but the sheer volume of stones and the rain-cooled core of the storm protected the mix on the way down.
A retention basin in Meridian, Idaho filled with floodwater and ice the morning after the severe thunderstorm. (Andruw Sorensen)Hail like this can enhance flooding by backing up storm drains and numerous videos from around Meridian last night showed just that. Meridian’s event was moving forward but when a thunderstorm producing significant amounts of small hail and rain like this parks over an area for a long time, flash flooding can be especially severe.
We don’t have exact data for the thunderstorms that caused the 1903 Heppner flood in Oregon but I think it’s reasonable to assume that that’s what happened in the Blue Mountains upstream of town. The flood that struck Heppner on June 14, 1903 remains the deadliest natural disaster in Oregon history and the second deadliest flash flood in the United States. While these kinds of storms bring significant novelty factor, they should not be taken lightly.
Another notable hail flooding event is recorded in the book Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson. He writes that while the book’s subject, Isaac Cline, was in San Angelo, Texas he observed “an escarpment of water” that was 15-20 feet (4.5-6 meters) high descending the Concho River, taking out a group of three people who had been crossing at the time.
The source of this flood was a mystery until over week later when visitors came into town from upstream and described “a monstrous hailstorm” that “discharged stones the size of ostrich eggs.” In this case, the hail was not a blanket of tiny stones like what was observed in Meridian on Friday evening but it carries the same point – that prolific hail events can lead to destructive flash flooding.
Beyond flooding, huge amounts of small hail like this can also cause crop damage. Several commenters on the Ingalls Weather Facebook page reported damage to plants in backyard gardens despite the small diameter of the stones. Hail that arrives in overwhelming numbers tears at everything it lands on. Immediate consequences include broken stems, ripped off leaves, and beaten or fallen fruit.
Shredded leaves make the plant less able to photosynthesize and these wounds open the door to fungus and insects. Thus, damage and disease can spread after the storm has passed. The toll is dependent on timing as leaf damage is most severe in the spring when plants are tender. A blanket of small hail also lingers, chilling the ground and the base of the plants for hours after the sky clears. Photos show piles of hail remaining around Meridian the morning after the event.
Other recent examples of small hail creating a snow-like blanket on the ground include storms in Marathon, Texas in 2024 and Vicksburg, Michigan in 2019. The high altitude of Colorado’s Front Range cities (Denver, Colorado Springs, etc.) makes them slightly more susceptible to events like this but it still remains a rare phenomenon there.
The featured image was taken during the hail storm in Meridian, Idaho on June 26, 2026. (Tanya Sorensen)
#Boise #Hail #Idaho #idwx #Weather
