Idaho
East Idaho winter hits pause again, but snow season is far from over – East Idaho News
POCATELLO — While eastern Idaho received some much-needed and anticipated snowfall at the beginning of the month, the wintry conditions appear to have been short-lived. Much of the region is once again seeing bare ground and warmer-than-average temperatures.
However, despite a slow start to winter, forecasters and water managers concur: “We’re not doomed yet.” It is still too early to draw solid conclusions about the overall winter or water year.
Dry and mild winter pattern continues
According to meteorologist Andrew McKaughan at the National Weather Service office in Pocatello, weather models are showing little to no chance of precipitation for at least the next two weeks.
“Unless something drastically changes, we’re seeing zero chance of precipitation for at least the next week and a half, maybe longer,” McKaughan said. “High and low temperatures will be about 10 degrees above normal, with few exceptions.”
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Over the next week and into the extended forecast period, east Idaho can expect mostly dry and relatively mild winter weather. High pressure will keep skies mainly sunny to partly cloudy, with daytime highs generally in the upper 30s to low 40s and overnight lows mainly in the teens to low 20s.
While patchy morning fog may develop at times as temperatures cool overnight, McKaughan said precipitation is not expected through much of the forecast period.
Toward the latter part of the outlook, there may be limited chances for light snow or mixed precipitation, though no major storms are currently forecast.
McKaughan, who moved to east Idaho from Florida and has been forecasting weather in the region for the past six years, said this winter stands out.
“This is the strangest winter I’ve seen so far,” he said.
However, McKaughan emphasized that despite the lack of snow, the region is not dry, saying, “Much of the precipitation this winter has fallen as rain, leaving soil moisture levels high, which is an important factor heading into spring.”
What’s the water outlook?
Craig Chandler, water manager for Water District 1, said this year’s water outlook is shaped by two competing dynamics: low physical water storage entering the season, but high overall precipitation, much of it in the form of rain.
Water District 1 encompasses the Upper Snake River Basin, located above American Falls Reservoir, including the Snake River and its tributaries, such as the Henrys Fork, Teton, Falls, Blackfoot, and Portneuf river systems.
In a recent report provided to EastIdahoNews.com, Chandler said the Upper Snake River reservoir system is currently holding approximately 1.9 million acre-feet and is 47% full. Storage is well below average and about 570,000 acre-feet lower than at this time last year.
Since Oct. 1, 2025, precipitation accumulation for the Snake River above Milner is 134% of the median to date, a strong start to the season. However, unusually warm temperatures — with several records broken — have caused a larger share of that precipitation to fall as rain rather than snow.
As a result, soil moisture is around 130% of average for the Snake above Milner.
Snow accumulation has lagged behind precipitation totals but remains above average in key areas, according to Chandler. Current snow water equivalent (SWE) is:
- 129% for the Snake above Heise
- 103% for the Henrys Fork–Teton
- 80% for the Willow Creek–Blackfoot–Portneuf
Chandler explained that because the majority of system runoff is generated from the Snake above Heise, that basin remains the primary driver of spring inflows.
Reservoir priorities and what comes next
Chandler said the April–June runoff will likely need to be well above average for the system to have a realistic chance of filling. While conditions are favorable from a precipitation standpoint so far, the region is only about halfway through the snow accumulation season.
Although SWE above Heise is currently 129% of average for this date, it is still just 54% of its typical seasonal peak, leaving room for additional accumulation.
The American Falls 1921 storage right is currently a priority and is expected to remain so through the remainder of winter. Whether it completely fills will depend on spring runoff, though probabilities favor a complete or near-complete fill due to its senior priority.
Fill into more junior storage accounts — Island Park (1935), Palisades (1939), and Ririe (1969) — is less certain. If runoff is low, it remains possible these accounts could receive little to no new fill.
Meanwhile, Jackson Lake’s 1910 and Henrys Lake’s 1917 storage water rights are currently accruing all inflows under their senior priorities. Jackson Lake’s 1910 account is likely to fill completely, while the 1913 account will depend on runoff. Lake Walcott, Palisades Winter Water Savings, and Island Park Winter Water Savings storage rights have already filled.
“This winter could turn into a bad scenario, but we’re only halfway there,” Chandler concluded. “Overall, with three months of weather yet to go, it remains too early to predict the water supply for the region.”
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BOISE, Idaho — Idaho lawmakers have introduced legislation that would phase out state funding for the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs while keeping the commission in place.
The proposal, introduced by Rep. Jeff Ehlers, would gradually eliminate general fund support for the commission by July 1, 2028. The commission would continue to operate but would need to rely on private funding.
Rep. Ehlers told the House Revenue and Taxation Committee on Thursday that the proposal came from recommendations by Idaho’s DOGE Task Force, which reviewed government programs and spending.
READ MORE | Idaho DOGE Task Force recommends defunding Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs
The bill would also eliminate the commission from a list of organizations eligible for a state income tax charitable contribution credit.
Rep. Steve Berch questioned why the legislation would remove both state funding and the tax credit option, saying it could make it more difficult for the commission to raise money.
“I hate to use this word, but I’m really offended by this specific effort to make it that much more difficult for private citizens to be able to contribute to the Hispanic commission,” Rep. Berch said in committee. “I don’t think this can be justified from a financial point of view, and quite frankly, I don’t think it can be justified from a moral point of view.”
In response, Rep. Jason Monks said that it would be more “offensive” to not allow further discussion of the bill before a final decision is made.
The proposal comes after an earlier attempt this session to eliminate the commission entirely. In January, Rep. Heather Scott presented a draft bill that would have removed all references to the commission from Idaho law and dissolved it by July 1, but that measure failed to advance out of committee.
The committee ultimately voted on Thursday to introduce the legislation, allowing it to be printed and advanced for further debate.
This story has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Shanea Fulks is the owner of Seven Sisters Closet Revival, a new consignment store at 260 South Woodruff in Idaho Falls. Take a look inside in the video above. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com
Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.
BIZ BUZZ
IDAHO FALLS
New consignment shop in Idaho Falls offers vintage clothes for customers and booth space for sellers
IDAHO FALLS – Curating vintage clothing is Shanea Fulks’s passion, and she’s sharing it with the community through a new business venture.
Seven Sisters Closet Revival opens Saturday at 260 South Woodruff inside Parkwood Plaza in Idaho Falls. It offers racks of vintage clothes for customers and booth space for others to sell their items.
“You get a rack with shelves, and you can come in throughout the week and sell things,” Fulks tells EastIdahoNews.com. “The things you’ll see in the middle of the store are pieces that I have curated. I hand-pick all the things I bring to the store.”
See some of the items in the video above.
Fulks says she’s had multiple people walk in already who are excited about the shop.
The store will have a grand opening this weekend. Fulks is partnering with the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon-cutting and open house at noon on Friday. A local band will be performing during the event.
Then on Saturday, a grand opening celebration will begin at 2 p.m. Several vendors and live entertainment will be available. Fulks says she’s looking forward to interacting with the community.
Fulks has been selling items from her personal collection online for years. After helping a mother and daughter find a formal dress during an interaction at another shop in town several years ago, Fulks says she realized there was a need for a store like this.
After about a year of working with real estate agents, Fulks says the Parkwood Plaza space formerly occupied by a beauty salon called Blush became available, and it was an ideal fit.
“It’s just been a whirlwind and we’re just trying to get it going,” says Fulks.
Fulks’ interest in fashion stems back to childhood. She lost her dad and stepdad to suicide at a young age and grew up in a household that struggled to make ends meet. As a result, she says they bought clothes at Goodwill and other secondhand stores.
She remembers being made fun of because of the clothes she wore. In time, she learned to embrace her uniqueness and developed an interest in vintage clothes.
“I’ve just always been attracted to old sweaters, military jackets (her dad served in Vietnam),” Fulks says. “I like to help people feel confident wearing something unique, even if it’s not trendy. Be bold and wear whatever you want.”
The idea of making the most of your circumstances and embracing who you are is inspired by her experience with suicide, and it’s reflected in the art that’s on display in her store.
“Part of the theme in my store is ‘Stay. We need you,’” she says.
The business name refers to her family. She comes from a blended family of six girls and four boys. When she and her husband were married, they had a daughter — the seventh sister.
Fulks says she’s looking forward to offering great deals to customers. She has two sons with autism who love art, and she wants to host art-themed events for people with special needs. She’d also like to host tea parties and other events in the future.
“I want people to come and feel like they belong,” she says. “I’m going to allow people to do karaoke. When you’re here, I want you to feel like you can have fun.”
Seven Sisters Closet Revival will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
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Gov. Brad Little has signed House Bill 533, which would remove the need for license plate stickers on Idaho vehicles.
The legislation, introduced earlier this session by Rep. Jon Weber (R) of Boise, eliminates the requirement for registration stickers on Idaho license plates. Weber stated during the bills intorduction that officers can verify the status of license plates without the stickers, potentially saving the state around $300,000.
During the bill’s introduction, some lawmakers argued that it could increase the workload for law enforcement.
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The new law is set to take effect in July.
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