Boise's "Heat Burst" Melts Another Sweltering Weather Record

It may have been a cool 72º inside our studio this morning, but as we watched the skies get dark and the winds pick-up, we had no idea what was brewing outside.

According to the National Weather Service in Boise, the showers that blew through the Treasure Valley during the early hours of the morning commute created something called a "heat burst." The American Meteorological Society's "Glossary of Meteorology" defines a heat burst as:

"Localized, sudden increase in surface temperature associated with a thunderstorm, shower, or mesoscale convective system, often accompanied by extreme drying."

This weather event is sometimes known as a "heat thunderstorm" and can lead to a sudden temperature jump. That's exactly what happened in Boise this morning. Thanks to the "heat burst," Boise hit a new max hourly temperature for the 7 a.m. hour when we peaked at 91º. The previous record was 87.1º set in July, 2005. Isolated thunderstorms are possible again tomorrow morning before noon.

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While we may have shattered a sweltering record this morning, we are getting a break from the triple digit temperatures this week. The highest temperature in the National Weather Service's seven day forecast for Boise is 99º on Friday and Sunday.

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So far this summer, we've experienced 13 days of 100º+ degrees and tied the record for the most consecutive days of triple digit temperatures. That record stands at nine.