Weather for Sun Valley, Ketchum, and Hailey, Idaho
When I set out to enjoy extended time in the high desert mountain towns of Sun Valley, Ketchum, and Hailey, Idaho, I knew there would be extreme weather.
However, I didn’t know it would take me months to find weather resources that could accurately report on the unique weather in such an area—winter, spring, summer, and autumn.
But I found them. I found weather links that seem most reliable when it comes to reporting on such rapidly changing weather—links I want to sear into my memory.
So I’m going to save them here.
Because nobody should spend a good chunk of their precious life trying to grasp the weather in this region, only to throw up their hands and believe it doesn’t seem predictable at all.
We need to know the weather. We must dress for the weather. So we don’t die in the weather.
For instance, this has been today’s weather:
woke to frozen tundra (and more moose droppings, nearby elk, and cougar stories)
bright sunshine
blue sky
light snow (somehow through a still sunny blue sky)
a snow blizzard
bright sunshine
blue sky
another snow blizzard
bright sunshine
blue sky
gray overcast
it will freeze even colder soon
avalanche danger has been considerable
the towns are preparing for floods
And to give an idea of how cold it was on this morning’s trek, by the time I walked four blocks my fingertips were frozen under two pairs of gloves.
Last spring was wet and green, the hot summer stretched to about three months (one month was filled with wildfire smoke), and gorgeous autumn seemed to last a week—maybe two.
Years ago, my first winter here was filled with sunshine, blue sky, dry air, and just enough snow to coat everything pretty. Skiers like to say it didn’t snow that year (it did!).
That winter, -4 Fahrenheit felt comfortable while walking around town. I love how dry air does that—makes cold temperatures seem so easy to enjoy.
That lovely weather also made me want to walk all throughout these mountain towns that entire winter, which is such a fun way to spend winter in these parts.
But this winter, it’s been snowing for nearly six months. It started snowing in the autumn, and it’s still snowing in the spring, so I’m still calling it winter.
Also, wet snow seems to have appeared far more than usual, with less sun. I didn’t anticipate that reality when I prepared to enjoy these high desert mountains.
I was counting on ‘sunny and dry.’
Because of this, and because temperatures remained closer to 0 Fahrenheit for most of this autumn/winter/spring, I’ve been dreaming of Arizona, Hawaii, and New Zealand.
But I can’t because I’m trying to be climate-friendly and spend months in one location, not weeks. I will wait out this weather before I escape.
So below, I’m imprinting my tried and true secret weather weapons, which I think reveal the most accurate weather in Sun Valley, Ketchum, and Hailey, ID. For I will be back to enjoy more.
Hourly Weather | The Hourly Weather Report
I’ve found that I cannot trust the daily overview weather reports, as they are not an accurate picture of all that can happen throughout each day. Instead, I have great luck relying on the hourly weather report details. These links seem the most accurate to me:
Ketchum | Road and Town Webcams
I love these road and town cams, so I can compare the road conditions vs. the weather conditions. They will not always match (roads can be cleared quicker), but they can both be true at the same time, so they give me a more complete picture.
Sun Valley | Resort Webcams
Sun Valley resort cams cover the resort areas, including Dollar Mountain in Sun Valley and Bald Mountain in Ketchum (which is run by Sun Valley Co.). I find these super helpful to assess the whole weather picture.
Hailey Friedman Airport (SUN) | Runway Webcams
I find these airport cams so helpful to assess the extended whole weather picture. I’ve notified the airport when they’re down, and they’ve come back online.
Sawtooth | Avalanche Center
The Sawtooth Avalanche Center shares vital winter weather warnings for this region—including the parts of each town that can be impacted by avalanche risk. I think it is so wise to view this daily whenever winter weather appears (or is still lingering in the mountains).