Snowpocalypse Flashbacks Hit Boise Social Media; December 2025 vs 2016 Reality Check

It’s 2025 and we’re in denial, but that means that Snowpocalypse happened nearly a decade ago. If we’re being honest, most of us remember how that winter ended, but not how it started. That’s why some viral social media claims had us wondering…is history repeating itself? 

Over the last few months, we’ve shared plenty of long-range forecasts for the upcoming winter. Quite frankly, they’re all over the place. The soon-to-be defunct Farmer’s Almanac predicts that Idaho is in for an exceptionally frigid winter and impressive snowfall totals. The rival Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a winter with above-normal precipitation but warmer-than-normal temperatures. Actual meteorologists at AccuWeather predict a snowier than average winter for Idaho north of Weiser. 

MORE: 15 Frigid Winter Weather Facts to Scare Someone Out of Moving to Boise

Long range forecasts are hard to believe and any time we’ve shared them on social media they’ve been met with skepticism. However, one comment stuck out to us: 

We had this sort of warm weather right before Snowpocalypse. It’s happening all over again.

Without being overly dramatic, 2016 seems like a lifetime ago so the claim sent us looking through old NOAA records to see what the weather actually looked like before Snowpocalypse buried Boise. 

So How Does December 2016 Really Compare to December 2025?

By mid-December 2016, Boise was already locked into a chilly pattern. Highs were frequently stuck in the 20s and low 30s with overnight lows dipping into the teens and even single digits. While it wasn’t crippling, there were several days where Boise saw almost two inches of new snowfall BEFORE Snowpocalypse began on December 23. 

Get our free mobile app

December 2025? While it started out with lows below freezing, it’s been relatively mild. Highs have been in the upper 40s, mid-50s and even hit 63 degrees on December 11. And while there have been some wet days there’s been no measurable snowfall this month. 

So when you look back? Snowpocalypse didn’t come out of nowhere. The warning signs were already there in December 2016. Colder days, snow that actually stuck and very few warm stretches.

That’s not what December 2025 has looked like so far. Instead, we’ve had cold mornings followed by warm days. Snow hasn’t had a chance to pile up. Black ice hasn’t derailed the morning commute. Could things change later on? Let’s not kid ourselves. It’s Idaho. Winter has a mind of its own. 

But based on what the weather actually looked like immediately before Snowpocalypse? This is far from a replay, even if social media thinks so.