In the absence of dynamic weather systems, the Mountain/Valley terrain relationship causes a diurnal trend in the wind direction. Wind direction regime of the Treasure Valley and the city of Boise is a direct result of the northwest to southeast orientation of the Treasure Valley and the mountain ranges that border it. The Valley and the surrounding agricultural land is heavily dependent on irrigation, with this moisture playing a role in modifying the local climate of the Valley to some extent. A large variety of native and non-native trees thrive in the Boise River Basin. Native vegetation consists primarily of sagebrush, sparse desert grasses and other Great Basin Flora. Local sources of surface water are the Boise River meandering through the city and the Snake River 20 miles to the south. The effect from all these Mountain ranges is to make Boise and the Treasure Valley semi-arid with relatively mild winters for its northern location. In addition, the Rocky Mountains to the east act as a barrier to cold shallow air masses moving southward from Canada in winter. The result is that these air masses are considerably drier once they reach Southwest Idaho. The Cascade and Blue Mountain Ranges in Oregon and Washington modify Pacific Maritime air masses as they move east to the Treasure Valley and the city of Boise. The river basin and its reservoir storage areas at Lucky Peak and Arrow Rock Dams are an important source of irrigation water for the area and provide abundant recreation opportunities. The Boise River flows through Downtown Boise from east to west continuing through the Treasure Valley to a confluence with the Snake River at the Idaho Oregon State line. The elevation difference between these valley endpoints is 850 feet. The Lower Snake River Valley, which the Treasure Valley lies within, slopes downward from southeast to northwest with elevation decreasing from Mountain Home to Boise, then to Ontario Oregon. The highest peaks in these ranges are 8,000 feet MSL. The valley is rimmed by the Boise Mountains to the north and the Owyhee Range to the southwest. The metropolitan area lies in a narrow part of the Lower Snake River Valley, approximately 40 miles wide oriented in a Northwest to Southeast direction. Airport elevation is 2871 feet MSL while that of the surrounding city varies from 2500 feet to 2850 feet MSL. This is the location of the ASOS (Automated Surface Observation System) at the west end of the field on the approach to runway 10R 28L. The Boise Air Terminal known as Gowen Field is centered at 43 33.86’N Latitude 116 13.37’W Longitude. The City of Boise is located in the Treasure Valley which is a part of the larger Snake River Valley of Southern Idaho.
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