565  
FXUS65 KPIH 212101  
AFDPIH  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID  
201 PM MST SAT DEC 21 2024  
   
SHORT TERM
 
TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT.  
A WEAK UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE WILL PASS TO THE NORTH OVERNIGHT  
TONIGHT AND EXPECT LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS MAINLY IN THE CENTRAL  
MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN MOUNTAINS THROUGH SUNRISE. ONLY IN THE RANGE  
OF A HALF INCH TO UP TO 3 INCHES EXPECTED. A SECOND WAVE WILL  
BRING RAIN AND SNOW INTO THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS AND SNAKE RIVER  
PLAIN SPREADING INTO THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW  
LEVELS WILL BE AROUND 6 THOUSAND FEET TO 6500 FEET. SO ALL RAIN IN  
THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN AND A COUPLE OF INCHES OF SNOW THROUGH  
SUNDAY NIGHT IN THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS. HIGH IMPACTS NOT EXPECTED  
BUT COULD SEE SOME SNOW COVERED ROADS AT TIMES IN HIGH ELEVATIONS  
IN THOSE EASTERN MOUNTAINS. LOWS TONIGHT MAINLY 20S AND 30S WITH  
SOME TEENS IN MOUNTAIN VALLEYS. HIGHS SUNDAY IN THE 30S MOUNTAINS  
TO 40S VALLEYS AND LOWS SUNDAY NIGHT 20S MOUNTAINS AND 30S  
VALLEYS. SIGNIFICANT WINDS ARE NOT EXPECTED IN THE SHORT TERM  
PERIOD.  
GK  
   
LONG TERM
 
MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. ACTIVE PATTERN CONTINUES  
THROUGH THE ENTIRE EXTENDED PERIOD, WITH SERIES OF SHORTWAVE TROUGHS  
BRINGING PERIODS OF PRECIPITATION TO EAST IDAHO. MAIN PERIODS OF  
IMPACT APPEAR TO BE MONDAY, CHRISTMAS EVE NIGHT/EARLY CHRISTMAS DAY,  
THURSDAY, AND THEN A PAIR OF SYSTEMS FOR THE WEEKEND. EACH SYSTEM IS  
PROGRESSIVE, NOT VERY AMPLIFIED, AND NOT EXTREMELY IMPACTFUL AS FAR  
AS QPF/SNOW AMOUNTS, EVEN FOR HIGHER ELEVATIONS. OVERALL SNOW  
AMOUNTS ESPECIALLY FOR VALLEY FLOORS WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON  
TEMPERATURES, AS DAYTIME TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE  
FREEZING. THUS LEADING TO EITHER RAIN OR A RAIN/SNOW MIX. AS FAR AS  
HAVING A WHITE CHRISTMAS, THE NBM FAVORS LESS THAN AN INCH OF  
ACCUMULATION FOR THAT PARTICULAR SYSTEM FOR ANY LOCATION UNDER  
APPROXIMATELY 6500 FEET ELEVATION. ENSEMBLE CLUSTERS INDICATE SOME  
POTENTIAL OF THOSE AMOUNTS CREEPING SLIGHTLY HIGHER, SO THERE IS  
STILL A POSSIBILITY, BUT AGAIN THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF VARIABILITY  
IN THE DETAILS. DMH  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
SHORTWAVE FEATURE MOVING ACROSS IDAHO TODAY AND TONIGHT.  
A FEW -SHSN WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING, FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER ROUND  
SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH MID-DAY, ALONG WITH CIGS FALLING TO MVFR.  
CAN'T COMPLETELY RULE OUT -SN FOR ANY PARTICULAR TERMINAL, BUT TRIED  
TO PAINT VCSH WHERE BEST CHANCES SHOULD OCCUR. WHERE -SN IS ABLE TO  
REACH THE GROUND, CIGS COULD FALL AS LOW AS IFR. EAST IDAHO SHOULD  
SEE A BREAK IN PRECIP WITH SOME CIG IMPROVEMENT AFTERNOON TO EARLY  
EVENING, BUT EXPECT MOISTURE INCREASE THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT WITH NEXT  
ROUND OF -SN ARRIVING. DMH  
 

 
   
PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NONE.  

 
 

 
 
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