239
FXUS65 KPIH 081856
AFDPIH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
1156 AM MST THU JAN 8 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- LIGHT SNOW LINGERING THROUGH TOMORROW
- HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS BRINGING MOSTLY DRY WEATHER NEXT WEEK
- GUSTY WINDS DIE DOWN THROUGH THE REST OF TODAY
SHORT TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/
ISSUED AT 1144 AM MST THU JAN 8 2026
WE CONTINUE TO WATCH SNOW SHIFTING ACROSS THE I-15 CORRIDOR AND
INTO THE EASTERN AND SOUTHEAST HIGHLANDS THIS AFTERNOON. FOR THE
REST OF TODAY AND TOMORROW, A FEW SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED
ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS, EASTERN AND SOUTHEAST
HIGHLANDS. THERE COULD BE A COUPLE OF SHORT PERIODS WHERE WE
GET LIGHT UPSLOPE SNOW FROM POCATELLO THROUGH REXBURG, BUT THAT
MAY END UP BEING NOTHING MORE THAN SOME FLURRIES. WE DO HAVE
SOME WIND OUT THERE, BUT THAT CONTINUES TO DECREASE INTO THIS
EVENING. THE STRONGEST WILL REMAIN ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE MAGIC
VALLEY SOUTH INTO THE SOUTH HILLS AND ALBION MOUNTAINS. WE WILL
KEEP THE WIND ADVISORY OUT THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON. ELSEWHERE,
THE WIND HAS BEEN STRONG ENOUGH TO CREATE SOME SLICK SPOTS AND
BLOWING/DRIFTING CONDITIONS. THERE WILL BE SOME LINGER POCKETS
OF STRONGER GUSTS TONIGHT AND FRIDAY, BUT NOTHING TOO STRONG. IT
STILL MIGHT BE ENOUGH THOUGH FOR LIMITED BLOWING AND DRIFTING
SNOW. THE POTENTIAL OF FOG IS THERE, ALTHOUGH THE BLEND OF
MODELS REALLY HAS NOTHING FOR TONIGHT AND A BETTER POTENTIAL
TOMORROW NIGHT. WE DID GO AHEAD AND INCLUDE PATCHY FOG ACROSS
MOST OF THE SNAKE PLAIN AND MAGIC VALLEY AND TOWARD MONIDA PASS
AND ISLAND PARK TONIGHT. WE HAVE MORE WIDESPREAD FOG TOMORROW
NIGHT WHICH INCLUDES THE TETON VALLEY AND OTHER VALLEYS ACROSS
THE EASTERN AND SOUTHEAST HIGHLANDS. WE ALSO SUSPECT THERE
COULD BE SOME FOG IN THE STANLEY BASIN BOTH NIGHTS, AND WENT
AHEAD WITH INCLUDING THAT IN THE FORECAST. IT MAY END UP THAT
THERE IS TOO MUCH MIXING OUT THERE TO ALLOW ANYTHING TO FORM,
AND LIGHTER WINDS TOMORROW NIGHT ARE MORE FAVORABLE FOR THAT TO
OCCUR.
LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
ISSUED AT 1144 AM MST THU JAN 8 2026
DRY AND MORE TRANQUIL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE WEEKEND AND
INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE
REGION. THIS SHOULD LEAD TO QUIET WEATHER ACROSS EASTERN IDAHO WITH
THE ONLY CONCERN BEING THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME VALLEY INVERSIONS AND
MAYBE SOME PATCHY FOG IN AREAS WITH SNOWPACK AND/OR MELTING SNOW
KEEPING THE LOWER LEVELS MOIST. TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE GRADUALLY
THROUGH MID-WEEK WITH MOSTLY DRY WEATHER PREVAILING, THROUGH SOME
OCCASIONAL PRECIP CHANCES APPEAR POSSIBLE MAINLY ALONG THE DIVIDE
AND OVER TOWARDS ISLAND PARK AS SOME LIMITED MOISTURE MAY BE ABLE TO
MOVE ON THE NORTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE. MOST OF THE MOISTURE
LOOKS TO STAY NORTH OF THE REGION HOWEVER BASED ON RECENT MODEL
TRENDS SO THESE POP CHANCES WOULD BE RATHER LOW. TEMPERATURES WILL
REMAIN ON THE WARM SIDE OF NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD, BY AROUND 5
DEGREES FOR THE WEEKEND, BUT WARM CLOSER TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL
BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AS THIS GENERALLY MILD WINTER CONTINUES
ACROSS EASTERN IDAHO.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/
ISSUED AT 1039 AM MST THU JAN 8 2026
EASTERN IDAHO TERMINALS WILL SEE MAINLY MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS
INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON DUE TO SNOW AND LOW CIGS, WITH THE
GREATEST IMPACTS AT KPIH, KIDA AND KDIJ WHERE VISIBILITIES IN
THE SHORT TERM MAY BRIEFLY FALL TO 1-3SM WHILE CIGS REMAIN IN
THE 008-015 RANGE. SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS AROUND 15-25 KTS IN
THE VALLEY AIRPORTS COULD LEAD TO SOME BLOWING SNOW AS WELL AS
SOME LOCALIZED TURBULENCE. PRECIPITATION SHOULD BEGIN TO
DIMINISH LATER THIS EVENING THOUGH THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME MVFR
CIGS AND PATCHY BR MAY PERSIST INTO THE DAY TOMORROW (ESPECIALLY
AT KPIH, KIDA AND KDIJ) WITH LINGERING LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE IN
PLACE. CONFIDENCE IN THIS IS PRETTY LOW AT THE PRESENT TIME
HOWEVER SO IT'LL BE SOMETHING TO WATCH. VFR CONDITIONS LIKELY TO
BE IN PLACE BY THE SECOND HALF OF THE DAY TOMORROW WITH WINDS
SLOWLY WEAKENING AS WE MOVE INTO THE DAY ON FRIDAY BUT THE
AFOREMENTIONED CIGS AND BR COULD PROVE TROUBLESOME AT TIMES.
PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR IDZ055>057.
SHORT TERM...KEYES
LONG TERM...MCKAUGHAN
AVIATION...MCKAUGHAN
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