294
FXUS65 KPIH 280526
AFDPIH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
1026 PM MST TUE JAN 27 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- WEAK SYSTEM TOMORROW COULD BRING SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS
TO PARTS OF EASTERN IDAHO
- WARMING TREND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND, WITH LITTLE
SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION IN SIGHT
- REBUILDING RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE COULD PROVIDE RENEWED BOUTS
OF LOW CLOUDS AND FOG AT TIMES THIS COMING WEEK. CONFIDENCE IN
THIS IS LOW THOUGH.
SHORT TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/
ISSUED AT 114 PM MST TUE JAN 27 2026
AMPLE SUNSHINE IN PLACE ACROSS EASTERN IDAHO THIS AFTERNOON WITH
HIGH PRESSURE IN PLACE ALTHOUGH THINGS WILL CHANGE OVER THE NEXT 12-
24 HOURS AS THE RIDGE IS QUICKLY REPLACED BY A FAST MOVING SHORTWAVE
MOVING INTO THE PACNW THIS AFTERNOON. CLOUDS AND MOISTURE ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS FEATURE WILL MOVE QUICKLY TOWARDS THE REGION DURING THE
LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. PROBABLY THE BIGGEST FORECAST
CHANGE WILL BE THE INCREASE IN POPS THROUGHOUT THE AREA COMPARED TO
A MERE 24 HOURS AGO. HI-RES CAMS CONTINUE TO SHOW A BIT MORE
MOISTURE EXPECTED WITH THIS SHORTWAVE THAN WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY
FORECAST AND NOW IT APPEARS THAT SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL
BE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH THIS FEATURE. MAIN FOCUS WILL BE
ACROSS THE EASTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN HIGHLANDS WHERE A QUICK 1-2
INCHES ARE NOW FORECAST WITH A DUSTING TO MAYBE HALF AN INCH OR SO
IN MUCH OF THE SNAKE PLAIN. THIS WILL BE A FAST-MOVING FEATURE WITH
THE ONSET OF PRECIP BEGINNING IN THE AM AND SHOULD BE OUT OF THE
AREA BY LATE EVENING TOMORROW. AS SUCH, IT'S NOT A HIGH IMPACT
SYSTEM BUT SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS CERTAINLY SEEM FEASIBLE WHICH
WASN'T THE CASE JUST A DAY OR TWO AGO. TEMPERATURES REMAIN AROUND
SEASONAL LEVELS TODAY AND TOMORROW, THE EXCEPTION TO THIS BEING
AROUND THE STANLEY BASIN WHERE THINGS CONTINUE TO RUN WELL BELOW
GUIDANCE AND HAS BEEN ADJUSTED DOWNWARD, ACCORDINGLY. IN THE WAKE OF
THE QUICK MOVING TROUGH, HIGH PRESSURE AGAIN LOOKS TO TAKE CONTROL
WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS LIKELY IN THE EXTENDED. MORE ON THAT
BELOW.
LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/
ISSUED AT 114 PM MST TUE JAN 27 2026
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE BUILDING BACK IN OVER EASTERN IDAHO ON
THURSDAY BEHIND THE WEAK SHORTWAVE ON WEDNESDAY. THERE MAY STILL
BE SOME LIGHT SNOW LINGERING IN PARTS OF THE EASTERN HIGHLANDS
EARLY THURSDAY, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE LITTLE IF ANY ACCUMULATION BY
THAT POINT. TEMPERATURES WILL BE GRADUALLY WARMING AS WE END THE
WEEK AND GO THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH HIGHS RANGING FROM MID 30S
TO MID 40S BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND MOST INTO THE 40S IF NOT
PUSHING CLOSER TO 50 BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. IN FACT, THE NBM SHOWS
ABOUT A 50 TO 60 PERCENT CHANCE OF POCATELLO EXCEEDING 50
DEGREES ON SUNDAY AND SHOWS A 70 TO 90 PERCENT CHANCE OF HIGHS
EXCEEDING 50 DEGREES FROM ROCKLAND TO BURLEY TO MALTA. ANOTHER
WEAK SHORTWAVE COMPRESSES THE RIDGE EVER SO SLIGHTLY LATE FRIDAY
INTO SATURDAY, BUT THAT LOOKS TO ONLY TRANSLATE INTO SOME LIGHT
SNOW FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND
EASTERN HIGHLANDS ONCE AGAIN BEFORE HIGH PRESSURE IS SOLIDLY
BACK IN PLACE FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND. HIGHS WILL DROP JUST
A COUPLE OF DEGREES EARLY NEXT WEEK AS YET ANOTHER WEAK
SHORTWAVE PASSES THROUGH THE AREA, BUT THIS ONE AGAIN LOOKS TO
JUST BRING LIGHT SNOW TO OUR MOUNTAINS AND LITTLE TO NO
PRECIPITATION ELSEWHERE. WE WILL KEEP AN EYE ON THESE SHORTWAVES
AS THE NBM SEEMS TO NOT HAVE THE BEST HANDLE ON THESE UNTIL
ALMOST 24 HOURS BEFOREHAND.
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/
ISSUED AT 1010 PM MST TUE JAN 27 2026
UPPER LEVEL WAVE MOVING THROUGH IDAHO ON WEDNESDAY AND EXPECT
SOME SNOW TO DEVELOP LATE MORNING THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON AND
HAVE PROB30 GROUPS AT PIH, IDA, BYI AND SUN BEGINNING IN THE 16
THROUGH 20Z TIME FRAME WITH MVFR CEILINGS AT LEAST A
POSSIBILITY AND KEPT THE CEILINGS AT IDA AND PIH THROUGH 06Z
BUT HAVE BYI VFR. WENT WITH PREDOMINANT SNOW AT DIJ AT 21Z AND
VISIBILITY BETWEEN 3 AND 5 MILES THROUGH 06Z. DROPPED CEILINGS
TO IFR BY 04Z. EXPECT AROUND 10 KNOT UP VALLEY WINDS AT BYI, PIH
AND IDA ON WEDNESDAY.
PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NONE.
SHORT TERM...MCKAUGHAN
LONG TERM...AMM
AVIATION...GK
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