489
FXUS65 KPIH 281212
AFDPIH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
512 AM MST WED JAN 28 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- SYSTEM TODAY WILL BRING LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TO PARTS OF
EASTERN IDAHO.
- WARMING TREND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND, WITH LITTLE
SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION IN SIGHT THURSDAY ONWARD.
- 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 TONIGHT/
ISSUED AT 156 AM MST WED JAN 28 2026
EARLY MORNING SATELLITE SHOWS CLOUDS FILTERING INTO IDAHO IN
SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING TROUGH. THE TROUGH AXIS IS
EXPECTED TO SHIFT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING, WITH WESTERLY
WINDS BECOMING BREEZIER. THE STRONGEST GUSTS OF 20 TO 30 MPH ARE
FORECAST IN THE SOUTH HILLS REGION, WITH GUSTS EXPECTED TO RANGE
CLOSER TO 15 TO 25 MPH ELSEWHERE. THE MOST ACTIVE DAY OF THE
FORECAST PERIOD WILL BE TODAY, AS LIGHT SNOW IS ANTICIPATED FOR A
GOOD PORTION OF SOUTHEAST IDAHO. THE BULK OF PRECIPITATION WILL FALL
IN THE MOUNTAINS AND MID-ELEVATIONS SOUTH AND EAST OF THE SNAKE
RIVER PLAIN. FORECAST SNOW TOTALS ARE GENERALLY LESS THAN AN INCH
BELOW 6,000 FEET AND UP TO 3 INCHES ABOVE, WITH LOCALLY HIGHER
TOTALS IN THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS AND ONLY HALF AN INCH OR LESS OF
ACCUMULATION FORECAST ALONG I-15 AND US-20 FROM POCATELLO NORTH TO
ST. ANTHONY. DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL RUN SEVERAL DEGREES COOLER
UNDER INCREASED CLOUD COVER BUT WILL QUICKLY RECOVER THURSDAY.
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 /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY/
ISSUED AT 512 AM MST WED JAN 28 2026
SHORTWAVE TROUGH QUICKLY SHIFTING THROUGH TODAY WILL BRING INCREASED
CLOUD COVER, BREEZY GUSTS, AND WIDESPREAD LIGHT SNOW. HAVE CONTINUED
THE TREND OF MVFR/VFR WITH IFR TEMPOS FOR PERIODS OF -SN. EXPECT TO
HAVE SOME DEGREE OF BR/FG TO CONTEND WITH THURSDAY MORNING, BUT
CONFIDENCE IN ANY TAF IMPACTS IS TOO LOW TO INCLUDE IN THE
FORECAST AT THIS TIME.
PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NONE.
SHORT TERM...CROPP
LONG TERM...AMM
AVIATION...CROPP
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