671
FXUS65 KPIH 290052
AFDPIH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
552 PM 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 115 PM MST WED JAN 28 2026
A WEAK UPPER LEVEL TROUGH CONTINUES TO QUICKLY MOVE THROUGH THE
REGION THIS AFTERNOON BRINGING SOME VERY LIGHT SNOW TO SOME SPOTS.
RADAR RETURNS ARE GENERALLY LIGHT AND IMPACTS APPEAR TO BE QUITE
LIMITED WITH THE PRECIP BUT IT AT LEAST SERVES AS A REMINDER THAT IT
IS IN FACT WINTER AS THINGS HAVE BEEN UNUSUALLY QUIET THROUGHOUT THE
AREA. AFTERNOON SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS WIDESPREAD CLOUD COVER IN
PLACE FOR MUCH OF THE REGION ALTHOUGH WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO SEE
A BIT OF CLEARING IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PART OF THE STATE. PRECIP
CONTINUES TO PUSH FROM WEST TO EAST AND MOST IS ALREADY ALONG AND
EAST OF THE I-15 CORRIDOR AND WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EASTERN
HIGHLANDS AS WE MOVE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS
THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE EASTERN HIGHLANDS COULD AMOUNT TO AN INCH
OR TWO BUT MOST LOCATIONS WILL SEE LESS THAN AN INCH AS THERE'S NOT
MUCH MOISTURE WITH THIS SYSTEM. MODELS SHOW FOG AND STRATUS
POTENTIAL, ESPECIALLY IN THE LOWER VALLEYS, SO WE'LL SEE HOW THIS
PANS OUT AS WE MOVE INTO THE DAY ON THURSDAY. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL
BE BUILDING BACK OVER THE REGION DURING THE DAY BUT NW FLOW ALOFT
COULD SPARK SOME HIGH ELEVATION SNOW SHOWERS IN THE CENTRAL
MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN HIGHLANDS BUT WILL BE OF RELATIVELY LOW
IMPACT. TEMPS TOMORROW ARE FORECAST TO BE AROUND SEASONAL NORMS
ALTHOUGH STRATUS COULD MAKE THE TEMP FORECAST PROBLEMATIC.
LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
ISSUED AT 115 PM MST WED JAN 28 2026
A WEAK UPPER LEVEL TROUGH CONTINUES TO QUICKLY MOVE THROUGH THE
REGION THIS AFTERNOON BRINGING SOME VERY LIGHT SNOW TO SOME SPOTS.
RADAR RETURNS ARE GENERALLY LIGHT AND IMPACTS APPEAR TO BE QUITE
LIMITED WITH THE PRECIP BUT IT AT LEAST SERVES AS A REMINDER THAT IT
IS IN FACT WINTER AS THINGS HAVE BEEN UNUSUALLY QUIET THROUGHOUT THE
AREA. AFTERNOON SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS WIDESPREAD CLOUD COVER IN
PLACE FOR MUCH OF THE REGION ALTHOUGH WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO SEE
A BIT OF CLEARING IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PART OF THE STATE. PRECIP
CONTINUES TO PUSH FROM WEST TO EAST AND MOST IS ALREADY ALONG AND
EAST OF THE I-15 CORRIDOR AND WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EASTERN
HIGHLANDS AS WE MOVE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS
THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE EASTERN HIGHLANDS COULD AMOUNT TO AN INCH
OR TWO BUT MOST LOCATIONS WILL SEE LESS THAN AN INCH AS THERE'S NOT
MUCH MOISTURE WITH THIS SYSTEM. MODELS SHOW FOG AND STRATUS
POTENTIAL, ESPECIALLY IN THE LOWER VALLEYS, SO WE'LL SEE HOW THIS
PANS OUT AS WE MOVE INTO THE DAY ON THURSDAY. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL
BE BUILDING BACK OVER THE REGION DURING THE DAY BUT NW FLOW ALOFT
COULD SPARK SOME HIGH ELEVATION SNOW SHOWERS IN THE CENTRAL
MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN HIGHLANDS BUT WILL BE OF RELATIVELY LOW
IMPACT. TEMPS TOMORROW ARE FORECAST TO BE AROUND SEASONAL NORMS
ALTHOUGH STRATUS COULD MAKE THE TEMP FORECAST PROBLEMATIC.
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/
ISSUED AT 538 PM MST WED JAN 28 2026
AFTER THE COLD FRONT MOVED THROUGH, STRATUS (LOW CIGS) HAS
MOVED BACK IN FOR PIH AND IDA. LOW VIS AND CIGS STILL REMAIN
WITH LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS FOR DIJ CURRENTLY. MODELS SHOW HIGH
PRESSURE SLOWLY BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST THIS EVENING INTO
TOMORROW MORNING. WINDS WILL REMAIN SLIGHTLY ELEVATED EARLY
THIS EVENING BEFORE DROPPING OFF OVERNIGHT INTO TOMORROW
MORNING. MODELS SHOW LOW STRATUS OVER ALL TAF SITES EXCEPT SUN.
IDA AND DIJ LOOK TO BE THE LOWEST, IFR/LIFR. PIH WILL LIKELY BE
IFR AND BYI WILL LIKELY RUN BETWEEN MVFR AND IFR. FOG IS
POSSIBLE TOO BUT MORE LIKELY FOR BYI AS STRATUS IS OVER ALL
OTHER SITES (EXCEPT SUN) CURRENTLY. MODELS DO SHOW POTENTIAL FOR
LOW STRATUS TO STAY ALL DAY TOMORROW FOR IDA AND DIJ. THERE IS
SOME POTENTIAL/MODEL GUIDANCE FOR BYI AND, TO A LESSER DEGREE,
PIH TO HAVE CIGS LIFT TO MVFR AND POSSIBLY VFR BY MID TO LATE
AFTERNOON TOMORROW. THIS IS A SCENARIO/SET UP WHERE STRATUS
COULD BUILD BACK IN AND STAY FOR MULTIPLE DAYS.
PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NONE.
SHORT TERM...MCKAUGHAN
LONG TERM...AMM
AVIATION...TW
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