119
FXUS65 KPIH 290553
AFDPIH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
1053 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 /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/
ISSUED AT 1044 PM MST WED JAN 28 2026
AFTER THE COLD FRONT MOVED THROUGH, STRATUS (LOW CIGS) HAS
MOVED BACK IN FOR PIH, IDA, AND DIJ, THOUGH THERE IS A HOLE IN
THE STRATUS FOR IDA AND DIJ CURRENTLY. STRATUS SHOULD FILL BACK
IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. 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. WINDS REALLY DROP
OFF BY TOMORROW EVENING. MODELS SHOW LOW STRATUS OVER ALL TAF
SITES EXCEPT SUN AND NOW BYI. IDA AND DIJ LOOK TO BE THE LOWEST,
IFR/LIFR. PIH WILL LIKELY BE IFR. BYI WILL LIKELY BE VFR,
THOUGH COULD DROP LOWER. MODELS DO SHOW POTENTIAL FOR LOW
STRATUS TO STAY ALL DAY TOMORROW FOR IDA AND DIJ. THERE IS SOME
POTENTIAL/MODEL GUIDANCE FOR 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. MODELS DO SHOW WINDS DROPPING OFF AND DENSE FOG
BUILDING IN FOR IDA AND DIJ BY EARLY EVENING WITH IFR/LIFR
CONDITIONS LIKELY.
PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
NONE.
SHORT TERM...MCKAUGHAN
LONG TERM...AMM
AVIATION...TW
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