224
FXUS65 KPIH 091734
AFDPIH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
1134 AM MDT MON MAR 9 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- A PROLONGED PERIOD OF WINDY CONDITIONS IS EXPECTED MOST OF THE
WEEK
- STRONG WINDS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SNAKE PLAIN AND MAGIC
VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
- COOL TEMPERATURES TUESDAY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT, BUT MILD
TEMPERATURES RETURN FOR LATER IN THE WEEK AS GUSTY WINDS AND
HIGH ELEVATION SHOWERS PERSIST
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 1203 AM MDT MON MAR 9 2026
THE MAIN THEME THIS WEEK WILL BE WIND, AND SOMETIMES A LOT OF
IT. THE DAYS WITH STRONGER WINDS OUT OF THE NEXT 7 WILL BE
TODAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY, AND SATURDAY. FOR TODAY, WE ARE STILL
FORECASTING GUSTS OF 35-55 MPH OVER A GOOD PORTION OF CENTRAL
AND EASTERN IDAHO. THE STRONGEST WILL BE ACROSS THE RIDGELINES
OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN HIGHLANDS, BEAR RIVER
RANGE, THE UPPER HALF OF THE SNAKE PLAIN AND LAVA BEDS ACROSS
THE MAGIC VALLEY. WE HAVE A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE SNAKE PLAIN
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WE WILL BE EXTENDING THIS BACK INTO
THE MAGIC VALLEY AS SOME GUSTS WILL EXCEED 45 MPH. THERE IS
STILL SOME POTENTIAL OF GUSTS OVER 55 MPH ACROSS THE ARCO DESERT
AND BENCH AREAS AROUND IDAHO FALLS AND REXBURG. THAT CHANCE IS
STILL AROUND 40-80%. WE DID PUSH WIND AND WIND GUSTS TO REFLECT
A SHORT WIND OF GUSTS HITTING 60-ISH MPH ACROSS THE ARCO
DESERT/INL AND THOSE BENCH AREAS. IT IS NOT ENOUGH IN TERMS OF
TIME OR AREA TO HOIST THE HIGH WIND WARNING FLAG FOR THOSE
AREAS. FOR TOMORROW, WINDS WILL BE STRONG ONCE AGAIN, BUT
SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN TODAY. THE FOCUS SHIFTS A BIT SOUTH TOMORROW
TO ACROSS THE MAGIC VALLEY AND LOWER HALF OF THE SNAKE PLAIN,
WITH A 20-60% CHANCE OF GUSTS OVER 55 MPH. WE MAY NEED ANOTHER
ADVISORY TOMORROW, BUT WILL LOOK AT LATER TODAY OR THIS EVENING.
THURSDAY AND SATURDAY LOOK POTENTIALLY MORE WINDY THAN TODAY,
WITH A PRETTY WIDESPREAD 30-80% CHANCE OF EXCEEDING GUSTS OF 55
MPH BOTH AFTERNOONS.
WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME OCCASIONAL SHOWERS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. A
FEW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY, WITH AN UPTICK TONIGHT AND
TUESDAY ACROSS THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN HIGHLANDS. IN
FACT, THE ONLY DAY WE MIGHT BE SHOWER FREE IS WEDNESDAY. WHEN WE
DO SEE SHOWERS, PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHT AND MOSTLY
CONFINED TO THE MOUNTAINS. THE PATTERN DIPS FAR ENOUGH SOUTH
TOMORROW AND AGAIN LATER IN THE WEEK AND NEXT WEEKEND TO MAYBE
SEE A FEW SHOWERS FARTHER SOUTH IN THE MOUNTAINS AND EVEN THE
SNAKE PLAIN/MAGIC VALLEY. AT THE MOMENT, CHANCES OUTSIDE OF THE
CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN HIGHLANDS UNTIL NEXT WEEKEND ARE
VERY LOW. TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL BE 5-10 DEGREES COOLER THAN
SUNDAY, BUT STILL LOOKING AT ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES WITH
50S IN THE LOWER VALLEYS. TUESDAY WILL BE EVEN COOLER BEHIND THE
FRONT, ACTUALLY A BIT BELOW AVERAGE WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 30S
TO MID 40S FOR LOWER ELEVATIONS. WE WILL QUICKLY REBOUND LATER
IN THE WEEK.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/
ISSUED AT 1131 AM MDT MON MAR 9 2026
THE IMPACT THROUGH TUESDAY WILL BE THE WINDS. EXPECT VFR SKY
CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD. EXPECT SUSTAINED 30 KNOT WINDS AT
PIH AND IDA THIS AFTERNOON WITH 15 TO 25 SUSTAINED AT SUN, DIJ
AND BYI. GUSTS OVER 40 KNOTS AT PIH AND IDA AND 25 TO 35 AT THE
OTHER THREE SITES. EXPECT DIMINISHING WINDS AFTER 03Z AT ALL THE
SITES THAN INCREASING AGAIN SUBSTANTIALLY LATE TUESDAY MORNING
TO THE 15 TO 30 KNOT SUSTAINED WITH GUSTS 25 TO 40 KNOTS. WINDS
CONDITIONS EXPECTED ALL WEEK.
PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR IDZ051>055-065.
DISCUSSION...KEYES
AVIATION...GK
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