404
FXUS65 KPIH 101851
AFDPIH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
1251 PM MDT TUE MAR 10 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- ACTIVE WIND HEADLINES: A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT
THROUGH THIS EVENING, THOUGH CONDITIONS HAVE REMAINED
RELATIVELY SUBDUED THUS FAR COMPARED TO YESTERDAY
- HIGH-IMPACT WINDS THURSDAY AND SATURDAY: CONFIDENCE IS VERY
HIGH THAT MORE ROUNDS OF STRONG WINDS WILL REQUIRE HEADLINES
ON THURSDAY AND AGAIN SATURDAY, WITH POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WIND
WARNINGS IN SOME ZONES
- LIGHT MOUNTAIN PRECIPITATION: HIGH-ELEVATION SNOW AND RAIN
REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE WEEK, PRIMARILY CONFINED TO THE
CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND EASTERN HIGHLANDS
- SIGNIFICANT SPRING WARM-UP: A MAJOR WARMING TREND BEGINS
THURSDAY AND INTENSIFIES BY EARLY NEXT WEEK, WITH HIGH-
ELEVATION TEMPERATURES CLIMBING AND VALLEY HIGHS POTENTIALLY
REACHING THE 60S AND 70S
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 1245 PM MDT TUE MAR 10 2026
VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY THIS AFTERNOON DEPICTS WIDESPREAD
CLOUD COVER ACROSS THE REGION, WHICH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO MUCH
COOLER TEMPERATURES AND A SLIGHT DECREASE IN WIND SPEEDS
COMPARED TO PREVIOUS DAYS. WHILE A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN
EFFECT THROUGH THE AFTERNOON, SURFACE OBSERVATIONS HAVE REMAINED
SOMEWHAT SUBDUED WITH GUSTS GENERALLY HOLDING IN THE 30-35 MPH
RANGE. HOWEVER, ANY INTERMITTENT BREAKS IN THE CLOUD COVER COULD
ALLOW FOR BETTER MIXING, POTENTIALLY INTENSIFYING THESE WINDS
BRIEFLY BEFORE SUNSET. SCATTERED LIGHT SNOW HAS BEEN OBSERVED
FALLING FROM MID-LEVEL CLOUDS ACROSS THE UPPER SNAKE RIVER
PLAIN, BUT THE BULK OF ANY MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION WILL STAY
ANCHORED TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND
EASTERN HIGHLANDS, WHERE ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN
LIGHT. AS WE HEAD INTO TONIGHT, CLEARING SKIES WILL ALLOW FOR A
CHILLY NIGHT WITH LOWS DROPPING INTO THE TEENS AND 20S FOR MOST
LOCATIONS. WEDNESDAY WILL OFFER A BRIEF REPRIEVE; WHILE IT WILL
REMAIN SEASONAL AND BREEZY, WE EXPECT TO AVOID THE NEED FOR
ADDITIONAL WIND HEADLINES. THIS TRANQUIL PERIOD WILL BE SHORT-
LIVED, HOWEVER, AS A ROBUST WEATHER SYSTEM ARRIVES ON THURSDAY.
VERY WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION, AND
THE NECESSITY FOR A WIND ADVISORY IS NEARLY CERTAIN. SOME ZONES
MAY EVEN APPROACH HIGH WIND WATCH OR WARNING CRITERIA. TO AVOID
CONFUSION WITH TODAY’S ACTIVE ADVISORY, WE HAVE HELD OFF ON
ISSUING NEW HEADLINES FOR THURSDAY WITH THIS PACKAGE, BUT THEY
WILL LIKELY BE INTRODUCED IN SUBSEQUENT UPDATES. ALONG WITH THE
WIND, THURSDAY MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A NOTICEABLE UPWARD TREND
IN TEMPERATURES THAT WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE
WEEKEND. WHILE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY LOOK TO REMAIN BREEZY TO
WINDY—LIKELY REQUIRING FURTHER HEADLINES—THE OVERALL PATTERN
REMAINS DOMINATED BY A ZONAL FLOW ALOFT. THIS TRAJECTORY WILL
KEEP THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE TO OUR NORTH, LIMITING
PRECIPITATION CHANCES TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN THROUGH THE WORK
WEEK. A PASSING UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH TO OUR NORTHEAST ON SATURDAY
COULD SPARK A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS IN THE VALLEYS, BUT MORE
WIDESPREAD ACTIVITY WILL STAY IN THE MOUNTAINS. AFTER A MINOR
TEMPERATURE DIP ON SUNDAY, A POWERFUL RIDGE BUILDS IN FOR THE
START OF NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL USHER IN GENUINE SPRING-LIKE
WARMTH AND DRIER CONDITIONS, WITH HIGHS IN THE 60S AND 70S
INCREASINGLY LIKELY FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AS TEMPERATURES
CLIMB WELL ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/
ISSUED AT 1119 AM MDT TUE MAR 10 2026
MAIN IMPACT ALL WEEK WILL REMAIN THE WIND. VERY STRONG WINDS
THIS AFTERNOON WITH SUSTAINED 20 TO 30 KNOTS AT BYI, PIH AND IDA
WITH GUSTS 35 TO 45 KNOTS. AT DIJ AND SUN SUSTAINED 15 TO 25
KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON AND GUSTS 25 TO 35 KNOTS. WINDS WILL DIE
DOWN AFTER 02Z OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AND PICK UP AGAIN AFTER 18Z
WEDNESDAY BUT NOT QUITE AS STRONG AS TODAY. WILL HAVE VCSH THIS
AFTERNOON AT DIJ, BUT NOT EXPECTING SNOW SHOWERS TO DIMINISH
VISIBILITY MUCH AT ALL BUT AT LEAST A SMALL PERCENT CHANCE COULD
DROP BELOW 5 MILES, BUT ONLY DROPPED TO 6 IN TAF.
PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR IDZ051>055-065.
DISCUSSION...MCKAUGHAN
AVIATION...GK
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