575
FXUS65 KPIH 221839
AFDPIH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
1239 PM MDT WED APR 22 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE
CENTRAL IDAHO MOUNTAINS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES START AT
NOON TODAY FOR PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST AND EAST HIGHLANDS.
- WIND ADVISORIES GO INTO EFFECT AT NOON TODAY FOR PORTIONS OF
THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN AND EASTERN MAGIC VALLEY.
- AFTERNOON HIGHS DROP 20 TO 25 DEGREES FROM TUESDAY HIGHS AND
STAY BELOW NORMAL THROUGH MONDAY.
- RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW CONTINUES INTO FRIDAY FOR MOST.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 153 AM MDT WED APR 22 2026
TODAY THROUGH FRI NIGHT. MELTED PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS PEAK
DURING THE DAY TODAY AS A COLD FRONT IS PUSHED THROUGH THE
REGION BY AN UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVING THROUGH NORTHEAST OR THAT
ENDS UP IN WESTERN MT BY MID-DAY. A SECOND LOW DROPS SOUTHWARD
OUT OF CANADA AND BRINGS ANOTHER ROUND OF PRECIPITATION FOR THU
WITH ALMOST NO BREAK IN THE PRECIPITATION. THE NORTHWESTERLY
AIR FLOW BEHIND THIS LOW CONTINUES THU NIGHT BUT SHIFTS TO
WESTERLY ON FRI AFTERNOON. BECAUSE OF THE BELOW NORMAL-BUT STILL
WARM-TEMPERATURES, SNOW LEVELS CONTINUE HIGH WITH MODERATE TO
HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS OCCURRING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 6500FT AND
7500FT ELEVATION, DEPENDING ON HOW FAR SOUTH.
ONE FLY IN THE OINTMENT IS HOW THE PRECIPITATION IS STRONGLY
AFFECTED BY CONVECTION. THERE WILL BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR
THUNDERSTORMS EACH PERIOD IN THIS PORTION OF THE FORECAST.
THIS COLD FRONT IS POWERED BY A LARGE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE AIR MASSES. A DROP OF 20 TO 25 DEG F WILL OCCUR
BETWEEN TUESDAY AND TODAY. AFTERNOON HIGHS STAY BELOW NORMAL FOR
THE NEXT 6 DAYS, GETTING CLOSER TO NORMAL NEXT TUE. OVERNIGHT
LOWS STAY MILD TONIGHT WITH CLOUD COVER, BUT AS THE COVER THINS
ON THU NIGHT, LOWS DROP INTO THE 20S FOR A WIDESPREAD AREA. THIS
ALSO CONTINUES THROUGH FRI NIGHT, THEN BELOW 38 DEG F FOR SAT
NIGHT. THUS FREEZE AND LATER FROST ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED FOR
THE AGRICULTURALLY SENSITIVE AREAS.
SAT THROUGH TUE. CLUSTERS CONTINUE TO KEEP AN UPPER LEVEL LOW
EITHER OVERHEAD OF JUST TO THE EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA. THIS
MEANS THE PRECIPITATION THREAT AND COLDER THAN NORMAL
TEMPERATURES CONTINUE DUE TO CLOUDS AND A NORTHERLY FLOW. BY SAT
A SIGNIFICANT MINORITY OF THE CLUSTERS SHOW A FAR ENOUGH
PROGRESSION EASTWARD FOR THE RISK OF PRECIPITATION TO FALL TO
SLIGHT CHANCE/CHANCE LEVEL AND TEMPERATURES AT LEAST TO WARM
SLIGHTLY, EVEN IF THEY STAY MAINLY IN THE 50S FOR THE HEAVILY
POPULATED AREAS. WIND ALSO IS CONSIDERABLY LESS, WITH BREEZY
CONDITIONS IN THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/
ISSUED AT 1228 PM MDT WED APR 22 2026
CLOUDY, SHOWERY CONDITIONS IN PLACE ACROSS EASTERN IDAHO
TERMINALS THIS AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN COLD ENOUGH TO
SUPPORT SNOW AT KSUN AND KDIJ AT TIMES WITH THE VALLEY
TERMINALS JUST SEEING A COLD RAIN, WITH VERY GUSTY WINDS. WINDS
WILL CONTINUE IN THE 25-30 KT AT KBYI, KIDA, AND KPIH WITH GUSTS
UPWARDS OF 40 KTS POSSIBLE AT TIMES. NOT QUITE AS STRONG AT
KSUN OR KDIJ BUT STILL BREEZY. PRECIP WILL BECOME MORE SHOWERY
OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS, HIT-OR MISS IN NATURE, BEFORE ANOTHER
MORE PRONOUNCED PUSH OF MOISTURE MOVES INTO EASTERN IDAHO
DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. IT WILL LIKELY BE COLD ENOUGH AT
THIS TIME TO SUPPORT AT LEAST RASN IN THE VALLEY TERMINALS IF
NOT ALL SNOW. EXPECT PREDOMINANT MVFR CIGS THROUGH THE PERIOD
BUT CERTAINLY EXPECTING SOME MOMENTS OF LOW-END VFR WITH ANY
BRIEF CLEARING OR EVEN IFR WITH SHOWERS. IN SHORT, EXPECTING
MESSY AND HARD TO FORECAST AVIATION CONDITIONS OVER THE NEXT 24
HOURS.
PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT FOR IDZ051>054.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT THURSDAY NIGHT FOR
IDZ060-063-064-066.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM MDT THURSDAY FOR IDZ069-
071>074.
DISCUSSION...MESSICK
AVIATION...MCKAUGHAN
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