995
FXUS65 KPIH 231855
AFDPIH
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE POCATELLO ID
1255 PM MDT THU APR 23 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- SNOW TAPERS OFF IN INTENSITY DURING THE DAY TODAY IN THE WEST
AND THIS EVENING IN THE EAST.
- MORE WEST WIND WILL MEAN VERY WINDY CONDITIONS IN PORTIONS OF
THE EASTERN MAGIC VALLEY.
- SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE A RISK EVERYWHERE TODAY AND
TONIGHT.
- BELOW FREEZING CONDITIONS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND FRIDAY NIGHT
IN THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN AND EASTERN MAGIC VALLEY.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 233 AM MDT THU APR 23 2026
TODAY THROUGH SAT NIGHT. AS THE WET LOW OF YESTERDAY EXITS, YET
ANOTHER, DRIER BUT COLDER, LOW MOVES IN FROM THE NORTH. IT WILL
PRODUCE ONLY LIGHT PRECIPITATION, BUT THE SNOW LEVELS WILL BE
LOWER AND THE VERY STRONG WEST NORTHWESTERLY WIND MEANS THAT THE
EASTERN MAGIC VALLEY WILL REACH WIND ADVISORY CONDITIONS. THE
CURRENT WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES APPEAR ON SCHEDULE TO EXPIRE
AT THEIR CURRENT EXPIRATION TIMES, LATER THIS MORNING AND THIS
EVENING. FRI NIGHT AND SAT WILL SEE VERY LITTLE PRECIPITATION,
LIMITED TO HIGH ELEVATIONS, BUT THEN SAT NIGHT WILL SEE A RETURN
OF MOISTURE MAINLY TO THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE MOUNTAINS AND
HIGHLANDS. PRECIPITATION APPEARS TO CONTINUE LIGHT WITH INLAND
CANADA STILL BEING THE SOURCE OF THE AIR MASS.
AS EXPECTED, THIS SECOND LOW WILL BRING IN COLD AIR, PLUNGING
OVERNIGHT LOWS IN A LARGE PORTION OF THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN AND
EASTERN MAGIC VALLEY INTO A FREEZE. HOWEVER, THE PORTIONS THAT
ARE NOT AFFECTED INCLUDES THE HIGHWAY CORRIDOR FROM IDAHO FALLS
THROUGH POCATELLO TO BURLEY. FRI NIGHT APPEARS TO BE EVEN COLDER
AND ALL BUT THE BURLEY-RICHFIELD AREA ARE AFFECTED. AFTERNOON
HIGHS BOTTOM OUT FRI AND A WARMING TREND DEVELOPS SAT, BUT
TEMPERATURES WILL ONLY WARM INTO THE 50S, MAYBE 60 IN THE
SOUTHERN MAGIC VALLEY.
THE SUPPORT FOR WEST WIND ALOFT WILL PUSH WIND IN THE EASTERN
MAGIC VALLEY TO WIND ADVISORY CONDITIONS WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH
EXPECTED FOR A SHORT INTERVAL FROM MID-AFTERNOON TO EARLY
EVENING TODAY. THE WIND IS NOT EXPECTED TO REPEAT TO THIS LEVEL
ON FRI OR SAT, WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN THE WIND FROM DAY TO
DAY.
SUN THROUGH WED. CLUSTER ANALYSIS INDICATES A SOLID CHANCE OF
SUN AND MON REMAINING WET AND COLDER THAN NORMAL, THEN A
POSSIBLE TRANSITION TO DRIER WEATHER TUE AND WED. TUE AND WED
HAVE TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO CLIMATIC AVERAGES FOR THE TIME OF
YEAR AND BELOW AVERAGE RISK OF PRECIPITATION. ABOUT 70 PERCENT
OF THE CLUSTER SOLUTIONS FOR TUE AND WED ARE FOR A DRY PERIOD.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/
ISSUED AT 1238 PM MDT THU APR 23 2026
SEEING AN OCCASIONAL BREAK IN CLOUDS ACROSS VALLEY TERMINALS
WHICH HAS ALLOWED OCCASIONAL VFR TO BE OBSERVED BUT OVERALL,
STILL SEEING SCT/BKN CIGS AROUND 2-4KFT FEET THROUGHOUT MUCH OF
THE REGION. KSUN HAS SEEN THE MOST BREAKS IN CLOUD COVER AND
THIS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE WITH VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THERE.
KIDA AND KDIJ WILL HAVE SOME POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS, MAYBE A
THUNDERSTORM, LATER TODAY WITH THE HIGHEST CHANCE AT THE LATTER
TERMINAL. LOCALIZED REDUCTIONS TO MVFR OR IFR WILL BE POSSIBLE
IN AND AROUND SHOWERS ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS. SPEAKING OF WIND,
IT REMAINS BREEZY THROUGHOUT THE AREA, ESPECIALLY IN THE SNAKE
PLAIN AND MAGIC VALLEY WHERE WINDS 20-30 KTS ARE EXPECTED INTO
THE EVENING BEFORE LESSENING LATER TONIGHT. AT LEAST LOW-END
PRECIP CHANCES REMAIN IN THE FORECAST DURING THE OVERNIGHT AND
INTO THE DAY ON FRIDAY.
PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR IDZ051.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT FOR IDZ060-
063-064-066.
DISCUSSION...MESSICK
AVIATION...MCKAUGHAN
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