textproduct: Pocatello

KEY MESSAGES

- Dry weather expected through at least the middle of next week

- Limited potential for fog or stratus

- A slight cooldown expected but temperatures still at or just above average

SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/

Issued at 107 AM MST Thu Jan 15 2026

Only real impact is the potential for low clouds and stratus developing towards morning. Already many Snake Plain observation sites are showing some reduced visibilities. Will it be widespread enough for an advisory, probably not, but could definitely see some areas of some very dense fog for the morning. This would likely lift by late morning. Otherwise another day under the ridge with slightly above normal highs and light winds.

LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 1226 PM MST Wed Jan 14 2026

We will remain in north or northwest flow into early next week. We still have the potential with any low clipping the Divide to see a few flurries around Island Park, but nothing measurable or impactful is expected. It is also appears with the ridge slipping west, the potential for any fog or stratus decreases again. We will have to wait and see if that rends back the other way. Temperatures appear to rebound a bit, but no major warm up is on tap for us...just likely to see a few more spots back into the lower 40s. In terms of when it MIGHT rain or snow again, we are still an overall pattern change by the middle of next week. The Blend of Models brings some light precipitation into the mountains Wednesday. However, the trend has been to decrease that chance. If and when we see some precipitation around here likely holds off until Thursday or later.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/

Issued at 1012 AM MST Thu Jan 15 2026

For such a nice day across most of East Idaho, there are a few things happening that could have some drastic impacts on terminal forecasts over the next few hours. Ridge of high pressure persists, and there are areas of FG/stratus that are close enough to PIH and BYI to cause some concern, with some outside impact potential at SUN. Area of fog still lingers in and across American Falls Reservoir, and a slight uptick in a west/northwest wind could bring that right back across the PIH terminal similar to this morning. Widespread region of stratus/fog is advecting up the valley along I- 84, and satellite timing puts that into BYI by/around 19Z. Should that region of moisture advect far enough east at the north end of the Magic Valley, the diurnal switch to the south at SUN could yank the moisture into place there. NONE of these solutions are confident, and that's just the first 3 hours of the terminal forecast. Models want to completely dissipate the entirety of the fog/stratus shield within the next couple hours, but think that's a far fetched idea especially concerning BYI. It's more reasonable to think minimal impact at PIH and SUN. For the remainder of the forecast period, have maintained VFR with trend potential toward IFR once again toward sunrise for all sites except SUN.

AIR QUALITY

Issued at 1226 PM MST Wed Jan 14 2026

An AIR STAGNATION ADVISORY remains in place for the Pocatello area, our side of the Cache Valley, and south of Malad toward Samaria. We will continue to see limited mixing and lighter winds for the next several days. Something to watch will be the ridge shifting back to the west, and northerly flow picks up a bit across central and eastern Idaho. Whether that is strong enough to kick up any wind or mix out inversions and "clear" the air remains to be seen. We will not look at extending/canceling the headline until we see how things trend in the next couple of days.

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Air Stagnation Advisory until noon MST Sunday for IDZ054-059.