textproduct: Pocatello

KEY MESSAGES

- Light, isolated mountain snow showers today.

- Increasing wind gusts and rain/snow showers return Monday evening.

- Winter Weather Advisories out for Central Mountains, Eastern Highlands, and Bear River Range Monday evening to Tuesday evening.

- Active pattern continues through the week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 147 PM MST Sun Feb 15 2026

The rest of today and tonight will be relatively "quiet" as far as our weather is concerned with most of Eastern Idaho remaining dry aside from some light snow showers in the northwestern portion of the Central Mountains and in the northeast, near the Island Park area. Any of these snow showers would produce little to no accumulation, staying below an inch. Temperatures will be mild to start off Monday morning in the Snake River Plain, generally in the low to mid 30s, and highs will make it into the low to mid 50s. It will be cooler in our mountain towns with highs in the upper 30s to mid 40s. Winds will continue to increase on Monday with gusts approaching the 25 to 35 mph range by the afternoon. This is as an approaching deep trough and associated upper level low are moving inland into the West. This will provide ample Pacific moisture to arrive in Eastern Idaho beginning Monday evening and the first wave will last through Tuesday. This will most likely start as light rain for those of us in the lower elevations as temperatures don't fall as much until the cold front comes through on Tuesday to drop temperatures by about 10 degrees. This will switch precipitation over to mostly snow by early to mid Tuesday morning.

We're expecting higher snowfall totals for our mountain zones so we have gone ahead and issued Winter Weather Advisories for the Central Mountains, Eastern Highlands, and the Bear River Range. These advisories begin Monday evening/night and last until Tuesday evening as this covers the first wave of moisture. Generally speaking, snow totals will range from 4-8 inches at and below pass level in the Central Mountains and Eastern Highlands with 8-12 inches above pass level. In the Bear River Range, snow totals will be a bit higher with 6 to 10 inches of snow at and below pass level with totals of 10 to 14 inches above pass level. Currently, the NBM is showing about a 50 percent chance of 10 inches of snow at Emigration Summit and a 30 percent chance of 12 inches of snow from Monday evening to Tuesday evening. With gusty winds during this time frame, blowing and drifting snow will make travel dangerous at times, and may necessitate an update from Winter Weather Advisory to Winter Storm Warning in the future and/or Wind Advisories for lower elevations.

While there will be a very brief lull in the activity, the snowfall is expected to continue Tuesday night through Wednesday before another brief lull starting Thursday morning. This late Tuesday into Wednesday period will bring a 10 to 20 percent chance of 2 inches of snow throughout the Snake River Plain, another 3-6 inches of snow in the Central Mountains and Eastern Highlands, and even more snow to the Bear River Range, so expect the need for headlines to continue through mid week.

Light snow showers look to continue to end the week as the low finally drops south and moves eastward by Friday morning with a bit more of a break from the moisture as high pressure builds in over the area for the weekend. Highs will be in the 20s and 30s for most by Friday afternoon with a gradual warming trend in store for next weekend under the ridge of high pressure.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/

Issued at 452 PM MST Sun Feb 15 2026

Main impacts during this TAF period are elevated winds and increasing mid-level clouds. VFR CIGs will trend MVFR heading into Monday night as our next system arrives in central Idaho. Winds will become light again tonight before increasing Monday afternoon ahead of the cold front. Have introduced snow showers at KSUN beginning at 03z Tuesday, with precipitation elsewhere just outside of this TAF period.

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Winter Weather Advisory from 11 PM Monday to 5 PM MST Tuesday for IDZ060-063-064-066. Winter Weather Advisory from 8 PM Monday to 5 PM MST Tuesday for IDZ071>074.