textproduct: Pocatello

KEY MESSAGES

- Sunny and warm today and Tuesday with low elevation high temperatures in the middle to upper 70s, alpine basin highs middle 60s to middle 70s.

- Next storm arrives Tuesday night, spreading moderate to heavy rain and high elevation snow Wednesday morning through Friday afternoon, possibly continuing into the weekend for some.

- Widespread below freezing overnight lows for much of the Snake River plain Thursday night through Saturday night, with warming returning Sunday night.

- Very windy Wednesday with this next storm. Breezy afternoons otherwise.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1256 AM MDT Mon Apr 20 2026

Today through Wed night...Massive, deep low currently sits off the CA coast, allowing southwesterly flow ahead of it and bringing in very warm air from NV under sunny skies of an upper level ridge axis just passing to the east of the forecast area. Expect solid warming today, as much as 5 degrees. Temperatures level off for Tue. But this intense low moves onshore Tue night and swings a trough and associated surface cold front through eastern Idaho on Wed. Afternoon highs will cool 20 to 25 deg F from Tue to Wed. With the cloud cover, morning lows will be warmer for Tue night and Wed night. This will keep the heavy snow fairly high in elevation when the heaviest precipitation falls. If any Winter Weather products are necessary, likely elevation that would be affected would be above 7000ft, perhaps even 7500ft.

This cold front comes with a very strong wind and may need a Wind Advisory for the Snake River plain on Wed.

Thu through Sun...The near term low disrupts this current flow and yet another low arrives at the end of Thu afternoon to continue the rain and snow. But it comes in from the north, making temperatures much colder, but fortunately the precipitation turns lighter, at least by Fri if not Thu. Solid chances for precipitation continues through Fri, then slips to slight chances for most locations on the weekend, mainly in the highlands bordering WY.

Temperatures Thu night through Sat night continue to get below freezing in the heavily populated lower elevations, so still not a good time to plant gardens if no protection is available. Temperatures will recover above freezing on Sun night, although may still produce frost.

Wind will return to a pattern of gusty afternoon wind and light morning wind.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY/

Issued at 312 AM MDT Mon Apr 20 2026

Upper level high pressure will keep skies clear below 8000ft AGL, with no CIGs expected. VSBY should stay unlimited. Wind is mostly the effect of the slope-valley interaction, staying at barely mentioning for wind shifts.

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.