textproduct: Pocatello

KEY MESSAGES

- Breezy Post-Frontal Winds: Gusty down-valley winds in the 2535 mph range continue behind a backdoor cold front necessitating a Lake Wind Advisory for the American Falls Reservoir through this evening.

- Frost and Freeze Concerns: A Freeze Warning and Frost Advisory remain in effect for early Wednesday

- Dramatic Warming Trend: After a seasonal start in the short term, temperatures will soar into the 80s by early next week roughly 20 degrees above seasonal normals.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 133 PM MDT Tue May 5 2026

Afternoon satellite imagery reveals skies beginning to clear across the region, with only a few lingering fair-weather cumulus clouds over the eastern highlands. In the wake of a recent backdoor cold front, breezy down-valley winds continue to funnel through the Snake Plain, with observed gusts frequently reaching the 2535 mph range. These elevated winds will persist long enough to require the continuation of the Lake Wind Advisory for the American Falls Reservoir through the short term. Aside from some isolated shower chances focused near the Utah border this evening, dry conditions will prevail for the remainder of the day.

The primary immediate concern is the cold overnight temperatures expected tonight. A Freeze Warning continues for the Snake Plain and into the Arco Desert, where a light freeze is anticipated. Additionally, a Frost Advisory remains in place; while a widespread freeze is not expected within the advisory area, more rural sections could briefly flirt with the freezing mark before sunrise.

Following this cool start, daytime temperatures on Wednesday will stay near seasonal norms in the 60s. A transition to a much warmer pattern begins Thursday and Friday as a ridge of high pressure builds. This trend will be briefly interrupted Friday night into Saturday by a potent, fast-moving system passing to our north. While this feature will likely increase cloud cover and wind speeds across Eastern Idaho, it is not expected to produce significant precipitation.

In the wake of that passing disturbance, strong high pressure will anchor itself over the Intermountain West for the weekend and into early next week. This will result in mostly sunny and dry conditions with temperatures climbing well above average. Current forecast models suggest lower valleys will reach the 80s to start next week, with some mid-to-upper 80s possible. These values would be approximately 20 degrees above normal for early May. While some long-range details regarding the exact magnitude of the heat still need to be refined, the overall outlook for the week ahead remains warm and predominantly dry.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 433 PM MDT Tue May 5 2026

Expect VFR conditions throughout the period. In the meantime, have kept PROB30s at KPIH, KIDA, and KBYI to account for some residual showers working through later this afternoon into the early evening. Winds will remain breezy, with gusts around 15 to 25 kts, through early this evening. Then expect variable winds at 6kts for all sites by around midnight with clear skies. Winds becoming slightly breezy by tomorrow afternoon, 10 to 15kts.

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Frost Advisory from 3 AM to 9 AM MDT Wednesday for IDZ051-055. Freeze Warning from 3 AM to 9 AM MDT Wednesday for IDZ052>054.