textproduct: Pocatello

KEY MESSAGES

- Wildfire smoke will continue to impact the area on and off for the next few days. Expect decreased air quality at times with an air quality advisory remaining in effect for Custer County.

- Warming trend has begun with highs approaching 100 degrees in the lower elevations Friday through the weekend. A Heat Advisory is in effect for the South Hills, Raft River Region, Franklin/Eastern Oneida Region, Eastern Magic Valley, Snake River Plain, Shoshone/Lava beds, Arco Mud Lake Desert, March and Albion Highlands, Blackfoot Mountains through late Saturday.

- No precipitation in the forecast for this week, but increasing potential for monsoon moisture to return very late next week. Some cooling mid week next week through the end of next week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1246 PM MDT Fri Aug 7 2026

Main impact is the return of extreme heat with heat advisories in effect for a good portion of southeast Idaho through Saturday. High temperatures approaching 100 in many areas this afternoon as well as Saturday afternoon with most areas mid to upper 90s in the advisory area. Still have some wildfire smoke in the region in and out to varying degrees with an air quality alert in Custer County. Forecast grids have dry conditions with slight cooling into the middle of next week with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms returning next Thursday and Friday mainly in the southeast mountains. Winds not expected to be overly strong through the period with some high elevation gusts upwards of 25 mph Tomorrow and Sunday.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 424 PM MDT Fri Aug 7 2026

The dominating high pressure of the past several days is giving way just a little on the next 24 hours and allowing some mid- and high level moisture through, all of it above 10,000ft AGL. CIG actually possible Sat afternoon over KBYI, KPIH, and KIDA, but staying in the cirriform layer. Wind should be slope-valley driven with southwest to west wind Sat afternoon gusting as high as 25KT for KSUN, 20KT elsewhere. Only KBYI had indications of SHRA possible in the vicinity from these clouds.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 206 AM MDT Fri Aug 7 2026

High pressure directly over Eastern Idaho today continues our trend of temperatures heating up, min RHs dropping to critically low levels, and breezy winds of 15 to 25 mph. Wind gusts each afternoon will remain very close to critical fire weather conditions around 20 to 25 mph in the Central Mountains, so will continue to evaluate Red Flag Warning potential for Saturday and Sunday afternoons as these winds increase slightly. At this point, Sunday looks like it might be the day to watch for more widespread critical fire weather conditions. Next week, troughing over the West begins to help our temperatures cool slightly each day and bring min RHs back into the 15 to 25 percent range unlike the 10-15 percent range we're sitting in today and through the weekend.

AIR QUALITY

Issued at 1246 PM MDT Thu Aug 6 2026

An Air Quality Advisory is now in effect through Friday afternoon for Bonneville, Butte, Clark, Custer, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, and Teton counties due to air quality being "unhealthy for sensitive groups." Elsewhere, alerts have been lifted due to improvements to "moderate" air quality.

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Heat Advisory until 11 PM MDT Saturday for IDZ051>059-062. Air Quality Alert until 3 PM MDT Monday for IDZ068>074. Red Flag Warning from 1 PM to 9 PM MDT Saturday for IDZ475-476.