textproduct: Pocatello

KEY MESSAGES

- Wildfire smoke continues to impact the area on and off for the next few days. Expect decreased air quality at times with air quality advisories in effect.

- 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, and the Franklin/Eastern Oneida Region Friday afternoon through late Saturday.

- No precipitation in the forecast for this week, but increasing potential for monsoon moisture to return next week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1246 PM MDT Thu Aug 6 2026

Daytime temperatures will warm by 5 or more degrees over yesterday's highs as the ridge axis shifts directly overhead. A HEAT ADVISORY has been issued for the South Hills, Raft River Region, and the Franklin/Eastern Oneida region from 1 PM Friday through 11 PM Saturday. Widespread temperatures of 95 to 100 degrees are anticipated across the advised areas with overnight lows only dropping into the upper-60s. Outside of these areas, temperatures will still warm into the upper-90s and even triple digits across the eastern Magic Valley, but overnight temperatures will provide a tad more relief as lows will manage to drop into the lower 60s. Additionally, a limiting factor to the forecast warmth will be the smoke and how much it limits our daytime heating. Models show near- surface smoke increasing Friday, especially across the eastern Magic Valley and areas further north. Temperatures on Saturday will run fairly similar, although both daytime and overnight temperatures will likely cool by a few degrees as the ridge of high pressure is very slightly flattened. As for winds, afternoon gusts today will reach around 20 to 25 mph and will increase heading further into the weekend, with gusts reaching 25 to 30 mph in more areas. Heading into early next week, a Pacific trough along the CA coast will open the door for monsoon moisture to lift northward by middle of next week.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/

Issued at 1128 AM MDT Thu Aug 6 2026

High pressure keeping away clouds and precipitation, but allowing wildfire FU. Wind continues as light and variable at late night and mornings, followed by mildly gusty upslope wind in the afternoon. FU affecting KIDA, KPIH, during the morning hours before inversion break, KSUN when upslope flow in the early afternoon pushes smoke up valley. At the very end of the forecast, some alto-cumulus may move through the region, mostly south of the Snake River. Would not expect any CIGs from this, just FEW-SCT.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1231 PM MDT Thu Aug 6 2026

High pressure will keep things extremely dry, including poor recovery at night for most locations. Temperatures will continue warming another day, tempered by the amount of smoke moving through the middle and high levels of the atmosphere from wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. As the edge of a slowly moving high gets closer, the light wind will slowly increase, with Fri afternoon exhibiting wind gusts rising to just below critical thresholds in the Sawtooth and Salmon-Challis NFs. Sat afternoon will see greater coverage of those two areas and the eastern Magic Valley and other BLM lands with gusts to 30 mph. So expect some Fire Weather Watches or Red Flag Warnings for Sat. As of now, eastern Idaho appears to hold off on the gusty wind until Sun, while the gusty continues for central Idaho. Gusts to 30 mph do disappear from the eastern Magic Valley and develop in limited areas in the Snake River plain/Teton Valley.

By mid-week next week, showers and thunderstorms should return as the high shifts far enough eastward to open the door to the remnants of the southwestern monsoon to creep into the region.

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

Air Quality Alert until 3 PM MDT Friday for IDZ052-053-062>074. Heat Advisory from 1 PM Friday to 11 PM MDT Saturday for IDZ056-057-059.