textproduct: Pocatello

KEY MESSAGES

- High pressure continues to bring mostly dry weather into next week.

- Pockets of patchy, dense fog this morning and again tonight.

- Gradual warming trend continues.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/

Issued at 215 AM MST Sun Jan 11 2026

Ridge of high pressure remains over Eastern Idaho again today with dry conditions continuing. High clouds passing over some low stratus/patchy fog may produce some seeder-feeder flurries, but no impacts are expected with no "real" accumulation out of any of it. Low stratus and patchy fog are a bit trickier to see on satellite tonight due to those upper level clouds passing through, but have seen some of it around the Driggs/Teton Valley area, around our office at times, and in the upper Snake River Plain based on satellite, ITD cameras, and visibility reports. While coverage area of patchy fog is minimal, visibility does drop quickly down to a mile or less at times if you have to drive through it. By 11 AM, there is a less than 20 percent chance of visibility below 5 miles across Eastern Idaho for the rest of today. After this morning's patchy dense fog, the rest of the day will be mostly to partly sunny with highs warming into the upper 30s and low 40s. Some patchy dense fog will be possible once again tonight into Monday morning with about a 20 to 25 percent chance of visibility dropping to 5 miles or less throughout Eastern Idaho.

LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/

Issued at 154 PM MST Sat Jan 10 2026

High pressure will maintain an inactive pattern for the duration of the extended period. The sole concern will be the potential for overnight and early morning fog and degraded air quality as a result of temperature inversions. Otherwise, conditions will remain dry and winds light under high pressure. Daytime temperatures will span the 30s and 40s, reaching near 10 degrees above normal for this time of year. Some locations in the eastern Magic Valley and South Hills regions will warm to within a few degrees of 50F by early to middle of next week. As indicated by the 500mb ensemble clusters, confidence is increasing amongst ensembles that the ridge of high pressure will maintain control of the upper-level pattern into at least early the following week.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z MONDAY/

Issued at 421 AM MST Sun Jan 11 2026

High pressure continues to keep us dry, but patchy dense fog also continues to cause problems at some of our TAF sites. Particularly at DIJ where fog has been in and out of the terminal, bringing BKN/OVC clouds at 001 to 002 and VIS down to a 1/4SM at times. Fog has been sloshing in and out of PIH at times overnight, too, dropping VIS down around 2SM at times. Models have not been doing a great job at handling this very patchy dense fog, but seem to agree on improvements by 18Z. The NBM shows about a 15 to 30 percent chance of VIS less than 5SM at PIH, IDA, and DIJ. Will go with a TEMPO for PIH, IDA, and DIJ given what we've seen so far tonight. Low confidence in overall occurrence, but where the fog does return, conditions will plummet quickly. There's another 20 to 30 percent chance of VIS less than 5SM again overnight into Monday at PIH, IDA, and DIJ.

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.