textproduct: Pocatello

KEY MESSAGES

- More record highs expected this afternoon, possibly again on Saturday.

- Breezy afternoon winds with gusts of 25-35 mph through Saturday. Windy across the Arco Desert Saturday, with patchy blowing dust.

- Slight cool down Saturday and mountain precipitation chances return with more significant cooling Sunday.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 110 PM MDT Fri Mar 20 2026

A strong ridge of high pressure remains centered over East Idaho, with satellite imagery showing clear skies over much of the region. Expect very warm conditions and breezy afternoon winds to persist for the rest of today, with another round of record highs.

The ridge axis weakens and shifts east as a mostly dry cold front shifts through East Idaho Saturday. Light high-elevation showers are forecast primarily across the central mountains and eastern highlands, but lower elevations will remain dry. Temperatures trend slightly cooler for Saturday but will likely still challenge daily records. Winds increase slightly with passage of the front. Have nudged temperatures slightly above NBM deterministic values to reflect the 35-45% probability of gusts reaching 50 mph across the Arco Desert. This would reach low-end WIND ADVISORY thresholds, so have gone ahead with that headline for the period of strongest winds on Saturday. Similar gusts are possible along the benches east of Idaho Falls to Rexburg, but confidence is slightly lower so have excluded that region from the advisory for now. Patchy blowing dust was added to the forecast for the northern Snake Plain where the gusts are expected to be strongest Saturday afternoon.

Post-frontal air mass will drop temperatures 10-15 degrees on Sunday into the lower 60s, which remains several degrees above normal for the first spring weekend. A flat ridge rebuilds next week, rebounding highs into the 70s by Tuesday and Wednesday. Ensemble clusters show some uncertainty for the next system mid to late week. Deterministic GFS/ECMWF depict another mainly dry cold front with a few high elevation showers mainly north for Wednesday night into Thursday, supported by NBM means. Temperatures look to cool off again late week into the upper 50s, still slightly above seasonal normals.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1001 PM MDT Fri Mar 20 2026

Winds should be light through the night. Expect gusts to 30kts at PIH and IDA tomorrow afternoon. SUN will most likely switch from downvalley to a westerly crosswind tomorrow afternoon with the front bearing down on them.

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Wind Advisory from noon to 8 PM MDT Saturday for IDZ052.