textproduct: Pocatello

KEY MESSAGES

- Fog and low clouds have cleared out of the Snake Plain with dry northerly winds. Uncertainty remains if the Eastern Magic valley will clear out and if stratus will move back up the Snake Plain late Saturday into Sunday.

- Cooler for the weekend with isolated snow chances across the eastern highlands late today into early Sunday

- Continued dry conditions into next week with a warming trend likely, although valley inversions could wreck havoc with this.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/

Issued at 324 AM MST Sat Jan 24 2026

A weak cold front has moved through the area and cold, drier northerly air is moving down the Snake River plain. Some models are now showing the northerly flow stalling somewhere around Pocatello this morning. So, stratus and patchy fog will likely continue over the Eastern Magic valley/Shoshone region this morning. Overnight lows in the Eastern Magic Valley/Shoshone region will likely be limited to the teens with cloud cover expected to linger. The area will remain dry however throughout the region tonight and into the afternoon hours on Saturday. For this morning, expect single digit temperatures and below zero for mountain areas for our northern areas. For today, expecting all areas to stay below freezing for daytime highs despite the fairly ample sunshine expected.

A weak shortwave will move into Central Montana and western Wyoming late today and into Sunday and this will likely increase cloud cover around the Island Park area and into the eastern highlands late tomorrow afternoon and evening. Could see some snow showers as well but not expecting much, if any, accumulation with these. Temperatures will remain colder than normal on Sunday with morning lows in the teens in the Snake Plain/Eastern Magic valley and single digits elsewhere. Daytime temperatures Sunday will generally be in the mid to upper 20s. There will be a few lower areas across our southwest that will see temperatures in the low 30s. Models are suggesting low stratus clearing out of the Eastern Magic valley late today into Sunday with stratus returning for our northeast areas with a weak wave moving down. There is not a lot of confidence in stratus clearing out of the Eastern Magic valley. Models are showing southwest flow to continue and move back up the Snake Plain. Southwest winds would be favorable for stratus to continue/return.

LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/

Issued at 108 PM MST Fri Jan 23 2026

In the wake of the aforementioned shortwave, upper level ridging is expected to again build across eastern Idaho. This will keep things dry for much of next week. A few weak impulses embedded in the upper flow aloft could bring some increased cloud cover but not expecting much chance for precip. The biggest forecast challenge will be whether or not we see a return of lower valley stratus. Based on what happened this week, it's certainly possible with the pattern being similar in nature. Current forecast does not show this however and has temps returning to the upper 30s and lower 40s in the lower valleys for much of next week. If stratus transpires though, temps will be much cooler. Time will tell.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1017 PM MST Fri Jan 23 2026

Persistence of stratus remains a problem as it continues to hold on in SUN, PIH and BYI. Drier air has moved in from the north as DIJ and IDA have cleared out and have falling dew points behind cold front. Have SUN clearing out by 09Z, PIH by 11Z and BYI by 12Z. Think could clear out earlier at PIH but for now did not get too aggressive as it cleared out earlier then quickly returned. Should be no worse than MVFR heights on the ceiling. Expect VFR conditions Saturday. Upper level wave may bring light snow showers to DIJ after 03Z. Winds will shift back to up valley Saturday afternoon with near 10 knots at BYI, PIH and IDA.

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.