textproduct: Pocatello

KEY MESSAGES

- Upper level high pressure dominates the western states, keeping skies mostly clear and conditions dry.

- Warming trend to both highs and lows starts this afternoon and continues until temperatures level off on Tuesday.

- Intense low moving through southern Canada brings light precipitation and strong to very strong wind by Tuesday afternoon.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 142 AM MDT Sat Apr 4 2026

Today through Mon night...Satellite imagery indicates stratus and fog from Island Park south to Montpelier this early morning. Otherwise skies are clear under a building high pressure centered in southern NV with a negative tilt to the northwest, through southern OR and western WA. This slows cooling for eastern Idaho with the northwesterly flow, so warm up will not be fast. However, even my Mon temperatures in the eastern Magic Valley and lower Snake River plain will reach at least around 70 degrees, if not higher.

Wind under high pressure is typically slope-valley interaction for direction and light. No deviation here, so there is a break from the wind through Mon night.

Tue through Fri...Ensembles are in good agreement on the next low to affect Idaho weather. A trough digging south southeastward from British Columbia, then moving through southern Alberta will bring light precipitation this far south and tighten up the gradient for a potential wind event Tue afternoon. This feature brings cooler air, but temperatures should stay at or just above climatic normals for the time of year.

The rest of the forecast, as is typical for spring systems, there is a great degree of variability on what happens in the upstream after this first low. Most of the clusters have a cut- off low developing off the Canadian trough and moving to just off the CA coast. This splits the upper level air flow with a branch in Canada and the other branch moving through the desert Southwest. This leaves the northern Rockies in the dry area in between. But about 40 percent of the cluster solutions keep this trough together, sitting over the northern Rockies. This would mean some precipitation and cooler temperatures. And possibly some strong winds should a shortwave reinforce this trough. This would mainly affect Thu and Fri of this coming week. The NBM guidance appears to split the difference, with temperatures closer to normal and precipitation threat slightly higher than climatic average, with slightly elevated wind.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1000 PM MDT Fri Apr 3 2026

Light south or southwesterly wind into the overnight hours at PIH and IDA. Light winds likely at all other sites continuing into Saturday. SUN will see downvalley winds turn upvalley around 18z.

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.