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 underway for the rest of the week with highs approaching 100 degrees in the lower elevations on Friday.

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

DISCUSSION

Issued at 157 AM MDT Wed Aug 5 2026

Northwest flow aloft continues today as an area of low pressure in Canada continues to move northeastward and high pressure is allowed to build in along the West Coast. Wildfire smoke continues to filter into Eastern Idaho, though some improvements are expected over the next few days. This ridge will amplify on Thursday and be directly "overhead" on Friday. High pressure remains in control through the weekend. Next Monday, a low begins to move into the western coast of British Columbia to flatten the ridge and move it eastward just a bit. All of this to say, get ready for the heat to return. Highs will be about 5 degrees warmer today than yesterday, meaning we will make it back into the upper 80s to low 90s throughout the Snake River Plain. As we continue to heat up, expect highs to approach triple digits in the eastern Magic Valley as early as Thursday afternoon with the rest of the Snake River Plain following suit on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, the NBM shows a 40 to 50 percent chance of reaching 100 degrees from Burley to Pocatello. That chance is higher out across the Arco Desert area. Chances are very similar on Saturday. By early next week, highs will be a few degrees cooler thanks to the flattening of the ridge, but still in the low to mid 90s for many. This slight pattern chance should bring back some monsoon moisture next week, but specifics of that are still several days away from coming into better focus.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/

Issued at 1028 PM MDT Tue Aug 4 2026

Overall VFR conditions are expected throughout the next 24 hours. However, wildfire smoke will likely bring brief MVFR conditions with slightly reduced visibility in the morning tomorrow, down to 4 to 5 SM, for PIH, BYI, and, to a lesser degree, SUN and IDA. Smoke is expected to thin by early afternoon tomorrow for all TAF sites. Skies will be mostly clear with the exception of FEW to SCT high level clouds, mainly for BYI, PIH, and SUN. Winds will remain light overall with afternoon gusts up to around 15kts possible for all TAF sites.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 157 AM MDT Wed Aug 5 2026

High pressure is building in over the West Coast today, keeping us in northwest flow aloft today. That begins to change Thursday and especially on Friday when the ridge of high pressure moves directly over Idaho. This will bring increasing temperatures each afternoon with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday pushing towards triple digits in the lower elevations. We continue to stay just below more widespread critical fire weather conditions today and tomorrow with wind gusts generally 20 to 25 mph and min RHs of 10 to 15 percent across the entire area. We are waiting to see increases in wind gusts to issue any products, which becomes a bit more likely for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

AIR QUALITY

Issued at 157 AM MDT Wed Aug 5 2026

An air quality alert continues for Caribou, Oneida, Bingham, Bannock and Power Counties due to impacts from wildfire smoke. Air quality is expected to remain "unhealthy for sensitive groups." Another air quality alert has been issued for Cassia, Lincoln and Minidoka Counties through Thursday. Air quality is expected to remain "unhealthy for sensitive groups."

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Air Quality Alert until 1 PM MDT Thursday for IDZ051-055>057. Air Quality Alert until 4 PM MDT this afternoon for IDZ052-054- 058-059-062-063.