textproduct: Pocatello

KEY MESSAGES

- Fog and low clouds will continue to affect some areas through late evening but should clear out for must areas over the next few hours.

- Cooler for the weekend with isolated snow chances across the eastern highlands late tomorrow 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 SATURDAY NIGHT/

Issued at 108 PM MST Fri Jan 23 2026

A weak upper level impulse is pushing through the region this afternoon which should bring some cooler temps to eastern Idaho and hopefully, some clearing skies in the valleys. Visible satellite imagery, webcams and surface observations are showing clearing beginning across parts of the upper Snake Plain around Rexburg and Idaho Falls and this trend is forecast to continue for much of the rest of the Snake Plain over the course of the afternoon and evening. Not seeing much moisture with this impulse but some light flurries are possible, mainly across the eastern highlands. Although much of the area is expected to clear out, there's still a chance that we don't and the Magic Valley seems to be the most likely spot to have low stratus lingering into the day tomorrow but it's possible this happens across parts of the Snake Plain too.

Northerly upper level flow will allow colder air to filter in over the Divide and areas that see mostly clear skies tonight should drop into the single digits with subzero readings likely in the higher terrain of the central mountains and eastern highlands. Overnight lows in the Magic Valley will likely be limited to the teens with cloud cover expected to linger a bit more. Things will remain dry however throughout the region tonight and into the afternoon hours on Saturday. Speaking of Saturday, expecting all areas to stay below freezing for daytime highs despite the fairly ample sunshine expected. A shortwave will move into Central Montana and western Wyoming late Saturday 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.

LONG TERM /SUNDAY 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 /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 409 PM MST Fri Jan 23 2026

Stratus beginning to clear north to south and SUN and IDA have gone VFR and expect PIH to by 02Z. It will last longest at BYI and keep MVFR ceilings through 12Z. Backdoor cold front working to mix things out in southern Idaho and do not expect any low cloud issue through Saturday afternoon and have VFR conditions through 00Z tomorrow.

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.