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. Some very low chances in grids now by Monday and Tuesday.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1245 PM MDT Tue Aug 4 2026

Northwest flow aloft keeping cooler conditions in place over Idaho today with highs remaining in the 80s in lower elevations, but also spreading some wildfire smoke into the state with air quality advisories in effect. Upper ridge begins to build in from the west Wednesday and will start to see significant warming begin tomorrow with many low elevation highs back around 90 once again with the upper 90s by Thursday and Friday and into the weekend. Very hot conditions are returning. Grids in the long term do have some moisture finally returning with very low chances of thunderstorms Monday and Tuesday in the extreme southeast corner of the state but very low confidence in that happening. Main impact short term will be the wildfire smoke air quality, then by late week and the weekend it will be the extreme heat once again.

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 154 AM MDT Tue Aug 4 2026

We remain in northwest flow aloft as high pressure continues to build in over much of the West over the next few days. Highs will gradually warm and by the time we reach Friday, the lower elevations will be pushing to near triple digit temperatures. Overall, we stay near critical fire weather conditions over the next few days with wind gusts ranging from about 15 to 25 mph and min RHs staying very dry, at about 10 to 20 percent across all of Eastern Idaho. While there will likely be a few areas out across the Arco Desert/INL area that hit Red Flag conditions each afternoon, it's not until Friday, Saturday, and Sunday that wind gusts increase a bit more and become more widespread.

AIR QUALITY

Issued at 1245 PM MDT Tue Aug 4 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" through Wednesday. Another air quality alert has been issued for Cassia, Lincoln and Minidoka Counties through Thursday. Air quality is "unhealthy" through Wednesday.

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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