textproduct: Pocatello

KEY MESSAGES

- Strong to damaging wind gusts and blowing dust are expected for East Idaho today.

- A combination of Wind Advisory, High Wind Warning, and Blowing Dust Warning headlines are in place for today.

- A major warming trend follows this system, with potential record-breaking temperatures in the 70s and lower 80s expected next week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 119 PM MDT Sat Mar 14 2026

Today's wind event is still ramping up early this afternoon with strong winds becoming more widespread and the number of sites with gusts over 50 mph increasing. So far have seen several sites gusting over 60 mph, with interstate closures north and south of Idaho Falls due to blowing dust. Satellite imagery shows showers continuing mainly over the eastern highlands, but second band of showers are moving toward the central mountains early this afternoon. Clearing line shifting northwest to southeast into the Snake Plain is expected to allow mixing to take off this afternoon allowing the strongest winds to develop. All wind-related headlines will remain intact this afternoon, including the HIGH WIND WARNING for the strongest winds through the Snake Plain and adjacent zones and the WIND ADVISORY for all other zones, and especially the BLOWING DUST WARNING for the Upper Snake Zone covering the main trouble spot for Interstate-15. Will continue to monitor the increasing winds for potential to increase the BLOWING DUST WARNING area, if necessary, as we have received reports of minor blowing dust outside of the current warned area. Winds are expected to abate below headline thresholds this evening after frontal boundary sags through the region, then rapidly drop off after midnight tonight. Colder temperatures are in place for Sunday, but ridge of high pressure builds along the California coast into Monday, gradually shifting east into the desert southwest states for the latter portions of the week. Increasingly warm temperatures will be the story moving forward past the wind events. Deterministic NBM temperatures rise well into the 70s for most of the Snake Plain and surrounding lower elevation areas by mid week. Probabilistic data still supportive of temperatures potentially reaching 80 by the latter half of the week, especially for the southern extent of the Snake Plain between roughly Pocatello and the Magic Valley. Deterministic values are running several degrees below the ensemble spreads for Tuesday through Saturday.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1121 AM MDT Sat Mar 14 2026

Main impact will again be winds with extreme speeds and gusts expected to be sustained 35 to 40 knots at PIH, IDA, BYI and DIJ with gusts 45 to 55 knots through about 03Z. SUN will have 15 to 25 knots sustained with gusts 30 to 35 knots. So extreme wind impacts for flying today. Will see winds die down after 06Z and will not be as strong Sunday but gusts of 20 to 30 knots expected at the BYI, PIH and IDA sites after 18Z. Expect some visibility restrictions at times under 6 miles at IDA for blowing dust this afternoon as well.

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

High Wind Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for IDZ051>058- 062>065-068. Blowing Dust Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for IDZ053. Wind Advisory until 9 PM MDT this evening for IDZ059>061-066- 067-069>075.