textproduct: Pocatello

KEY MESSAGES

- Pleasant Post-Frontal Sunday: Sunshine, cooler high temperatures in the upper 60s to mid-70s, and breezy afternoon conditions (gusts up to 35 mph across the Arco Desert and upper Snake Plain).

- Chilly Sunday Night: Light winds, clear skies, and a drier air mass will allow overnight lows to drop into the 40s in lower elevation valleys and 30s across high country basins.

- Unsettled Workweek Waves: Embedded shortwaves within a broad Pacific trough will bring shower and thunderstorm chances to the eastern highlands on Monday, shifting toward the Central Mountains and Continental Divide on Tuesday.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1233 PM MDT Sun Aug 30 2026

A few isolated showers and storms lingered in the Eastern Highlands during the first half of the day as the cold front made its way through Eastern Idaho, but the rest of the afternoon and evening is expected to be drier and mild. This afternoon will be the coolest of the next few with highs today in the low to mid 70s across most of the area. Drier air behind the cold front today in combination with the breezy conditions will make for some near-critical to critical fire weather conditions for a few hours this afternoon out across parts of the eastern Magic Valley and Arco desert area. It's breezy across all of the eastern Magic Valley and Snake River Plain today with gusts of 25 to 35 mph. Sustained winds have been elevated today, reaching Lake Wind Advisory criteria at times throughout the morning, but are expected to diminish a bit this afternoon. Tonight will be the chilliest night we've had in a while, dropping into the 30s and 40s.

We warm up a bit more on Monday and Tuesday with highs ranging from mid 70s to mid 80s for many. Monday will be mostly dry, but a weak shortwave trough passing through late Monday into Tuesday will bring another small chance for a few isolated showers and storms. While this works through, a deep upper level will be working its way down to West Coast. This seems most likely to bring some precipitation chances to the Central Mountains on Wednesday, but as it stalls out we could stay drier for the second half of the week. It will help keep our temperatures from warming too quickly, at least, as a cold front passing through will drop highs a few degrees back into the mid and upper 70s on Wednesday and Thursday before returning the low 80s on Friday and Saturday. Look for wind gusts to increase with the cold frontal passage on Wednesday, reaching the 25-35 mph range for many. Winds stay breezy each afternoon in the second half of the week, but not quite as breezy as Wednesday.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/

Issued at 514 PM MDT Sun Aug 30 2026

Will have clear skies through Monday afternoon and strong winds at PIH and IDA will die down after 02Z. Winds will be much lighter on Monday with under 10 knots expected.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1233 PM MDT Sun Aug 30 2026

The cold front is mostly through our area this afternoon and has brought some much drier (and cooler) air with it. Min RHs this afternoon are falling to 10 to 15 percent in parts of the Central Mountains and across the Arco Desert area, or through portions of Fire weather Zones 410, 422, 425, 475, and 476. We are also seeing afternoon wind gusts reach or exceed 25 to 30 mph in these same spots. While coverage isn't quite enough to warrant a Red Flag Warning, be prepared for critical fire weather conditions through the early evening due to low RHs and gusty winds. It remains very dry on Monday, but winds will not be as breezy. A weak shortwave trough moves through the area late Monday into Tuesday and that will help bolster our min RHs a bit again and bring some small, isolated rain and storm chances back to much of Eastern Idaho. With a stronger low pressure system impacting the West in the second half of the week, we remain a bit unsettled and breezy, but we will have to see how this will fully impact us as far as precipitation chances as we get closer to it.

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.