textproduct: Pocatello

KEY MESSAGES

- Moderate to heavy mountain snow starts this afternoon, continues through Saturday morning. Winter Storm Watch in effect.

- Light snow today and tonight for the Snake River plain, changing to rain for Friday and Friday night.

- Windy to very windy Friday evening through Saturday in the Snake River plain, southern highlands.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/

Issued at 201 AM MST Thu Dec 4 2025

Upper level northwesterly flow will bring a winter storm through the northern Rockies and central/eastern Idaho starting this afternoon and continuing through Tonight/Fri/Fri Night/Sat morning. Peak rain and snow occur Fri afternoon and evening. Snow level starts out low and rises on Fri to leave the snow above 5500ft elevation during the day and 5000ft elevation at night, though slightly higher along the Utah border.

Except for the Bear Lake basin zone, all Utah border regions will likely verify a Warning due to snow. Along the Wyoming border region, the Big Holes and Caribou mountains are also likely to be Warning level. All the rest should be Advisory.

Probable additions in the central Idaho mountains for Advisory- level snowfall includes all zones at Advisory level. Only the Sawtooth/Stanley basin zone could challenge the Warning level of snowfall.

Temperatures will start a warming trend for the highs, with widespread temperatures getting above 40 degrees on Sat in nearly the entire Snake River plain/eastern Magic Valley. It should be similar for the lower elevations in the southern highlands. Overnight lows will warm the next two nights, but on Sat night temperatures will cool behind this winter storm.

Wind is still expected to increase with this storm on Fri, peaking on Sat. Wind Advisory could be needed for the Snake River plain.

LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 201 AM MST Thu Dec 4 2025

The upper level ridging intensifies, and this is brought out by how warm the lower elevations are expected to get. The Pocatello airport may see temperatures around 50 deg F by Tue. The warmth is not record-breaking, and even features clouds and precipitation, making for sloppy rain and snow in the mountains with rain at the Snake River plain elevations through this period, save Sun night. And there are solid risks of precipitation each period through Wed afternoon. Wind is expected to stay elevated at a minimum and possibly Advisory or Warning criteria for the shortwave moving through on Tue and Wed (especially Wed).

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY/

Issued at 435 AM MST Thu Dec 4 2025

Stratus is being a problem at KDIJ, KSUN, KIDA, and KPIH is flirting with marginal VFR at this time. An approaching winter storm will eventually increase the wind by afternoon, which may help break up the stratus and give a brief period of VFR in some locations, but KIDA and KDIJ likely only rise to marginal VFR conditions for CIG. RA and SN develop, depending on elevation and how far south, during the mid-afternoon, and intensifies tonight. Right now, only KDIJ appears to fall to IFR conditions due to both CIG and VSBY. All other airdromes are marginal VFR. KSUN is in a precipitation shadow with this scenario and so the impacts to VSBY and CIG are short-lived tonight, unlike this morning.

PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Winter Storm Watch from this afternoon through late Friday night for IDZ058>066.