


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Pocatello, ID
Issued by NWS Pocatello, ID
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833 FXUS65 KPIH 200401 AFDPIH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 1001 PM MDT Tue Aug 19 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Highs this afternoon still expected to approach records. - Weak moisture will be available for isolated dry thunderstorms Wednesday, otherwise dry and warm conditions continue. - Deeper moisture arrives for increasing thunderstorms chances beginning Saturday and continuing into next week. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... Issued at 206 PM MDT Tue Aug 19 2025 Satellite imagery continues to show deep trough off BC Canada coast with high pressure centered across the southern Rockies/Four Corners region. Smoke plume that transected the region overnight has shifted off into WY late this morning. Weak areas of shallow cu building across the central mountains this afternoon, generally west of US 93 ahead of weak shortwave ejecting northeast through Oregon this afternoon. Still some potential for isolated thunderstorm development across the Frank Church, but generally further north closer to the MT border. Anything that can develop will remain generally dry with little precipitation expected. Elsewhere, conditions remain very dry with temperatures already in the upper 80s and lower/mid 90s across a wide swath of lower elevation areas, and several more hours of daytime heating to go. Temperatures tonight remain quite warm for areas along the Snake River and valleys to the south, leading to localized regions of enhanced Heat Risk, especially with temperatures on Wednesday expected to remain warm in the lower/mid 90s. Will continue to forego a Heat Advisory at this time. Additional plume of moisture trying to work north along the Nevada/Utah border toward Idaho may be enough to help produce isolated thunderstorm development across East Idaho Wednesday. Best chances are likely across the Snake Plain and southern/eastern highlands during the day, but maintained just enough PoP to produce mention across the entirety of the forecast area tomorrow. Once again, moisture remains extremely limited for thunderstorm development, so anything that does develop should remain on the dry side with little precipitation realized. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Issued at 206 PM MDT Tue Aug 19 2025 Expecting dry and warm conditions Thursday and Friday as upper level ridge re-establishes itself over Idaho. High in the 70s and 80s mountains and upper 80s to lower 90s valleys on Thursday. It will be even warmer Friday with highs in the 90s valleys and 80s mountains. Long term models showing monsoonal moisture returning to southeast Idaho with a chance for showers in the southern mountains Saturday and across the entire region Sunday through Tuesday. After a very dry summer it would be welcome to see some rain over southeast Idaho and long term grids showing this possibility but at this point rainfall amounts are forecast to be mainly light across the region with the southern mountains receiving the brunt of the precipitation. Highs are expected to cool to the 80s low elevations by early next week and 70s to lower 80s mountains. No wind impacts outside of thunderstorm activity is expected in the long term period. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 1000 PM MDT Tue Aug 19 2025 High pressure will bring VFR conditions through the period. Expect some mid level clouds into tomorrow with moisture moving in South Southwest flow aloft. Winds will gust up to around 15 to 20 kts for IDA, PIH, and SUN (and maybe DIJ) tomorrow afternoon. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 206 PM MDT Tue Aug 19 2025 Weak impulse rotating around large trough in the Pacific may be enough to produce isolated thunderstorms across the northern half of zone 475 this afternoon, otherwise dry conditions are expected. Temperatures remain very warm today with localized triple digit temperatures along with widespread single digit and low-teen humidities this afternoon. Poor recovery tonight will lead into another very warm day on Wednesday, though slightly cooler than today with lower elevation highs only in the lower to mid 90s. Additional moisture may be able to work north into East Idaho for isolated thunderstorm potential across all of East Idaho, though the best chances look to be across the Snake Plain, Caribou NF and Southern Sawtooth NF regions. High pressure rebuilds across the region for Thursday into Saturday with a return to drier humidities. There is a potential for moisture to work around the high pressure into East Idaho this weekend, with increasing chances for showers and thunderstorms beginning Sunday. && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ SHORT TERM...DMH LONG TERM...GK AVIATION...TW FIRE WEATHER...DMH