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000
FXUS65 KPIH 200812
AFDPIH

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
212 AM MDT Sat Apr 20 2024

.SHORT TERM...Today through Sunday Night.
Quiet weather continues for our Saturday as a ridge of high pressure
passes over eastern Idaho. Mid and upper level clouds will pass
through today, too, which may bring just enough moisture to
squeeze out a shower or two in the mountains, but overall we will
stay dry as our gradual warming trend continues. In the Magic
Valley and lower Snake Plain, look for highs in the mid to upper
60s this afternoon with upper 50s and low 60s in the upper Snake
Plain. Even in the higher elevations we`ll push into the low 50s.
These warmer temperatures make it farther east on Sunday with the
valleys of the Southern Hills approaching the low 70s with most of
the Snake Plain in the mid to upper 60s. Also on Sunday, a low
travels across Canada and weak troughing dips just far enough
southward to push our ridge of high pressure farther east. This
weak troughing/more zonal flow will open the door for some
precipitation on Sunday, though it looks limited to the Central
Mountains and Eastern Highlands at this point with only about a 20
percent chance of showers at that. What we will have to watch on
Sunday will be wind gusts in the afternoon and evening. At this
point, the strongest gusts through the Magic Valley and Snake
Plain/Arco Desert areas will be around 30 to 40 mph which is just
below Wind Advisory criteria. AMM

.LONG TERM...Monday through Saturday.
Shortwave ridge will build through the region Monday into Tuesday
which will provide us with dry weather to start the week. However
the forecast becomes increasingly unsettled as a split flow
system pushes onshore for midweek. This will produce scattered
precipitation chances for Wednesday. Another, larger system will
fill in the void behind these storms for later week. This should
provide better chances for precipitation as we move towards late
week. Temperatures are expected to remain mainly seasonable for
most of next week. This should keep snow levels for mid to late
week fairly high, generally around or above 7000 feet. 13


&&

.AVIATION...Expect vfr conditions throughout the day at all TAF
locations. Winds look mainly light with typical diurnal switch from
downvalley to upvalley at KSUN around 17z. 13


&&

.HYDROLOGY...Water levels on the Portneuf river continue to run
high, just below moderate flood stage for the Portneuf river in
Pocatello. The river forecast for the Portneuf river in Pocatello
shows the river running above flood stage for the foreseeable
future. At Topaz, levels remain and are forecast to remain very
near minor flood stage into next week. McKaughan


&&

.PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

$$