FXUS65 KPIH 041909 AFDPIH Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pocatello ID 109 PM MDT Tue Aug 4 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Wildfire smoke continues to impact the area on and off for the next few days. Expect decreased air quality at times. - Warming trend underway for the rest of the week with highs approaching 100 degrees in the lower elevations on Friday. - No precipitation in the forecast for this week, but increasing potential for monsoon moisture to return next week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 154 AM MDT Tue Aug 4 2026 No big changes in the short term forecast today, though we are seeing the smoke make it a bit farther into the Snake River Plain early this morning as noted by decreased visibility of 3 to 6 miles from Boise to Twin Falls. We are expecting this smoke to continue its eastward movement to at least Burley, if not into Pocatello this morning. This smoke is expected to impact air quality today with an air quality alert continuing at least through today. Highs today will be a bit warmer than yesterday, making it into the low to mid 80s for most. High pressure will keep us dry throughout the week with no precipitation in the forecast until early next week, and even then it doesn't look like much. Highs will continually warm up this week, reaching near 100 degrees on Friday afternoon in the lower elevations. Wind gusts each afternoon will be around 15 to 25 mph with a few pockets of gusts closer to 30 mph out across the desert. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 1032 AM MDT Tue Aug 4 2026 High pressure keeps most of the cloudiness away today, although smo some 600mb and higher moisture does slide through this evening. However, no CIG is expected, likely not even SCT coverage. Wind is mainly slope-valley wind phenomenon-induced, with quite a bit of early morning light and variable. Only fly in the proverbial ointment is for VSBY, due to wildfires emitting FU that has brought conditions as low as 3SM. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 101 PM MDT Tue Aug 4 2026 The warming under dominating upper level high pressure will push afternoon humidity below 10 percent for more an more areas. Fortunately wind does not increase until perhaps Friday but more likely Saturday. This appears to mean critical fire weather conditions. The atmospheric stability becomes more an more unstable, with deep mixing heights developing Fri, getting well above 17,000ft MSL. The next chance for precipitation comes with a pattern change, but not until next Tue as a pattern to bring remnants of the southwest monsoon northward. && .AIR QUALITY... Issued at 154 AM MDT Tue Aug 4 2026 An air quality alert continues for Caribou, Oneida, Bingham, Bannock and Power Counties due to impacts from wildfire smoke. Air quality is expected to remain "unhealthy" through Wednesday. && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Air Quality Alert until 1 PM MDT Thursday for IDZ051-055>057. Air Quality Alert until 4 PM MDT Wednesday for IDZ052-054-058- 059-062-063. && $$ DISCUSSION...GK AVIATION...Messick FIRE WEATHER...Messick AIR QUALITY...GK