Forecast Discussions mentioning any of "ACARS" "MDCRS" "AIRCRAFT" "TAMDAR" "AMDAR" "WVSS" received at GSD on 10/01/23


Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pocatello ID
107 PM MDT Sat Sep 30 2023 .SHORT TERM...Tonight through Sunday Night. A low pressure system centered over western Nevada will move to northeastern Nevada tonight. An organized band of showers will develop across Utah this evening and move north into our area late this evening and overnight resulting in high chances for rain across much of the area. On Sunday, the low will stay and weaken across eastern Nevada. The band of widespread showers will move northward during the morning with showers becoming scattered in coverage during the afternoon. Best chances for showers through the day are across the Magic Valley into the Central Mountains because of their proximity to the low. Chance for showers will diminish greatly Sunday Night as we lose instability from daytime heating. Most likely rainfall amounts are around 0.25 inches with around 0.50 inches in the Central Mountains and Southern Highlands. Although there is a 25% chance of 0.50 inches across the Snake Plain and Magic Valley and 0.75 inches across the South Hills and Central Mountains. The Upper Snake Highlands could miss out on the better precipitation amounts because the band of widespread rain is expected to remain mainly west of there. Still, the Upper Snake Highlands will most likely around 0.10 inches. Snow levels are high, generally around 9000 feet, but some snow could be found on Galena Summit. Looks like we may be unstable enough Sunday afternoon for a 20 to 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. However, instability is most likely not enough for anything too exciting in terms of hail or outflow winds. 13 .LONG TERM...Monday through Next Saturday. The center of the low will continue lifting to the northeast on Monday and the trough will slowly shift eastward on Tuesday as high pressure sets up along the west coast. During this timeframe precipitation will become more heavily concentrated over the eastern mountains, where around a quarter of an inch to half an inch of QPF will accumulate over 48 hours. The National Blend 75th and 90th Percentiles suggest the half inch to one inch range. Only a couple extra inches of snow will accumulate on the highest peaks of the central mountains during this time. High pressure will build in behind this slow moving system, however models continue to show some differences regarding the placement and strength of the ridge come late week. Under northerly flow aloft, dry conditions are expected Wednesday through the end of the extended period. Under high pressure, daily highs will warm by several degrees each day and will finally run within a few degrees of normal by next weekend. However, overnight temperatures under clear skies will likely drop low enough to support frost formation across the Snake Plain Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Cropp && .AVIATION...Breezy conditions at Snake Plain TAF locations with gusts to 20 kts likely for the remainder of the afternoon. Upvalley wind at SUN could prove troublesome for incoming aircraft until around 03z. Scattered showers will develop this evening becoming widespread from IDA westward overnight. Ceilings through 18z may remain VFR at PIH and IDA but could go MVFR during the afternoon as cooler air works in. Threat for lower ceilings exists at BYI and most likely at SUN where a slight chance for IFR conditions exists late tonight into Sunday as rain could persist there through much of Sunday. 13 && .FIRE WEATHER... The closed low will over California will shift into Nevada and then lift northward into Idaho early tomorrow. Winds will be breezy today, especially north and south of the Snake Plain along our borders with Montana and Utah, with southerly sustained winds 20 to 30 mph and gusts 35 to 45 mph. While all Fire Weather Zones aside from Zone 410 could experience rain showers today, the main push of precipitation will arrive after midnight tonight and continue through Sunday evening. During this 24-hour timeframe, half an inch to one inch of QPF is expected across the southern highlands and central mountains, with isolated areas receiving over an inch. Zones 410, 425, 411, and 413 will likely receive more on the order of a half inch or less, with closer to three quarters across the highest elevations of the eastern mountains. Snow levels will remain around 8,500 feet and higher, so the only snow expected is along the highest peaks of the central mountains. Precipitation will taper off late evening Sunday and become concentrated over north-central Idaho and further east toward the Wyoming border on Monday and Tuesday as the low slowly departs to the northeast. Behind this system, high pressure will build over the west coast, resulting in predominately dry conditions for the second half of next week as well as a gradual warming trend. Temperatures will finally be within a few degrees of climatological norms by next weekend. Cropp && .PIH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$